Sioux succumbed to congestive heart failure on 1/30/17.
Date(s): 1/19/16. Album by Terry. Photos by Terry. 1 - 15 of 15 Total. 2924 Visits.
1 This is Sioux.
2 She was turned into the shelter by the family of her former owner after he died.
3 We were told that she is 11-1/2 years old, but we think she is actually older, and the vet concurs.
4 She has a very soft furry coat, and she enjoyed getting a nice warm bath after being in the stinky shelter.
5 Sioux has a very gentle, low-key, slow paced personality.
6 Sadly, her vet exam revealed that she has a severely enlarged heart that is compressing her lungs, making it hard for her to breathe. The heart beat is slow, extremely irregular, and has a significant murmur. June update: Her heart murmur has progressed to a Grade 6 (highest there is), and her lungs have developed a lot of fluid, so she is now on medications to try to reduce the fluid, stabilize the blood pressure, and strengthen the heart muscle to help it beat better.
7 Because of this, she does not have a long life expectancy, and we are told to expect a limited number of months.
8 But she does not know that, so she welcomes each new day with contentment.
9 Sioux loves treats. She is a happy girl who is affectionate, enjoys being petted, and doesn't mind being picked up.
10 She takes treats gently and doesn't even have a problem sharing with other dogs.
11 Sioux is housetrained and will occasionally use a doggie door. But as her health has been declining, she is dealing with some degree of incontinence, particularly when she is asleep or very excited.
12 She is now almost totally deaf.
13 She loves being patted, stroked, rubbed, and sweet-talked!
14 Sioux doesn't get onto furniture, so she really appreciates a comfy dog bed.
15 We don't expect Sioux to be with us much longer, and New Rattitude has decided to put her in hospice, meaning we will focus on making her comfortable and happy for whatever time she has left.
