Hummer

It is with a very heavy heart that I announce the passing of Barbara Michalick's handsome male rescue Hummer. Hummer was pretty much The Man of the House and Barbara's rock. He is littermate to her lovely Chevelle. Hummer has always been the picture of health and was her companion for outings as he was such a happy, social Big Boy. He was only 7 years and 10 months old. Far too young. Hummer had an undiagnosed heart condition and it took him suddenly.

We all share Barbara's sorrow at the loss of this exceptional Borzoi who came to her as a rescue but won her heart to become her Champion.

Carol Backers

My precious Hummer
I am in shock & still can't grasp that Hummer was ok Friday & is at the Bridge today. Hummer was the healthy, vibrant big boy, or so I thought. I am not processing too well right now so may get some sequences & info confused here, but I wanted to let you know that the most beautiful & wonderful boy & Chevelle's littermate is now at the Rainbow Bridge waiting for me.

Sat. morning Hummer didn't eat breakfast, which is highly unusual...good exuberant eater normally. I let him outside and he started going down the deck stairs & stopped midway...highly unusual. I walked with him down the stairs and he did his business as I was waiting for him on the deck. He came back to the stairs but didn't come up them, so I helped him up the steps...highly unusual as he normally bounds up the steps & can't wait to get inside as he's my velcro Borzoi. He was panting heavily...not normal for him & he hadn't been running nor was it very hot outside.

When I helped him up the steps, he felt hot. His gums looked ok but I took his temp. It was 105...thought I made an error, so I took it again. I called Dogwood Emergency Hospital (also where Chevelle's cardiologist is) & alerted them that I would be bringing him in. He couldn't get in the car, so I lifted him him and could tell he was in discomfort & breathing very hard.

He did get out of the car ok, and temp was almost 104 when taken at the ER.

They did blood work, urine draw but was really non-conclusive & they planned to send it out for another review by a pathologist as well as a urine culture. They did xrays & planned to do an ultrasound.

He responded to IV fluids & temp went down. xrays revealed fluid in chest cavity & immediately thought of Chevelle's chyllothorax...and thought that was the answer.

During the evening I called, his breathing was very labored again & they had him on oxygen & would do planned to do a fluid draw from the chest around 11pm. When I called, it turned out not to be the milky chyllo. fluid but 3 liters of a bloody fluid which they were going to send to the lab. At around 1pm, it seemed that he was resting comfortably. Then at around 4am his temp spiked to 106 but they were able to get it down but he was really struggling & not doing well. The ER dr was going to consult with the Internal Med.dr & cardiologist & have the internal med dr do an ultrasound.

Results were not good. It was not known which came first or complicated the other...the scarring from the chest fluid or the periocardio disease. And there was a collapsed lung. Heart surgery may or may not help & was risky with outcome/benefit unknown. Prognosis just not good & I couldn't let this precious & loving big boy suffer.

I still haven't grasped the reality that Hummer is at the Rainbow Bridge. He was only 7 yrs & 10 months and I had him less than 2 yrs, but from the time he walked through the door on 9/16/12 with Chevelle & Michele Carter (to whom I am indebted) , it was like he had always lived here. I will miss him under my left arm while I was on the pc. I will miss him sleeping in my b/r closet or on my clean laundry in the laundry room. I will miss the metal bowl clanking as he exuberantly ate his food. Chevelle will miss her littermate terribly like Lacey missed Sable.

My heart is broken, but I try to remind myself that he is not in discomfort anymore. If you don't hear from me, pls understand...just need some time to grasp the reality that my baby boy is gone.