Congestive Heart Failure in Pets.. LONG..

[AdvisorGuy]

I'm posting this because I hope other pet owners learn from my near mistake with this..

Harry is my 11+ year-old black Cocker Spaniel and I've had him since 5 months old. Let me give you a run down of what happened and the symptoms..

Early/Mid November, Harry started coughing a little. Not the typical, "Oh damn he ate something he shouldn't have and is gonna hurl" kinda cough.. It sounded more respiratory. It was happening a couple of times a day.. I kinda dismissed it and after a few days as it seemed to dissipate. So rather than a trip to the vet, he went for a long overdue grooming the day before Thanksgiving. I got home from school around 12:30 on Monday and he was consistently coughing for about an hour with only a few moments between bouts. I called the vet - Parker Animal Clinic in Plano. They were taking walk-ins from 2:30 to 5, so off we went. Since we weren't sure what we were dealing with, (thought it might be "Kennel Cough") they asked me to wait outside/in the car, til the doc was ready for him. Dr. B took him in at 4pm.. Temp ok, Lungs sounded clear.. For pretty much the ride up and the 90 minute wait, Harry didn't cough. Dr B gave us a pain pill and a cough medicine.. By Friday December 11th, the cough never subsided much and started to sound more moucousy, for lack of a better term. It was definitely a respiratory cough . I called them and told me to bring him in Saturday am as Dr B wasn't in.

Saturday December 12th - would have been my dad's 85th birthday.. Temp again is normal, but this time, Dr B CAN hear congestion in his lungs... Wants to do an x-ray as he now feels it's Congestive Heart Failure, so they take him in back and I go outside for a smoke.. My eyes were welling up.. Not gonna even try to put up a front on that. All I heard was "heart failure" and in my mind, I was putting him down that day.. On the phone with my better half and my sister in Maryland, I'm losing it.. I didn't want to put him down on dad's birthday but I didn't want to be selfish in keeping him around just for my emotional state..
Preparing myself - for what that's worth - for putting him down as soon as they take the x-ray. Twenty minutes later, Dr B comes outside with two bottles in his hand, puts his hand on my shoulder and says: "You're taking him home. He'll be ok with the meds. No guarantees but he may live out a few years with no discomfort."

Two prescriptions:

Enalaprin - one every 12 hours - for the heart, and Lasix - diuretic for the fluid build up in and around the lungs. He told me we'll have to play with the Lasix dosage because of his size. He's big for a Cocker at 31 pounds. He's not fat by any means. He's just larger in every dimension than most Cockers I see. 50mg tablets with the initial dosage at 1/2 a tab once a day. He would get about 8-10 hours, then start to cough again. After 4-5 days, I called them. "Increase it to 1/2 a tab twice a day." Still pretty much the same. 8-10 hours or if he exerts himself by say, walking UP the three flights to our apartment. Finally after a couple of weeks, we're comfortable with the 1/2 tab, every 8-10 hours.

His appetite fell a little but has settled pretty close to his usual. He does drink more water and urinate a bit more as well. He seems to be good.. With the timing of the Lasix, no coughing to really mention in the last 3-4 days. He still runs down the steps like an 11 MONTH old, but I carry him up just to be safe. He's throwing his tennis & golf balls around to entertain himself when he's bored lol..

I will keep a vigilant eye on him and if it starts to get bad even with the meds, I will do the right thing for him. He's been a companion, friend, counselor without even knowing he was and snuggle bud on a cold day. I can't be selfish when he's been so selfless to us.Never barks, never chews anything, loves kids and other animals.. He's always been a "Gentle Ben." After a hellacious year - 12 months of unemployment for me as of today, it's nice to not have to put down my best friend..

Here's some info on CHF.. Please readu up on it as some breeds of cats and dogs are more prone to it.
http://www.2ndchance.info/dogdilcardiomyopathy.htm

[TylerH860]

My mother, a RN, has been able to manage her 12 year old Chihuahua's congestive heart failure for a year and a half now. She has always kept the Lasix dosage at the bare minimum to cause as little damage as possible to his system. Every once in a while he has an "attack" and the dosage is upped a bit. I can't believe she's managed to keep this 5 pound oversized rat going for so long.

Originally Posted by TylerH860

My mother, a RN, has been able to manage her 12 year old Chihuahua's congestive heart failure for a year and a half now. She has always kept the Lasix dosage at the bare minimum to cause as little damage as possible to his system. Every once in a while he has an "attack" and the dosage is upped a bit. I can't believe she's managed to keep this 5 pound oversized rat going for so long.

One of my kids' Chihuahuas has a minor heart valve problem, she's only about 6 and doesn't need any medication yet. I guess it's pretty common for the breed.

[kknudson]

Well best wishes and Good Luck.

I've had 2 Black Cockers in my life.
One when I was growing up, Satans Angel I, Pandi to us.
And mine when I first moved out on my own, also Satans Angel III, Shadow to me.

Satans Angel was a Black Cocker that parachuted in with the troops during WWII.

[AdvisorGuy]

Originally Posted by TylerH860

My mother, a RN, has been able to manage her 12 year old Chihuahua's congestive heart failure for a year and a half now. She has always kept the Lasix dosage at the bare minimum to cause as little damage as possible to his system. Every once in a while he has an "attack" and the dosage is upped a bit. I can't believe she's managed to keep this 5 pound oversized rat going for so long.

It can cause vitamin & potassium deficiencies so I still give him his vitamin/glucosamine combo every day as well..

[link]

Meds mostly treat this pretty effectively……………………….

BUT, if you fear the effects on CHF in your dog, look in the mirror because cigarettes will do it to you, at the very least.

Take the bigger hint in this event and make quitting smoking your goal for the new year.

Best wishes for you and your pooch!

[Mistress]

Advisorguy- I am glad everything is going well, he's a beautiful pooch. Since your out of work do we need to take up a collection to help pay for the meds?

[barry123400]

I am at an age where hearing of so many people out of work does disturb me. Everytime I go out the door usually the amount of money spent for normal things now seems high. On reflection that may be an understatement.

A little adversary is supposidly good for us. It could instead become otherwise in this enviroment. I believe your system is based or has been based on full employment in the past. Remember I am a Canadian.

That was given up as being impractical here some years ago. What that evolved into is neither fair or practical.

The only ones to attempt to do it well and succeeded from what I know were the french. They simply acknowledged the fact and took measures to accomidate the reality without any stigmatation attached. Tackling things head on is not the north american way it seems.

People want to call this socialization. The fact is without it there becomes too large a gap between the haves and have nots. We are not all equal nor do we have the same circumstances over the years. The result of that reality is hitting home now. Either things in general start to work better or changes are overdue. We as a family are a have in my opinion by the way.

Some people will work hard and lose what they actually worked for due to no fault on their part. Sometimes working very hard and economising for a lot of years. After all we do not formally educate people to be resiliant enough or how to roll with the punches. Those things were always compulsory learning from my parents and grandparents when young.

Sorry to hear about the declining health of your dog as well. One of the two of ours is now ten. Still in good health yet innevatable for the downside to set in at some point. The other one is five.

At least we will probably not be replacing them as there is an even chance that we will be gone by then ourselves.

There in life will almost always be adversary from time to time. For example my wife had a bad heart attack early this past summer. It was touch and go for awhile. At least it was caused by something that could be repaired.So there was an upside.

My wife still and always has meant a lot to me. I can only hope she has felt the same towards me. I have learnt man is indeed flexiable. You can live in reasonable harmony with an alien being of your choice. Although I have never been convinced if it was really your choice.

Overall our many pets over the years have lived out their lives as an integral part of our family. I would not have wanted to have experienced not having them. The sad endings are always there. At least the vast majority lived out their natural life span.

I can only pass along my best wishes for the forthcoming year to you and all others on this site. I think your dog will be with you for quite awhile yet. Plus pass on peacefully when the time occurs. Congenital heart failure is managable to some extent as you know. At this time it sounds like you really need the company.

The wife, myself and pets are quite content to spend a quiet new years eve at home this year. Bellweather of future years to come I expect. A good assortment of various food is set out on the table to nibble on when the urge occurs. It would be nice if a few out there alone this evening also where here.

I walk over to the keyboard to type a few thoughts from time to time.. We have a large crowd in for new years dinner every year as well. Since no snow is expected till the next day attendance will be good. It is a tremendous amount of work for the wife. Although she will have it no other way. Again best wishes to all in the forthcoming year.

[strelnik]

Originally Posted by AdvisorGuy

It can cause vitamin & potassium deficiencies so I still give him his vitamin/glucosamine combo every day as well..

Potassium deficiency is a serious thing because potassium regulates heart rhythm. If you get a chance, ask your doctor about how to make sure that he is getting the right minimum dose. I think most, but not all, pet vitamins have this, so you might already be ok.

I learned this the hard way when I went into the hospital and found out my potassium-sodium ratio was exactly backwards. The nurse told me " you can fix it with diet, or ignore it like most people do, and get a pacemaker in your chest by the time you are 65."

No thanks, I'd rather eat bananas.

[AdvisorGuy]

Originally Posted by link

Meds mostly treat this pretty effectively……………………….

BUT, if you fear the effects on CHF in your dog, look in the mirror because cigarettes will do it to you, at the very least.

Take the bigger hint in this event and make quitting smoking your goal for the new year.

Best wishes for you and your pooch!

Thanks for the advice LINK but I'm a step ahead of you.. Not a real big smoker - 3-5 cigarettes a day at most, but decided to end it completely. I smoked my last cigarette New Year's Eve at 11:55pm. It's 5:50pm CST new years day as I type this and haven't had a one...

Thank you for the offer Mistress but we'll manage..

Barry.. Beyond words..

[link]

Originally Posted by AdvisorGuy

Thanks for the advice LINK but I'm a step ahead of you.. Not a real big smoker - 3-5 cigarettes a day at most, but decided to end it completely. I smoked my last cigarette New Year's Eve at 11:55pm. It's 5:50pm CST new years day as I type this and haven't had a one...

Thank you for the offer Mistress but we'll manage..

Barry.. Beyond words..

Congratulations!!!

Quitting smoking is very difficult but hang in there. I did it many years ago and only wish I’d done it sooner.

!!!You have made a fabulous start for the year!!!!

[Mistress]

How is thew dog doing?