This was the description of Rocky that was on the Gold Ribbon Rescue site


Rocky... “Rockefeller’s my name... playin’s my game.”

That’s how Rocky’s original web story started out – and it still describes him to a tee! This 1 1/2-year-old is a puppy at heart, never happier than when he is having fun with his friends. These days, though, we’re figuring out ways to let him have tons of fun WITHOUT too much running around… because just a month or so ago, we discovered that he has a serious heart defect.

When Rocky’s foster mom took him to the vet for a quick check on a lump on his hind leg, she never suspected that her peppy foster boy would turn out to have such a grave health problem. The lump turned out to be an innocent lipoma, but Rocky’s heart didn’t sound right at all. Further tests revealed the problem. Rocky has SAS, or Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis: a narrowing just below the aortic valve, the “door” from the heart’s main pumping chamber to the major artery exiting the heart. This means that Rocky’s heart has to work harder than it ought to in order to get blood throughout his body. When he exercises too much, his heart has to put in even more effort—imagine trying to get a full-blast stream of water to flow out through a kinked hose (with a small leak in it to boot, since the narrowing causes some leakage of the valve)! After the diagnosis, his foster mom said, “The one time I noticed anything was while Rocky and I were walking...he really slowed down when we were going up a hill and then his pace stayed a bit slower after that. When we got home, he seemed pretty tired for a young Golden. I thought he should still have more energy. But then about an hour later, his energy was back.”

On September 21, Rocky visited a veterinary cardiologist for more extensive tests and recommendations. The doctor says that, with the right precautions, Rocky could live for quite a few more years; or, if his heart is overstressed or its defects worsen, he could collapse and die quite suddenly.

It’s especially important that he not exert himself in hot weather, though of course he still wants to play and has already managed to dive into his foster family’s fish pond! However, the idea is for him to get plenty of attention from inside the home, being a couch dog rather than a ball chaser—since playing vigorous fetch would elevate his heart rate. Gentle indoor versions of outdoor fun are allowed, such as “Bowling for Goldens,” where a ball is slowly rolled down an (air-conditioned) indoor hallway and he can stroll or trot after it. (However, since he isn’t too crazy about fetch in the first place, he may be happy to forget the fetch-type games anyway!) Short walks are fine, as long as the weather is fairly cool. But the more attention he can get from petting, the better … and he does love attention, pets, and just resting his head in your lap.

Rocky has started on low-sodium food and filtered water. He is taking atenolol, a beta blocker, to keep his heart rate low and reduce the chance for arrhythmias. He’s also taking omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy heart AND healthy skin and coat.

Rocky’s foster family has nicknamed him “Rocky Road,” because he can act a little nutty but is a sweet marshmallow at heart—and because he has certainly been given a rocky road to travel. But he doesn’t know a thing is wrong and just takes every day as it comes, to be enjoyed from sun-up to sundown.


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