Snicker's health update, per Dr. G, Animal Emergency and Referral Center of Minnesota:

"I am happy with how well Snickers has been doing since the balloon valvuloplasty procedure! Today's recheck echocardiogram showed Snickers's pressure gradient has significantly improved with the procedure and is now only in the mild range (75% gradient reduction), which is fantastic!

Furthermore, some of the changes within her heart secondary to the stenosis (i.e. right ventricular hypertrophy) has significantly improved to only mild today. I am thrilled with this outcome.

The pulmonic valve is leaking more today than before, but this is a known complication with this procedure. However, the right heart typically handles high volume loads better than high pressure loads, and her heart is currently compensating well.

If the heart were to become too overloaded, fluid could start to accumulate within her belly or chest, causing abdominal swelling or shortness of breath (congestive right heart failure). However, Snickers has no evidence of heart failure today, and complications are not expected in the near term, if at all.

However, we should continue to monitor this on a long-term basis, along with monitoring for worsening of the stenosis severity again.

Given today's echocardiogram findings, we discussed weaning off the atenolol (this medication should not be suddenly stopped).

However, since she takes medications easily and is tolerating it well with no side effects, plus it is relatively inexpensive and may have some continued theoretical benefits, per our discussion, we will keep her on the current dose, at least until her next recheck. We may consider stopping it at that time (especially if medicating is difficult for her adoptive family).

Snickers has also developed a right bundle branch block. This refers to a conduction disturbance within the heart that does not disturb the actual heart rhythm (hence, this is not an actual arrhythmia).

This conduction disturbance occurs as the signal for contraction reaches the lower right chamber of the heart, leading to slightly delayed conduction through this chamber. This is commonly seen as a consequence of pulmonic stenosis and/or the balloon valvuloplasty procedure. This electrocardiographic finding typically poses no problems.

Diagnosis:

1. Severe pulmonic stenosis - Treated with balloon valvuloplasty 2/7/2018, now mild pressure gradient with a 75% pressure gradient reduction compared to pre-balloon valvuloplasty.
2. Moderate pulmonic insufficiency - More significant compared to pre-balloon valvuloplasty.
3. Right bundle branch block - Newly diagnosed this visit (mild finding). "

So, her checkup went well, and now her foster mom is trying to get her spay arranged so she can finally find her forever home. Being a cardiac patient is making this more difficult, but hopefully this will be arranged shortly.

Snickers weighs forty-six pounds and is up to date on her shots, including her Lyme vaccinations.

Snickers traveled to Wisconsin to the lake prior to her checkup. She had motion sickness immediately upon getting on the road. This has happened a number of times on her car rides, but the vet told me not to give a heart patient Dramamine, so I will deal with it and pack lots of paper towels.

As far as the lake and water went, Snickers didn’t put her paw in, but neither did the other dogs. It was very cold water! We will see if she becomes a swimmer.

She did enjoy walks there and all the new smells and animals she saw. She loved eating dead fish, but didn’t try to roll in them. My son left his older Golden for the weekend, and Snickers got along well with another new dog.

Once we were home, spring is in full bloom. Snickers was busy digging in the backyard and checking out any new flowers. She is pulling less on her leash and really enjoys going for walks with the other dogs. She has a big bark which she will use to alert when there are sounds outside of arrivals. She will be a good watchdog with her bark and size.

Meanwhile, she is a sweetheart who wants to listen and please. She is very good about going into her crate when I need to leave the house. I have left her out a few times, and nothing happened. She is not a destructive dog. I assume she takes her clue from the others and sleeps or watches for my return.

She loves toys and retrieving tennis balls or playing with the other dogs. She will entertain herself with an antler. When it’s time to settle down, I just have to ask her to lay down and she settles easily, just happy to be near her family.

Time has come for Snickers to find her forever home. She has been a lovely foster dog, and I would keep her in a minute if I didn’t already have two dogs and one as big as she is. Please contact Placement if you think Snickers is a fit for you.

She is a growing puppy still and will require lots of time and training. Her medical condition will require her to be monitored for any signs of heart failure that might develop in the future, and she will need annual checkups with a cardiologist.

She has grown into a big, tall dog, but is still very much a puppy. I feel confident that she will have a great life with the right home.

Once again, I want to thank RAGOM for providing her the special care needed for her heart.

Foster Mom was gone on a trip for almost three weeks, and Snickers was a guest at two other homes. She was a good pup and made some new human and dog friends.

What I noticed most was how much she has grown. She is as tall as my Golden now and weighs forty pounds. This week, she had her first grooming appointment for a bath and cut. She is shedding her puppy coat, when brushed, but still not much of a shedder. Her coat is still soft and beautiful.

As she interacts with people at the groomer, vet, stores, and other foster homes, she is described as a calm dog, but still a puppy. When she got back home, she immediately started to pull toys out of the toy box and began chewing on her bones and antlers.

While I was gone, her sharp baby teeth disappeared and she now has adult teeth. She is so big now, I have to keep reminding myself that she is still just a puppy.

It’s been a few days now, and Snickers has settled in again. Right now, she is laying with her head on my foot. Earlier, she was my big lapdog. What a sweetheart!

Next week, I’ll be making an appointment with her doctor at the University of Minnesota for a heart re-check in early May. Keep checking in on her journey.

While Snicker's foster mom is out having the adventure of her life, Miss Snickers was on her own little staycation with a couple of local fosters who have the privilege of having her as their houseguest.

While she was with us during the first part of her staycation, she was a perfect houseguest. She transitioned into our routine with ease. She learned that some of her puppy behavior wasn't always appreciated by our two residents and quickly responded to their cues.

She became our 5-year-old Golden's shadow, following him wherever he went. They were so fun to watch in the yard. It was definitely monkey see, monkey do! She left our 12-year-old resident alone as she doesn't really like to "play."  She is definitely a snuggler at night, and with two of the three of them in bed, it got quite warm.  

As you can see by the picture, she made herself at home. She quickly learned that the foot stool was OK to lay on, but we were able to keep her off the furniture by providing her with lots of dog beds and toys.

She has moved to her second sitter location, and we know that she is doing well there. They fell in love with her as soon as they met her. She is a charmer and will be a beloved family member for some lucky person.

Sorry, the time got away from us. Snickers visited the vet and is all done with her puppy shots and rabies vaccination, and is now all up to date. Her vet felt her heart murmur was more like a level 3. That is much better than the level 6 they heard before her procedure. Snickers is now 31 pounds and growing taller and taller.

She also made her first trip to the groomer. Her paw hair was trimmed, nails cut, and she had a little trim around her face so we can see her eyes better. She was very calm and stood quietly while she was worked on. She will be going back in a month for the full treatment. Her lovely coat may change in the next few months, but for now, it is still very soft and wavy and easy to brush and take care of.

We recently made a trip to Earth Wise in Sioux Falls to check out the self-washing units and pick up a little treat. Next stop was DQ for a pup cup. Snickers was having a big outing: the vet, the store, and a DQ treat.

Snickers seems to be housebroken. She is four months old and hasn’t had an accident in several days. She is becoming such a grown-up pup. Some of her adult teeth are in. She gnaws on her bones and antlers to work on the rest. We are walking regularly, and she is getting better at not pulling. She walks with two other dogs all leashed together. Weather doesn’t seem to bother her. 

She has a voice and will alarm when someone comes to the house. She also talks to you, both with her eyes and her voice. Snickers is still a great snuggler. I feel her affection when she decides to sit beside me and nightly as she lays beside me or on me. The best part is how she wakes me with kisses in the morning. 

Keep watching for her updates. She is growing into a tall dog. She sits, shakes, and will lay down for a treat. She listens very well. She still is a bit mouthy, but now she exercises much more restraint and uses her soft mouth.

Snickers is off her restricted activity and back to full-speed puppy. She knows how to jump up on the sofa now and the stool and the chair. It’s really funny to watch her fly up and take her place beside the other two dogs or take Bella’s spot on the sofa.

She went to the vet and got her stitches taken out and had another round of puppy shots. She is now 23 lbs. and growing. She loves her little bed, but is getting too big for it. A new XL one will give her room to grow. I’ve been keeping her surrender family updated on her medical progress. They shared with me that her parents are around 80 lbs., and she was the runt of the litter. Her siblings were around 28 lbs. when she was 20 lbs. Nevertheless, she has big feet and will be a tall dog.

We are working on housebreaking, and it’s going well. She will "sit" and usually go "down" on command, especially if there’s a treat involved. She chews on my dogs mercilessly, but they just let her. They both like to play keep-away or tug-of-war with her. Everybody was happy when she could play again.

Snickers will be unavailable for adoption for some months. She returns to the University of Minnesota Vet Clinic in May to see her cardiologist for a re-check of her heart. That check-up will determine whether she can have a normal spay surgery or need extra care because of her heart.  At that check-up, her doctor will also decide about continuing her beta blocker medicine.  She will always have a heart murmur and need annual check-ups with a cardiologist. Delaying her adoption until May or June will give us a better idea of Snickers’ future medical needs. By that time, she will be a much bigger dog, hopefully housebroken and without those sharp puppy teeth. It will be better for everyone.

I am so happy to report that Snickers had her procedure done at the University of Minnesota Vet Clinic yesterday, and all went well. They used two balloons to open up her valve and knock off some adhesions. She should have good blood flow now and lead a normal life.

She will go back in three to four months for a re-check. If all is well, she can be spayed and adopted then. She will be taking some heart medicine, but it is sold to humans and easy to get and very inexpensive. Anyone considering adopting Snickers would need to get her annual checkups with a cardiologist.

Thank you so much for all the well-wishers, donations, and especially to Mary and Paul T for becoming Snickers’ Sponsors. Without the generous support RAGOM receives, dogs like Snickers, who need specialty medical care to survive and thrive, would be facing bleak futures, heart failure in Snickers’ case. We were able to get her in quickly, while still very young and stop the damage that was already happening to her heart and vessels.

Special thanks also to B Squad Rescue, Brandon, SD and Mandi H for transporting Snickers to her special doctors twice. Thanks to wonderful temporary fosters, Rutager and Scott and Patty for keeping Snickers while she was in the Twin Cities.

Other things about Snickers that can be shared are that she likes children and was very gentle with Scott and Patty’s twenty-month-old grandchildren. She walks very nicely on a leash. I was fearful that she would come home shaved from her procedure, but her beautiful coat is still there. Her cardiologist at the U of MN believes she will be a large dog.

If it ever stops snowing out here in the Dakotas, Snickers will be home again and I will update with news and pictures. Thank you again for all the care she has gotten from RAGOM.