Nim's First Holter

I am long overdue for a gardening post. I am so terrible this year with my gardening. I keep buying plants but not actually planting them.

I finally got many of my starts in the ground yesterday so that I would have more room on my table and ate my first edible item from plants I got in the ground a few weeks ago. 

That is about all the gardening for this post, the rest will be about Nim's first holter monitor experience.

In my mind, the single downside to Dobermans as a breed is their crappy health problems. After Odin died young from Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) I really thought long and hard about ever owning a doberman again it was such a rough experience.

And yet here I am, with my perfect little Nim. :)

Nim is completely healthy and symptom free. He is also 4 years old, extremely active, and has recently had two close relatives die: one definitely from cardio and one most likely. This means despite lack of symptoms I need to screen him. I request my holter from WSU. The vet helps me get it on, and then I will mail back all the equipment and their cardiologists will analyze the results.

As you can see, Nim was sort of grouchy about the holter monitor. He was way less easy going about it than Odin ever was. Fortunately I got it on him and immediately took him to obedience which he loves so it took his mind off the apparatus for awhile, but once we got home, he did some serious sulking.

Eventually he did go to sleep but he was in a snit the rest of the night.

Underneath that jacket there are 5 sticky attachments to shaved areas around his chest which is then hooked up to a digital monitor. I am sure it is not entirely comfortable.

In the morning we both begrudgingly hit the trail to get some excursion on the monitor. Neither of us slept well so we were both tired, but as you can see it was a beautiful morning. I think the jacket was warm for him. I will try and not do this again in the summer if I can avoid it.

I was going to take a picture of all the wiring and the attachments once I got the jacket off, but he was so grouchy with me we will try it next time. The monitor information will be downloaded and read for any arrhythmia.

At least the hair will grow back fast. :)