My name is Amanda Trepasso and I founded this foundation in memory of my deceased dog Kingston Trepasso who had SAS. He seemed like a happy loving healthy dog. I took Kingston to the vet for a routine appointment when he was around 6 months old. The vet was very concerned about the way his heart sounded and suspected he may have aortic stenosis. He referred us to a animal cardiologist. After I got
his cardiogram results my worse fear came true, Kingston had severe sub-aortic stenosis :(. Most dogs with severe SAS live around 2 years! Luckily even with severe SAS he could live a pretty normal life while he was alive. He had to take heart medication for his whole life. I had to limit his exercise because he could go into cardiac arrest from too much exertion. He did display fainting spells )syncope) a few times but luckily he got right back up from those spells. A week before his fourth birthday he woke me up from sleeping because he was coughing. I knew then in my heart that his heart was starting to fail. I took him straight to the emergency room. They thought because the sound of his cough that it was kennel cough. I wanted so badly to believe it but I just felt it was not that. I took him home and he seemed okay for a couple hours. Then his coughing started again. It looked like he was having trouble breathing, he couldn't lay down and was pacing. We went back to the ER at about 7 am. They started doing testing to find out if his heart was failing. At around 1pm on May 4th 2013 it was confirmed his heart was failing. They gave me new meds to help get fluids out of his lungs. They said these meds could help Kingy live a while longer but they could not give me a definite prognosis on his life expectancy. From what the vet said it actually didn't seem so bad. The meds should take out all the fluid and allow him to go back to a pretty normal life. The next couple days were very stressful. He seemed okay at times and other times not him self. He was on and off being able to rest. He still seemed to be in some discomfort. I was really worried the meds were not helping. Around 3am May 7, 2013 (his 4th bday) I was woken up again by him coughing. On our way to the er he coughing got much worse as well as his breathing. The vet said if he were her dog she would take him to Cornell. So that's what I did. The vet was not sure he would make it there, so she gave him some sedation and an injection of the diuretics. My mom and I rushed him to Cornell Animal Medical Center. Thankfully they were able to get him stable and run extensive tests on him. He was in heart failure, he was had developed pulmonary edema which is blood clots in his lungs. On May 8th they said he was good enough to go home. He had a ton of new meds but I was just thankful he was coming home. The vets again seemed to think the meds would be able to keep him out of heart failure. He slept the whole care way home which was a relief cause he was comfortable enough to lay down. He still seemed a little of but he just went through a ton! Over night he did pretty well, he was a little restless. I had to work all day on May 9th. When I got home he seemed kinda depressed and not his normal self. But he was not coughing or anything, Around 7pm he started coughing pacing and not being able to lay down. I knew right then he probably would not be coming home with me. I waited about an hour hugged him kissed him loved him and his uncle gave him steak! I took him to the ER. I had to make the hardest choice I have ever made in my entire life, I had to euthanize him. I could not let him suffer any longer. Around 11pm they layed a blanket on the ground I held him while they euthanized him. It only took a few minutes and I laid with him for the next half hour. He died two days after his 4th bday. He was a miracle and lived longer than expected. He is my motivation for this foundation he was my life my love and meant the world to me. I hope to raise awareness and help raise money for more research on this heartbreaking disease.
