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You're correct, I misspoke. He received the Inspiris Resilia, so bovine. By the time I saw my mistake, I was out of the editing window.

Cool, thanks for the info. I am hoping the findings in the studies of animals with the valve will carry over and that human recipients can have more longevity out of the valve than Mathias did. I guess his just wasn't meant to be in his body. Hoping this On-X will be the solution!

Mathias got the Inspiris Resilia implanted last December...it's already been replaced with an On-x mech. due to patient prosthesis mismatch, but also upon inspection during surgery, the valve was falling apart...it had small holes in each of the leaflets like it was already starting to break...

I think it actually stands for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, but only a tissue valve can be collapsed and shoved up through your femoral artery...Will be interesting to see if future medicine comes up with a mechanical valve that can collapse like that!

Electrolyte replacement drinks work well too (Gatorade). I know in animal med if BP falls too low (pulse too) fluids are the remedy! As far as lowering BP goes, I've found a really good supplement that has lowered my own from 140/90 range to 120/70. It's called Carditone. Because I'm not part of...

What a horrific story for a beautiful dog to endure. I'm so glad she found a loving, patient home to call her own for the rest of her days. Sounds pretty typical of former fighting/bait dogs...Just eager to please, that simple. A lot of folks says its how the dogs are raised that ingrains their...

Bless your heart, Tom! My prior profession was in animal rescue, specifically Foster Coordinating so I have an intimate familiarity with how important foster families are. Pitties are my absolutely favorite...my current dog is a pittie that was thrown away (literally--we found him in a...

Superbob, you're awesome, and you are going to be okay. I am wishing the best for you! We are currently 12 days post emergency re-op and doing pretty well. Mathias originally had his AVR redo on 8/9 and ended up back in on 8/14 for tamponade. Very scary, so we are gun shy in saying everything...

Good morning! He actually didnt have bypass, only got his aortic valve replaced. He goes through his ups and downs, but is open to talking with someone about it once the healing is a little further along. I hope Dixie is doing okay...sorry to hear she gave you a scare. Poor little thing. Glad...

I dont mean to scare you, I know being in the position you are in is deeply unsettling. I'm more sharing because watching someone go through this has made me realize how important it is to listen to yourself, trust modern medicine, and be amazed by how strong and resilient your body is. I feel...

No one can tell you when or what to decide. I will, however, tell you the experience of someone very close to me. He discovered an aortic root aneurysm last September...it was already at the 4.8 mark (5.2 at the time of surgery, so quickly progressing) and surgery was recommended soon because...

Something to aspire to! I'm hoping that valve hangs on for at least 28 more years!

I can confirm that humans are disgusting to animals, and to each other. It's one of the main reasons I stepped away from the job I held in animal rescue for years... it made me jaded, and doubt the humanity of most people and I finally realized it was not a healthy mindset to be expecting the...

Update: After a near deadly complication (tamponade), we got to come home yesterday and Mathias is receiving the best medicine of all; dog snuggles. He's doing pretty good but of course I'm on edge since having to go back to the emergency room, but his pain is well controlled and he has a great...

Funny you mention it. When I first learned of tamponade years ago, I always thought of olive tapenade, the relish, topping stuff you put on crackers 😂 but yes, a very serious, scary and painful situation. Glad it is taken care of.

Thanks, all. He got through surgery well and is recovering and feeling much better. We got him to the hospital just in time, but they had to do the full sternotomy again to clear out the fluid/clot. At one point his BP dropped to 75/40. I am grateful he was strong enough to make it through the...

The 'look' I'm referring to is painful, hopeless, dark/numb, and most of all, pleading. It's a scary one to witness, but a good one to know how to recognize. It's almost like a million emotions pass through their eyes in a matter of seconds. Confusion, anger. Pain, sadness, lost, and numb all...

Hi guys, I unfortunately have to report that Mathias and I came to the ER in the wee hours of the morning today. Something was not right, so I insisted we get things checked out. Sure enough, they detected a tamponade putting pressure on his right ventricle. Hes in emergency surgery now, but...

Do you have an example of your (or something similar) spreadsheet that I could peek at? I would be using Excel. Would love to set one up. I hope all of the info gets a little less overwhelming...right now there are so many medications to count and numbers and appointments to remember it makes my...

Wow! thank you. I just printed the blog post. I'm hoping I can find an app or something that will help track data...I'm not very technologically savvy. I will keep this printed post for future reference (along with all my other printed notes of research :geek:)