My name is JJ!

03-11-14: JJ Is A Miracle One Day At A Time

In the last two months we were hoping for a miracle for JJ and so far our prayers are being answered. We have watched him closely in the days and weeks since the cardiologist had to drain the fluid around his heart and in his abdomen due to Pericardial Effusion and so far the fluid has not returned. Each day that has passed has given us hope that JJ would be OK and we have been thrilled that nothing to date has led us to be concerned.
JJ did have an unrelated issue with his eye which was diagnosed as a corneal ulcer. It was a bit stubborn to treat and he had to return to the doctor several times, but the eye has finally healed. The doctor suggested that the ulcer was possibly caused by him rubbing his face in the snow. JJ was originally a Southern boy and snow was a fun new game for him. JJ is happy and enjoying life to the fullest. Every day JJ is with us is a true miracle and we cherish every day he is alive.
Here is an update from his foster mom:
“JJ is doing fantastic!! I didn't think I'd ever be so happy to see skinny on him :). After that scare with the fluid in his abdomen it is so nice to see it gone. His energy is very high as he initiates play with his foster boxer brother Bentley and us. He has no issues with the cold and snow and happily goes outside. He walks great on a leash and loves to go for walks if it isn't extremely cold out. He has gotten used to the fact that he gets a cookie when he comes in from outside and doesn't let me forget it.
His leg lifting in the house has disappeared. There was one funny story over the Christmas Holiday. So, when we put up the tree........he didn't show much interest in it at all. Until we had an evening of single digit temps. and he apparently must have thought we brought that tree in for his convenience. He sniffed around the house a bit and then without a care in the world, lifted his leg on the tree ;-) I was right there so I caught him in time to make it a light clean up.
JJ has no problem taking jurisdiction of various household privileges .... such as laying on top of Bentley if he's in the bed he wants, taking a cookie before B gets his, and moving in for petting and scratching. JJ has seamlessly fit right in. He is running in the fenced yard and has enjoyed our walks. His appetite is back and he is sleeping much better at night.
JJ’s personality is really coming out more and more. He is just so awesome! He sleeps on Bentley, and he barks at me in the morning if he has waited too long for me to get up :). After many weeks of interrupted sleep, he has started to sleep through the night. He will wake up once to walk around the bed to Tom to get his pat on the head and then goes back to sleep.
He plays great with toys and has learned how to receive belly rubs. He is sitting for his treats and we're still working on taking the treats "nice". He has met a few dogs and gets along with all of them. JJ is very social and accepting with everyone who comes to the house. He has met our 20 month old granddaughter and just loved her to pieces!!
Last night he was funny. Bentley was sleeping on his raised cot, which JJ has basically taken over. JJ stood and stared at him for several minutes and Bentley didn't budge. So JJ did a very muffled little bark a few times, which resulted in Bentley getting out of the bed and JJ climbed right up and settled in to sleep. Awfully cute!! He just continues to do fantastic and his weight is up to 60lbs.”

12/14/13: Truly Devastating News – JJ Needs A Miracle
JJ had been doing really well since coming into Rescue and everything was on track to see the Oncologist in a couple weeks. The doctor felt it was best to wait until JJ recovered completely from surgery until he came for his consultation and he was healing beautifully. Everything changed the day after Thanksgiving when JJ’s abdomen became distended and hard. He was acting distressed and we immediately took him to the vet for an exam and diagnostic tests. The symptoms were very similar to bloat and although we were concerned we were not expecting devastating news. We were definitely not prepared for the doctor’s findings.
Radiographs and an ultrasound showed that JJ’s abdomen was filled with fluid. His heart looked enlarged and his pulse was not normal. The doctor referred us to a Cardiologist and we were able to get an appointment for Monday morning.
JJ went to his Cardiology appointment this morning and the news was even worse than we expected. The echocardiogram showed that he has what is called a Pericardial Effusion which is an accumulation of fluid between the two layers of membrane that make up the sac surrounding the heart. This fluid is usually caused by some sort of cancer although the doctor could not locate a mass at this time. Excess fluid buildup in the pericardial space compresses the heart and compromises its ability to fill properly. Left untreated he would soon die. The only option was to manually remove the fluid by inserting a long catheter through the chest wall and into the pericardial space under sedation. Although the procedure was somewhat risky we were left with no other option besides euthanasia so we did not hesitate to give the go ahead.
The procedure to drain the fluid around JJ's heart went well. The Cardiologist said that as soon as the fluid was removed his heart quickly began to function normally. There are two types of fluids they can find in the sac (clear and bloody) and unfortunately the fluid the doctor tapped was very bloody. This is not always the case but bloody fluid is often indicative of Hemangiosarcoma which is a very aggressive cancer. Basically the plan is to see how JJ does and hope that his symptoms do not return for at least 3 or 4 weeks. If the fluid accumulates in a few days the doctor said it would be best to opt for euthanasia. If the fluid returns in a few weeks or more we could do another procedure to tap the fluid and do more diagnostics to try and find a tumor before we decide how to proceed.
Bottom line is that JJ needs a miracle. We have had them before with other dogs, most recently Arianna. Hopefully JJ will get his miracle as well. He is now back home with his amazingly wonderful foster family and is resting comfortably. Please say lots of prayers for JJ which he greatly needs. Cost of his treatment is expensive, but I think you will agree JJ is worth every penny. He is a very special dog and we are all heartbroken. We will not give up on him but we need your assistance. Please send a donation to help with his medical care.