I adopted an elderly fella a couple of years ago (some of you might remember us from this thread).
When I first got him he was constantly panting, and after much investigation at a number of vets, I finally found out it was CHF, as well as some related kidney issues and arthritis. Since then he's been on lots of medication and doing remarkably well.
But recently I'm noticing some of those old symptoms re-emerging. Inevitable, I know, but still... He's getting restless in the night, and panting in the evenings and early mornings.
Alongside it all there's the usual getting-older stuff – our walks are getting shorter and more scent-focused, we've got him a step to use to get onto his spot on the couch...
The vet has said he can't increase his medication any more, and when he listens to his heart he says it sounds enlarged. (Of course this dog is dying because his heart is too big – it makes perfect sense, the big soft lovebug)
In short, I'm preparing myself. I don't think anything is likely to happen very soon, but I would love to know the experiences of anyone else who's had a dog with heart failure, so I know what to look out for and when might be the time to make a judgment call.
I can't seem to find much online, weirdly – except some horror stories about seizures – so I'm asking you lovely lot instead.