My name is Alvin. I am a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel born 12/18/18 and I weigh 22 lbs.
I am as sweet as they come! I love to hoard toys; play fetch; go for long walks and chase anything that moves outside, especially those crazy squirrels! I am good with other dogs and cats. I love meeting new people but I am also a little shy. One of my favorite things is snuggling with my foster mom.
Alvin requires a fenced in yard.
We had Alvin to a cardiologist, here were the findings.
Alvin has myxomatous mitral valve disease.
The following is from the cardiologist:
1. Medications are not required for stage B1 myxomatous mitral valve disease
2. Alvin is suitable to be rehomed from a cardiac perspective. Aside from annual monitoring of heart disease, he does not need any cardiac medications nor changes to lifestyle at present. He may develop clinical heart disease in the future, including congestive heart failure. However, this is unlikely to occur for several years.
3. A cardiac specific diet is not required. There is no known dietary role in the pathogenesis of myxomatous mitralvalve disease.
4. Regular exercise is recommended but avoid strenuous or athletic activity, particularly in very hot or humid conditions. Trazodone and Gabapentin are appropriate medications for use at times of anticipated stress.
5. There are no cardiac concerns for vaccinations, preventatives, or any medications. Follow-up: Monitoring chest x-rays or echocardiography are recommended in 12 months. If chest x-rays are undertaken, and there is a vertebral heart size of >11.5 or vertebral left atrial size of >2.7, repeat echocardiography is recommended. Re-examination is recommended sooner if Alvin develops any clinical signs referable to worsening of heart disease, such as persistent cough, breathing difficulties, weakness, lethargy, exercise intolerance or collapsing episodes. Thank you for bringing Alvin to see me. It was a pleasure meeting you both. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Simon Dennis, BVetMed, MVM, DECVIM (Cardiology)cardiology@mainlinevs.com
Apply to adopt Alvin at https://www.atailtotell.com/adopt/
It took some time for her to trust hands and laps, but she is now a loving, happy little lady and a very important part of our family. Believe it or not, she has inspired us to persevere through tough times. It may seem crazy that this fluffy little chihuahua taught us about strength and grit, but we learned that if this little dog could hang in there until she got a chance to live her best life, surely we can make it through a tough day or two.
