Articles Index/In Memoriam, Pets
Posted 08/29/02
I have had dogs all my life, Norfolks since 1974. They really don't give a hoot how many initials are in front of, or after, their names. They just want to love us and please us. Cricket was the perfect example of this. He was a dog that gave so much. I can honestly say he was never naughty, unlike some of our other pals. He kept giving even after going into heart failure in 1999.
Thanks to my brother, and my vet, Dr. J. Peter Hansen and the renowned canine cardiologist, Dr. Joel Edwards, Cricket entered into a drug company study of Canine Mitral Valve Disease. He was put on many heart medications and had to have an injection of the experimental drug twice a day for almost three years. He came to remind me it was time for his meds if I was a few minutes late. (Of course the treats he got as a reward had nothing to do with his timeliness!)
The drug study involved monthly exams including ECG, blood test, urine analysis, x-rays, tread mill tests, and blood pressure readings. He didn't seem to mind all that, and really loved the doctor and the technician. Of course the study meant a big commitment on our part, but he did so well it was worth every bit of it. Fortunately, Cricket enjoyed a good quality of life up until the last few days.
He died peacefully, and continued to give after death as a necropsy was performed in keeping with the terms of the drug study. Maybe his life will be an aid to other dogs with mitral valve disease, which is hereditary. The experimental drug may be used for humans, too.
Good job, Cricket!
Joan Schwab
ANTIC, June, 2002
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