January 12, 2009
Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs
In most homes, the dog is not just a pet but also a part of the family. As a member of the family, its health is very important to us. Whenever our furry friend is not feeling well, it can be a cause for major concern. One thing that is particularly distressing for a pet owner is to find your pet has an irregular heartbeat or heart murmur. Heart murmurs can be benign or an indicator of more serious issue.
Heart murmurs can occur for many reasons; the first is a birth defect where the puppy is born with a mitral valve problem. The mitral valve opens to allow blood into the left ventrical during constriction and closes at the end to prevent backflow. When backflow occurs blood backs up along the whole cardiovascular system but especially the in the veins that drain the lungs. This causes edema or fluid retention in the lungs and sometimes other parts of the body. Other common causes of heart murmurs include but are not limited to muscular degeneration, parasite infestation or a hole in the heart.
Diagnosing a heart murmur may seem simple as listening to your pet’s heart beat but some murmurs are so faint there are barely perceptible. Even with a stethoscope, they may be hard to hear. If your veterinarian thinks, your pet has a murmur he may order some further tests.
EKG will most likely be the first test administered. An electrocardiogram can be helpful to determine where in the heart a murmur is located and how severe it is. In addition to the EKG a veterinarian may do chest x-rays or an ultrasound to look at the condition of the heart. Veterinarians generally prefer to use the ultrasound technology as it gives a better overall picture of the heart and its condition.
Once the heart has been thoroughly examined and the underlying cause is determined, it is time to discuss treatment options. In the case of a murmur from birth the best course of action is to wait and see if the problem corrects itself, as happens quite often. Should the cause be physical in nature like a hole in the heart then surgery will often be helpful.
Whatever course of action decided upon the condition should be continually monitored as it can develop into congestive heart failure. The failure occurs when the necessary blood does not reach the muscles leading to fatigue. In addition, the build up of fluid around the lungs will cause coughing and breathing complications or even death. At this point, you are not really treating the failure as much as monitoring it. With heart failure, you will want to be sure your pet is not over exerted or over heated and high humidity and altitude should also be avoided. Top that off with a sensible low sodium diet and you will have many more years with your beloved pet.
Tags: canine congestive heart failure, congestive heart failure in dogs, dog heart murmur symptoms
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Comments
March 4, 2009
Becky said:
My dog has this. He is coughing now, really bad, but actually only drooling, not really bringing up anything. He is on Lasix. He is retracting most of the time. Definitely has increased respirations. Besides giving Lasix and low salt, is there anything I can do to make him more comfortable. Should I consider euthanasia? How long can a dog go on like this? What are the end-stage signs, or is that what I am seeing now?
March 12, 2009
Brigitte Smith said:
Becky,
Have you looked at the dog heart disease supplement that's linked to in the above article? It can certainly assist with these types of problems.
Click here – http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/HeartDisease
and here –
http://www.dog-health-care-information.com/heartdisease
As always, please note that I am not a vet and I have no veterinary training whatsoever. I speak only from my own very limited experiences as a dog owner like yourself. You should NOT use this supplement instead of the prescribed medication, since your dog is clearly quite sick. But you CAN use it in addition to the meds.
Regards,
Brigitte
March 14, 2009
Julia Truver said:
This is a little bit lengthy
My 11 year old small dog Missy started (coughing and trying to hack-up) so as we drive an 18 wheeler as soon as we got home I took her to her vet and he did scans, xrays and tests and diagnosed her with congestive heart failure, said with the diuretic pills and benazepril that she would probably last about 2 years (on average). We started her on the pills that night and she wet the bed so we got her doggy diapers and she seamed to not cough as much that few nights after the medications started but then she quit losing her bladder without knowing it and started holding her nose in the air to breath through her nose, and I could tell her lungs were filling and this was the reason she was doing this was to keep from drowning. It was 3am in the morn. and I called my vet. he said to give her another benazepril and this should help, It did not, she continued for 8 more hours, only the last half hour of her life she opened her mouth and started panting then, before we got to a vet she lost her bowels in my hand and I ran her into the vet as she was stiffening in my arms, they brought her back for about 15 min. and then she passed.
March 18, 2009
Audrey Gail Emanuel said:
My dog also has a hacking cough, I have taken her to the vet, and she has medication to be given every day, but her cough has gotten worser after a week of giving the medication, she is 13 yrs. old in human years, and a big part of the family. I also believe in prayer, is there anything else that you can think of. She has also gained weight and hasn't been on a low salt diet. Any advice would be appreciated.
Sincerly; I love my dog
March 26, 2009
Cathy said:
I had a 12 year old Shih Tzu.He was diagnosed 3/23/2008 with congestive heart failure.He was on lasix and beta blockers. I also got him hawthornberry syrup and was giving him it. He passed away on Sat. 3/21. He sounded like he was drowning could really hear the fluid. I was holding him and he took a breath and was gone. His quality of life was good in the yr. he made it through. I couldn't consider euthanasia you will have to know by your dog. It rips your heart out.
April 13, 2009
Jean Beggs said:
My big beautiful Dalmation, Chicco has heart disease and is on lots of pills. He cant get walked and seems very sad all the time do you know how long dalmations last with this disease/ He is only 7 years old
May 11, 2009
Janice Esposito said:
Hi Becky,
My dog was recently diagnosed with a grade 5 heart murmur. It was sudden onset probably caused from a virus or infection. Her heart was moderately enlarged with moderate regurgitation. She was extremely fatigued and coughing a lot. She is on enalapril and lasix. I also started her on holistic care after she was on the conventional meds for 6 weeks. I have always used holistic whenever possible.
First I started with hawthorne berry. After a few weeks I added a heart Qi tonic which consists of about 11 different herbs. After she was on that a few weeks I added carnitine then taurine. She has improved tremendously with each addition of a supplement. Her energy level is back to normal. She is eating well again. Her murmur is undetectable without ultrasound. Her heart has decreased in size.
The cardiologist is thrilled with her progress and said I should continue doing what I have been.
I hope this is helpful.
Take care,
Jan
Joyce Campbell said:
I have an old lady beagle. She is approx. 15 yrs. Angie has congestive heart failure (among other things). Vetmedin saved her life. Vetmedin helps to cut back on the coughing & helps the blood flow to the heart. She is also on digoxin, Enalapril, furosemide, spironolact.
Angie is also on Deramaxx for pain for hind legs.
Everyone, even the Vets are amazed that she is still going strong. Angie still has a good quality of life and we are hoping to keep her that way. I search the internet for the lowest cost drugs.
jodelmi said:
My adorable 8years old male poodle called Barney pass away 21 days ago and all my family is still missing him somuch. His doctor believe that he died of sadness,we lost our german shepperd just 19 days ago.Our beautifull barney was the most happy dog and we were so happy to have him. Wlove yourarticles thanks jo
May 27, 2009
Laura said:
Hi my Name is Laura last night Missy my 14 year old Shepard mix I have had since she was 3weeks old I noticed was very sick, so my husband brought her in the house, I got metacam out and gave her some, she drank a lot of water and then she threw up, when I went to bed I patted her head and figured she was just not feeling good, I knew she had congestive heart failure, but I guess with raising my 3 month old grandbaby I just don't have the time I used to have to spend with her anyway when I got up she went out to the smoke room drank water was very weak, would not eat, and I noticed she was very swelled, when I left to run to the store she was lying on the patio in the sun I honestly thought she would start feeling better that day. I came home from the store and she had made it past the yard where her two 9 year old daughters I kept from her litter and the father a 15 year old chow. I found her dead in garage, this has been so hard for me to lose a member of my family. The only consolation I have from this is my vet told me that when a dog or anyone dies from Congestive Heart failure it is one of the more peaceful ways to die, God I hope he was being honest and not just trying to make me feel better. Laura
June 1, 2009
pam said:
What type of dog do you have? I have a 7 year old Pomeranian who is 9 pounds. I'd like to start her on the holistic remedies you mentioned. She was diagnosed with valvular disease, tracheal collapse and is on meds for a uti as well. How do I figure dosing amounts and how do you get your dog to take the pills? She is a crazy picky eater and her appetite is quite bad now on the benazepril.
I'd really appreciate your help.
June 7, 2009
suzan said:
my heart and service dog henry A poodle has save my life many times or warned me of not breathing or my own congestive heart failure.
he is 15 and has congestive heart failure.
i live in the desert and it getting hot I have walked him twice a day since I found him at the rescue many years ago
we have been to vet many times and I gotten the meds he needs off line with the vet permission.
he doesn't do well on walks any more if its over 80 degree I cant take him out so were up early and I have got him a fold up baby stroller and put him in that and stroll him around to his fave spots plus he gets out of the house and I get the exercise I need to keep up with my late stage COPD I will take him to the mall he has just started to eat a little again I have been tube feeding him with good dog food mixed with a puppy food to keep his weight up he doesn't mind it so much he knows he wont be hungry after were done. he has been the reason I have been able to live on my own with the help of care givers . if he gets too hot I stand by the fan with him until he cooled off , also I put the fan on low in front of him when he can breath well so he can get some relief or al least feel like it. I know moving air makes me feel better when there I'm not breathing well and oxygen wont help.
my main problem is money for his care. iwish I could give him better health care vets are so exspecive, my income is under $7000 yr. itss hard I go with out for his healthcare which is basic no scans or blood work , only meds. it makes me so sad..
i'm so tired but I wouldn't dream of not doing this considering my love for him and what he has done for me when I was having heart failure PS congestive heart failure hurts BAD so pain pills are a must!!!! do not let any one tell you different.
at different points in my life since my illness started my friends and family forgot about me and he was my only friend.
henry and suz
suzan said:
sorry I hit submit before I was done with this message so it jumbled up i hope you can read it okay.. suz
suzan said:
also no one has mention the throwing up when the lungs are full henry does this its awful and thick and hard for him to get out of this mouth. he will throw up ten times or more . suz
Brigitte Smith said:
Hi guys,
Somehow I've missed this whole string of comments!
I'm so sorry to Julie, Cathy, Jodelmi and Laura.
Suzan, you must be devastated to see Henry go downhill like this, especially since he is so much more to you than simply a wonderful companion.
Janice – GREAT comments – everyone else, PLEASE read them. This is exactly what i have said in other posts, and in my comment to Becky, above –
If your dog has heart disease (of any type) there are supplements that DO work – of course, nothing in this life is guaranteed, but go to the site – http://www.dog-health-care-information.com/heartdisease and have a look at the great things it says, including many testimonials from dog owners who have used this supplement to great effect.
If you're already using prescription medications, it can't hurt to add a supplement!
If your dog is in early stages of heart disease and your vet has not yet prescribed medication, you could possibly avoid the need to get onto the meds with the supplement (I'm quotiing from information on that site).
Go take a look – there's nothing to lose in taking a look.
Regards,
Brigitte