Fluid around Heart
Submitted by corygkb1 on December 28, 2011 - 7:44pmHey newbie here. Had our littl girl for almost 8 years and was devistated today. She had been hacking and wheezing like it was kennel cough. We took her to the vet and he ask if we would alloy xrays. We did and he came back with information that her heart is too large and pushing against the trachea. He said he wants to have an ultra sound but a special vet would have to do that and it is a 3 hour drive or wait for the mobile unit to come. He thens goes on to explain that worst case is she has 6 months left due to it could grow and cut off her breathing. Best is with medication could last another 2 years.
He sent us home with some heart pills for 2x a day and asked us to make a choice on what we want.
Has anyone ever had a similar situation?
Not with a dog....
Give the medication a chance. Is it Lasix? We had a cat with congestive heart failure, and while he got it at a young age (5), he did fairly well and lasted slightly longer than expected, and until the very last couple of weeks had good quality of life. Good luck!
We had a poodle with congestive heart failure
She lived for several years on medication. She took lasix and enalipril and then Vetmedin when it came out. We never took her for further testing and just monitored her health closely with our Vet. She lived to be 15 before we had to put her down.
If your bulldog is 8 and the Vet thinks she can live two more years then I think that's pretty good.
Good Luck!
yes...
my Lily had congestive heart failure, she was 11.5 when she passed, she lived with it for 1.5 years, almost one year longer than they thought she would, but we did everything...she was on medications, later we extracted fluids from her addomed when they accumulated, at the end it was weekly. She was a strong girl with a will to live. I did not have a heart to "help" her go, she wanted to be with us till the last moment, I knew it. But it was hard at the end, but oh so worth it.
Advice: Get a good vet, regiment of medication and you will have your baby for a good while, I know of dogs that live with CHF for few years, you might be lucky one...
Keep your baby lean, give healthy food, no salt, plenty of water, access to outside will be critical when on lasix medication (will want to pee a lot)
Love and spoil as much as possible.
Hugs
My Cocker Spaniel had congestive heart disease...
which is what this is.
He lived for 2.5 years when I was given only 1. Also, there is a lady, Lisa, with Millie who'se dog had this before my Cocker Spaniel did and is still alive today and Floyd has been gone for 3 years already. So.....it really all depends on the dog.
Best advice: lasix to remove the water and vetmedin which a GREAT congestive heart failure drug and a enalapril which is a heart drug that humans take.
I cannot stress that enough. Low salt diet (to keep away excess water) and exercise (helps to move the water away).
Best of luck to you.
You asked the question so...
I am only able to relate my own story but here it is. In mid August our almost 11 year old Chloe who up to then was to all intents healthy became in. She was taken to the vet when she started throwing up thick foamy mucus. Diagnois of congestive heart failure was made the next day and two days later she died totally unexpectedly. We knew she would not live a whole lot longer but had no idea her time would be so short. I am not saying this to scare you but to let you know that situations can change in a very short time. I hope you have a long time yet with your bully and will be thinking of you often.