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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Heart failure in dogs.

31 replies

Honeyroar · 01/09/2019 22:18

Has anyone any experience of this? My old lab is being xrayed tomorrow to check for this, following several weeks of coughing and being treated for suspected kennel cough. Just wondering about treatments and prognosis.

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missbattenburg · 02/09/2019 08:56

No experience but giving this a little bump and Flowers for you.

Fingers crossed it goes well today.

Original poster
Honeyroar · 02/09/2019 11:19

Thank you.

They can't fit him in until Tuesday now. 🙁. Not impressed, we've just moved vets as our old one retired. They promised last week they'd X-ray him on Monday if the prescribed drugs didn't work. When I rang today the receptionist said they couldn't fit him in until weds afternoon. I had to argue for Tuesday. Poor dog is suffering in the meantime.

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Itswinternow · 02/09/2019 23:52

So sorry you're going through this. I lost my Doberman to heart failure 3 years ago. Not great news from me I'm sorry, with daily medication, from diagnosis to us putting her to sleep was about 5 weeks. 😥 but she deteriorated very quickly.

Her last night was horrible and honestly one of my biggest regrets. Although when the time comes to chose ending a life, honestly my advice with it would be a week too early is better than a day too late. Flowers

Girlintheframe · 03/09/2019 05:45

One of my mums dogs has HF. He is now on medication and appears to be doing really well. He was a tiny bit overweight but he has lost that now which has helped. They also had him on diuretics but they have been stopped. Sorry I'm not sure what else he is on. He was diagnosed earlier this year.

Veterinari · 03/09/2019 05:53

If they’re worried about heart failure i’d Suggest an ECG and Ultrasound of the heart (echo) would give better information. Ask for a referral if you can afford it/he’s insured

Original poster
Honeyroar · 03/09/2019 10:53

Thanks. He’s at the vets now. They’ve found fluid around his lungs and are draining/testing it. Not good news.

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missbattenburg · 03/09/2019 11:25

Oh no, @Honeyroar.

It's so upsetting when they are not well. Still hoping for better news for you.

Original poster
Honeyroar · 03/09/2019 16:39

He's home. The vets asked me to come in for a discussion, I thought we wouldn't be bringing him home. They've drained a litre and a half of fluid from around his lungs and he's now breathing smoothly and stopped coughing, but there's still a shadow around his lungs so he's having an echo on Friday. They think it's either heart failure or a possible tumour,but the scan will show more. He's on heart meds already, just in case. So it's a case of see what the scan shows and see how he goes.

Thanks for the kind words misbattenburg.

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Itswinternow · 03/09/2019 16:50

Keeping my fingers crossed for you all. Flowers

Georgiemcgeorgeface · 03/09/2019 16:52

My dads dog had heart failure and was absolutely fine on meds for about 2 years. Hope everything works out ok

Original poster
Honeyroar · 03/09/2019 17:24

Thanks. Fingers crossed its his heart not a tumour and that the meds suit him. He's much more comfortable than he was with all the fluid, just a bit sleepy. I'm just glad he's home, I was convinced all afternoon that they were going to tell us to put him down.

Pic of the man in question a couple of years ago.

Heart failure in dogs.
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Georgiemcgeorgeface · 03/09/2019 17:27

Aw what a lovely boy. Bet he is getting spoilt rotten right now!

Crunched · 03/09/2019 17:32

He looks a handsome dependable chap in that pic.
How old is he?

ArsenicChip · 03/09/2019 17:36

He is beautiful. Fingers crossed for you. We had a couple of years after first diagnosis with ours. She had daily medication and only gentle exercise if I remember correctly ( a long time ago) but was happy in herself till the very end.

Original poster
Honeyroar · 03/09/2019 17:41

He's 10, but been totally bonkers for the first eight years of his life, throwing himself into every pond or river he saw and never still, so he's really used up every heartbeat! We got him as a 1yr old and he'd had four homes already, he was that much of a live wire. He just needed to run! He was a fantastic dock diver, jumping 18'. He's awesome and great fun, but could wipe the floor with the Marley and Me dog!

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Original poster
Honeyroar · 03/09/2019 17:47

Dock diving.

Heart failure in dogs.
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missbattenburg · 03/09/2019 19:04

Ha! How much does he look like he is wearing a superman/dog cape in that dock diving photo! Grin

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 03/09/2019 19:08

It looks as though he has had a fab time with you. I hope the vet can give you reassurance and a solid plan of action.

penelopewynter · 03/09/2019 20:11

So sorry OP 😞 it's truly heartbreaking. I've lost two with congestive heart failure and I 100% agree with what @Itswinternow said, a week 'early' is far better than a day late with heart failure. I know from bitter experience. I really am so sorry you and your poor boy are going through this. You're being a wonderful owner which is all you can be Thanks

Original poster
Honeyroar · 03/09/2019 21:19

Lol he was wearing a devil costume for Halloween in that photo (and retrieving a fake dead arm, but you can't see it in the photo!).

Yes we'll be watching him like a hawk, any sign of deterioration and we will let him go. I'd resigned myself that he wouldn't be home tonight after I'd spoken to the vet this morning. My husband even came home from work early to go to the vets with me. It's just a bonus that he's here, although we're not out of the woods yet anyway.

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Original poster
Honeyroar · 06/09/2019 22:31

It's not looking good. He's coughing a bit and breathing abruptly again, despite it only having been drained four days ago, so it's clearly filling again even with medication. He's meant to be being scanned on weds, but I'm wondering if it's worth it if the meds aren't working and he keeps going backwards. We're all gutted. We've cancelled our plans for the weekend and are having a weekend spoiling him, then deciding on Monday. 😢

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Whatagreytdoggo · 07/09/2019 13:12

So sorry to hear he's not doing well op. He'll have a lovely weekend with you all x

Poutintrout · 09/09/2019 15:06

I really hope that everything is okay with you today. I felt like I had to reply because my beautiful Collie had heart failure and was PTS on Friday.

When diagnosed he had an enlarged heart, so enlarged it was pushing on his windpipe, a very fast heartbeat and fluid on his lungs. Despite this he lived for 7 months with medication after the diagnosis. We had initially been told weeks. I think what made the difference was the vet threw medication at him. He was on 9 diuretic tabs a day, two different heart pills & pain killers. What made a massive difference for him was taking an extra half Cardisure tablet per day. It is an off licence dose but experts in this area have seen that it has benefits. I would suggest speaking to the vet about that.

I wish you all the very best.

Original poster
Honeyroar · 09/09/2019 20:10

Thanks. I'm so sorry about your collie.

He's levelled out a bit over the weekend, still coughing, but I think we can hold on until his scan on Weds and see what the vets think. I will ask about Cardisure, thanks.

He's had a huge fuss this weekend. I'm sick of crying! Every time I resign myself that we're at decision point he seems to pick up. I guess it's kind of nice to know we need to make the most of every minute, my last dog died 18 months ago very suddenly and I'd have loved to have had a weekend to fuss her.

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Poutintrout · 11/09/2019 13:10

How did the scan go? I really hope that everything is okay.

My Collie went up and down and there were a few points where we thought it was over. He would then rally. It is really difficult. For us it felt like we always holding our breath.

My boy was coughing. The vet put him on 9 Frusemide (diuretic) tablets a day and it really helped.

I understand what you mean about making the most of the time. We were so very lucky to have had 7 months, the initial prognosis wasn't that optimistic.

If you need to talk or have any questions about the drugs my dog was on, please feel free to PM me. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you and your boy.