The Results

Good-ish news.  YES Tibby has a heart murmur.  BUT it isn't life threatening and it shouldn't affect her quality of life at all.  The valve between her right atrium and right ventricle doesn't close completely, so a little blood washes back into the atrium when her heart pumps.  She has the same problem with the valve between the right ventricle and her pulmonary artery.  So TWO faulty valves.  The cardiologist said she should live a normal life and just to keep an eye out for any changes in her behavior during her life - coughing, lethargy, lack of appetite.

The cardiologist was surprised that the murmur wasn't discovered before Tibby's spay (almost a year ago), but she thinks Tibby was probably born with this heart murmur.

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It was an exhausting day - for both of us!  I got up at 4am and we were on the road a little after 5am.  We hit some bad traffic, but made it to the hospital 45 mins. early.  Since we were so early, I took Tibby for a little walk and then we went inside the hospital.  My overall impression of the U of M Vet Hospital is that it is really dark.  Everyone was really nice to us (and loved Tibby, said she was so cute), but the place is really depressing.  The hallways (floor/walls/ceiling) are dark brownish-grey and there aren't any windows - at least in the areas where we were.   

We were there for almost 3 hours, so I had a lot of time to look at the brown walls!

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First of all, after we checked in at the reception area and walked a long, long way to cardiology/radiology, a tech with 4 med students took us into a tiny exam room.  Yes, there were 6 of us humans in a tiny room with one Tibby.  I think Tibby felt pretty special - until the thermometer came out.  Tibby has Never, Ever had her temperature taken.  Maybe they took it before her spay, but I didn't see them do it.  Maybe they waited to do it after she was asleep! 

This is Tibby during the whole process:

 "Hey! You are the most awesome new people I've ever met!  My name is Tibby!  You are great!  We are going to be best friends!  I love you all!  So AMAZING!  This is the best day EVER! Yes! Super-de-duper!"

*insert thermometer* 

 "WHOA!! HEY!  I DO NOT KNOW YOU THAT WELL!!  PERVERT!  PERVERT!   HANDS OFF!  BACK AWAY!  AGH!  MOMMY!! THEY'RE TOUCHING MY BUTT!  MY - BUTT!  WHY!?!  THIS IS THE WORST DAY EVER!!!!" 

 She was screaming like they were killing her.  It was kind of funny, just because she was overreacting so much.  Although....if some stranger touched my butt I might freak out too.

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When the doctor came in, Tibby was an angel and held perfectly still for 5 mins. straight while the doctor listened to her heart.  Not a paw moved and she didn't make a noise.

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After that we went out to the waiting room again to wait for Tibby to have chest x-rays taken and then the echo cardiogram.  While we were waiting Tibby did tricks for treats.  Lots and lots of tricks.  Then they took her for her x-ray.  Then she came back and did more tricks.  Then she went for her ultrasound.  Then I waited and waited and waited.

I was really surprised how excited Tibby was to eat treats and do tricks.  She was super focused.  Usually she won't eat treats at the vet, because she is too excited.

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After the ultrasound the cardiologist talked to me again and told me the results.  Then we went home.

Tibby came home and got a nice big bully stick in her crate.  She tried to talk me into letting her eat it on the carpet, but rules are rules, so she ate it in her crate.

All these pics were taken after the Great Thermometer Incident of 2011. 

;0

One side.

This is where they shaved Tibby for her ultrasound.  They said she was a very good girl and they didn't need to sedate her at all.  I thought it was funny when they were taking her for the ultrasound the tech said, "Now we have to shave a little of her fur off.  Just so you understand - is that going to be OK?"  Like having some fur shaved off would be the deal breaker, "Absolutely not!  I drove 3 hours and took a day off of work, but you are NOT shaving my dog!  No matter how critical the results of this ultrasound might be to my dog's life - we are leaving!"

I actually said, "That's fine."  LOL!

And the other side.  She has little spots!

Now I'm going to take a nap with Tibby.  What a day!