I have a little 6.5 pound black and white Imerial Shih Tzu. She was born 10/23/23. I got her 12/30/23. It was love at first sight when I went to check out the 2 puppies left in the litter. She was the runt. And weighed in at about 2 1/4 pounds when I got her.
I had begun about Thanksgiving 2023 yearning for another dog after our diabetic pug mix had died 12/26/22. Bill had selected Winston from a rescue shelter after we saw an online FB post that he had been returned by two families who could not manage the cost and demands of his diabetes. Bill, being diabetic announced, “ He needs an home. We can do this. And off we set to Alaqua we went. That was about 5 years before Bill’s death and he had taken great care of him, even finding a recipe for a diabetic dog food called “Ruby’s stew” that we made eeekly for years, l kept Winston and our adult one/eyed cat, Minnie, while the other 4 animals had been rehomed with family and friends when Bill died.
I had not intended to get anymore pets, but found myself strangely warming to the idea of a small dog a year after Winston died. Time spent with my sister’s two Pomeranians contributed to the longing, I think. She referred me to the contact from whom she had gotten them.
Precious, funny, gap-toothed little Bitsy became what I described as more of a “fashion accessory” than a dog as she found it preferable to constantly be in my arms when walking, on my lap when sitting, or draped around my neck when driving. She traveled well and was mostly easy to manage.
I did have some concern about her small size and rather thin. It seemed hard to put on weight. She eventually got to 6 2:2 to 7 pounds where she remained. She was energetic, sociable, and very loving. At about six months I asked the vet to che inner for heart murmur as she coughed a bit and tired easily with significant exertion. She heard nothing. In summer 2025, as she approached age 2, I observed a small knot on her belly. She was going to spend a “play date” at the vet’s daycare one day when I had to go out of town to an appointment. I asked them to check it. When o picked her up the vet told me it was a small umbilical hernia. I asked if it could repaired. She said it didn’t need that yet and normally, it would be something to do eventually if it enlarged. However, she said, Bitsy needed to be referred for some other tests as she could hear a heart murmur. We were referred to a partner vet at another office for echocardiogram and EKG. They got the echo but she was not having the EKG!! From what the second vet said, she would need to see a veterinary cardiologist st the Auburn University Small Animal Hospital to grade her murmur and determine if she could withstand surgery, should it eventually become necessary In early September she was seen at the cardiology clinic by Drd. Winter and Manevale. The news was not good and not what any of us expected. She had pulmonary insufficiency from multiple birth defects of the valve through which blood flows from her heart to her lungs. It had already caused some enlargement and reduced function of her heart, from trying so hard to pump her blood to get it oxygenated to support her now full-grown, though still small body. But it swishes through the valve more than being pushed forward to the lungs. It is not surgically remedial because of the multiple functional deformities of the valve. In fact, an attempt to correct the first band obvious defect would make the secondary defect worse and she would likely die in surgery or soon after from greater pulmonary insufficiency. I struggled to take this all in. What’s the prognosis? How long before she goes into heart failure? She could die from strenuous exertion or in her sleep, I was told. The recommendation was to put her on two cardiac meds, dosed morning and evening, and see if we can slow down the impact of the defect. The hope is that a re-evaluation after six months on meds might show little or no additional progression of adverse cardiac impact, keeping her stable at current function for now. She has seemed to do well on the meds, although a 3 month order for bloodwork showed some renal abnormal values, maybe just due to dehydration. So next week she returns to repeat the bold work and in two months we are to return to Auburn Vet School.
I believe, that like Bill and me taking Winston in due to his medical needs, that Bitsy and I were paired by God becaus I would give her the best care snd quality of life available for whatever time her little life will span. 2/1/26. CBB
#1: Bitsy at 4 mo, Feb 24
