It's not good news, unfortunately. There's a chance it was an idiopathic bleed, but the vet suspects that it is hemangiosarcoma on his heart. That cancer is so aggressive that they don't normally treat it. We lost our last dog to the same thing.

On the good side, it is not painful. Now that she has drained the fluid out of his pericardium, he is feeling much better, almost perky. The backed up fluid in his abdomen should get peed out over the next day or so and he should be back to just about normal. He'll be going back in a month to see what's going on, unless he needs to go in sooner. We know what to be looking out for.

Now it's one day at a time. If it's idiopathic, it could never happen again; if it's hemangiosarcoma it could be anywhere from days to months.

I love Berkeley as much as it is possible for me to love anything. I am gutted, but to see him feeling so much better, breathing easy and dreaming on the sofa, is good. If these are his last days, then they will be good ones. I don;t know how epistemologically valid it is, but I suppose it's possible that there is some trans-universal containment such that even when the last photon in this universe dies it will be true for eternity outside time that Berkeley and I had something special.

OK, my face hurts from crying. I have to stop. Thank you guys.

Hope it all goes well.

Little tip, write down anything and everything you can think of surrounding the vestibular (?) episode and the run up to it and everything that has happened since.

It's surprising how memory tends to fail us when we are worried and feel under a bit of pressure

My heart goes out to you - and having read your sad, but also hopeful post, I am sure that Berkeley will live his last days surrounded by love and also that he will not be allowed to suffer.

I am so glad that you have him home again, and I do hope that it is months rather than days that he has left to enjoy life.

Put away those tears, and make the most of each precious moment.

enjoy every second you have with him and thank you for the update, he is lucky to have you as his friend.

So sorry for your pain. Save those tears for later and enjoy the precious time you have with your lovely boy. I hope he keeps up the improvement and has longer with you than you fear.

That is an excellent tip and I have been doing just that. I learned to do that with Laszlo, our old, sadly now gone, dog, who was epileptic, to keep track of anything that might have triggered him. In this wonderful age of technology, I keep it in my calendar, which syncs across all my devices and I can get it from the Internet if I don't happen to have any of them with me. I know something that might not necessarily stand out to me might be significant to a vet, too-- I know my own dog, but I'm no doctor... well, I am, but the wrong kind.

Thank you all for all of your kind words. It really helps. It really helps to be able to vent to people who understand what this is like.

Berkeley's had a good day today. He's got his spark back. He's still a bit weak, but who wouldn't be after losing all that blood? He enjoys his walks, he's actively interested in stuff and people (though he's not too keen on the t-shirt and coat I make him wear; poor thing is all shaved underneath and this is, after all, Scotland). His mind and his senses are all good. He loves his vet, so if he has to go more than usual, that's a fun day trip. He isn't suffering-- that makes a huge difference. I have a lot of positives to focus on. He is an epically marvellous, wonderful, amazing animal and he has changed my life so much. I am privileged to be his human.

Update on the old dog.

It is definitely hemangiosarcoma. This is, I know, a death sentence. But he is doing well.

He is currently in for a second drain of fluid from his pericardium-- they were quite happy to do this, as the tumour itself has grown only a tiny bit and Berkeley is so very cheerful and happy in himself, if very thin. The vet recommends a diet high in good protein and omega-3s. Well, if he has to eat rice and herring for the rest of his days, so be it.

Hemangiosarcoma is a time bomb-- it could go whenever, and it will go at some point. But for now, Berke is feeling well and should get more energy back after this drain. He's spry enough to really love getting out running (well, trotting) about, sniffing everything, meeting his friends, of which he has many. His mind is all there. All his senses work fine. He's doing good.

Too bad it's just not the season for rolling in fox poo! He might have liked to do that one last time.

(((hugs))) xx

Aww bless him - sending {{hugs}} and flobbery licks to you all

I'm hoping the 'bomb' ticks very slowly for you and Berke

And I think you should let him have a swansong roll in the muckiest, stinkiest fox poo he can find

Well, if he can find a good one, it's all his-- and then he can have his revenge upon the Evil Jumper! (I make him wear a jumper when we go out. It's cold! He's all shaved underneath! He's used to being shaggy! What?)