Dog owners fear pet has heart condition, can’t believe vet’s diagnosis

A couple were overcome with panic when they thought their dog had a heart problem after returning from lakeside swims—but a vet’s diagnosis left them feeling like fools.

Border collie mix Bessie Smith was panting and walking very slowly whenever she left the lake to go back to the car.

Her owners, Susan and Gene Jaworowski, decided to get her checked out, suspecting the worst.

After a thorough examination and blood tests, the vet shared with the worried couple what was wrong with their pooch: Bessie simply did not want to leave the lake so was “dragging” her paws.

Gene, 70, Susan, 60, wrote into Newsweek to tell us all about drama with their beloved furry friend.

The couple from Fort Collins, Colorado, said: “Boy did we feel foolish.

Bessie Smith.
Border collie mix Bessie Smith. The dog loves water but her owners were worried when she started walking back very slowly from the lake.
Border collie mix Bessie Smith. The dog loves water but her owners were worried when she started walking back very slowly from the lake.
Susan Jaworowski/Susan Jaworowski

“During her second year with us she was dragging her feet up the hill to the car after an hour of retrieving sticks in the water, and after a few days of her doing this, we thought maybe we were overdoing this exercise with her and she may have a bad heart.”

The Jaworowskis racked up a $150 bill at the vet’s, who told the couple Bessie was absolutely fine and was in fact moping to delay leaving her happy place.

They added: “She’s very smart. Once she figured out how to swim, she looked forward to our car rides to nearby lakes so we could throw sticks in the water for her to swim out to and retrieve.”

“We now know she would spend all day at a lake doing this, but we feel an hour is long enough for us,” they joked.

The couple adopted Bessie in November 2016 from Bounce Animal Rescue when she was around six weeks old.

She and her litter were named after old jazz players, and her mom was a purebred white border collie, though they did not know who her father was.

Bessie Smith.
Bessie Smith takes a dip. The athletic pooch’s favorite past time is playing fetch in the lake.
Bessie Smith takes a dip. The athletic pooch’s favorite past time is playing fetch in the lake.
Susan Jaworowski/Susan Jaworowski

Besse grew 70 pounds in a year, and has long legs and an oily short coat not dissimilar to a Labrador.

Border collies are an energetic and athletic breed and often excel in agility training due to their herding heritage, according to American Kennel Club.

The Jaworowskis added Bessie loves being outside and playing in nature, and especially enjoys swimming in the lake—where she would play fetch forever if she could.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.

Uncommon Knowledge

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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