Emma’s Story

Emma’s Story

by Denise in Muskego, Wisconsin

Emma, our Catahoula Leopard mix, was diagnosed with DCM and congestive heart failure in September of 2017 at 6 years old. We took her to the ER on September 17, because she had developed a cough the day before. It became worse and we realized we could not wait until Monday when our primary vet was open. Emma was struggling to breathe and was immediately put on oxygen. They recommended that their cardiologist evaluate Emma. We brought Emma home, but she was declining rapidly. She went from being an active dog to one that couldn’t even get up to do basic everyday activities. A week or so went by and the meds seemed to be working.

Then she got worse again and her meds were increased. This cycle went on until November 13, 2017, when we had to make the very difficult decision to euthanize her. Our hearts were broken. In less than two months after being diagnosed, our baby girl was gone. Then, in January 2018, our hearts were broken once again. Our other dog, Jake, was diagnosed with the same thing. Please look for Jake’s Story on this website.