Pet Profiles

Suzie's Story (continued) Page: 1 (2)
[Photo of Suzie] This exacting equation between two competing medical needs – eliminating fluid to relieve congestive heart failure, yet allowing sufficient fluid to sustain kidney health – is one that AMC doctors are particularly adept at maintaining.

Continues Dr. Bond: "Our monitoring of Suzie did indicate that her kidneys were showing early signs of failure, and I took her off all her five medications for several days. During that time she received no medications at all."

What happened next is a tribute to Suzie's innate will to live and her fierce determination not to surrender to her condition.

Says Dr. Bond: "Suzie's kidneys actually went back to normal all by themselves! With her kidneys healthy again, I slowly started her back on all her medications except for a third diuretic that I think pushed her kidneys over the edge."

Because Suzie's condition is incurable and life-threatening, she requires constant vigilance both by Dr. Bond and Mr. S.

"Today," says Dr. Bond, "we continue to maintain Suzie's regular monitoring schedule, taking blood tests about every two to three weeks. A careful balance must be kept between the benefits that her medications provide, against their potentially harmful side effects."

It was exactly this vigilance that led to Suzie's recovery from sudden congestive heart failure episodes that caused her to be rushed to The AMC's ICU three times over the past two years.

"I really trust Mr. S.'s intuition with Suzie," says Dr. Bond. "Whenever he says he thinks she is in heart failure, he's right. The three of us make a good team. Without his vigilance I couldn't do my job nearly as well."

Says Mr. S., "Suzie and I are so attuned to each other that, when she heard me say her name during this interview, she came out of the little closet where she likes to sleep to find out what was going on. For my part, I'm very sensitive to the slightest change in her breathing. When that happens, I know to rush her to The AMC immediately, because we only have a small window of time to save her life."

These two devoted companions – one human, one animal – are so close that Mr. S. no longer goes on vacations.

"She's so good, so sweet. All she wants is to be with me. I'm afraid to leave her with anybody who is not extremely sensitive to her symptoms. Someone who hasn't lived with Suzie day and night may not realize that she is having trouble breathing until it's too late to save her."

Suzie's prognosis?

"We're in uncharted territory," says Dr. Bond. "She's already lived at least a full year beyond the usual six-to-twelve-month life span for dogs with her heart condition, and with a good quality of life."

Mr. S. laughs, "Everybody at The AMC knows Suzie. They call her "The Little Celebrity" and "The Miracle Dog." Most recently she was named a "Living Legend" by The AMC, and given a beautiful bandanna with those words on it. Dr. Bond considers herself Suzie's Godmother."

Mr. S.'s tone grows serious when he says, "The fact is we don't know how much time Suzie has left. She means everything to me, both because she is so wonderful and loving, and because having her with me is like my mother and father are still here. Hopefully, with Dr. Bond's care, we will be able to repeat this interview a year from now."

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