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670955 tn?1226597900

Dog with Congestive Heart Failure

Hi,

I would like to hear from those who have dogs with congestive heart failure. My 12 year old was just diagnosed with it the other day. I would like to know what to expect and what to be on the look out for. Currently he is on 50mg. Lasix, which I understand is a very low starting dose and he weighs 121 lbs. I'm not seeing much improvement. Still coughing/gagging and fatigued. I see no increase in urine output so I'm worried that it's not getting the fluid off his lungs. Also, his appetite has tanked. Does lasix effect their appetite?

This is weighing very heavy on me. He's my last dog of a pack of three. The other two were 15 and 16 when they left me within a few months of each other. It tore me up, but I knew I still had Boomer and he was a comfort to me. I know losing him is going to be much, much worse because suddenly my home will really be empty when he goes. I have read that once diagnosed they generally last 6 months to a year. Is that true???

Hope to hear from you. Thanks.
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Avatar universal
If my age 15 to 16 Shitzu had 1 breath n prob that made me think I may lose her, went to vet did 1 x-ray blood test, said, congested heart failure,had small mumur, think, mitral valve prob,gave Enalapril 2.5 mg 1 x day & Lasix 12.5 mg 2 x day I, ask vet no, let's make 1 x day said OK, but if destroys kidneys, I'm, scared of Lasix, but scared not to give r, will she die, why can't I, just give if had another breathing prob? Thank you, for all answers, food suggestions, she never has liked dog food, eats 1 cup 1 x day, drinks very little, is very small, don't get this fluid thing on her?
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That was a question not an answer anyone, that knows please answer me
Avatar universal
Hi every One my 7 year old half Chihuahua half shitzu got diagnosed with heart failure a little over 3 months ago. He got put on to medication lasix one is furosemide and the other is enalapril . Any one whoms experiencing this sad experience the symptoms that were noticed was a lot of gagging an coughing and lack of eating.If time goes with out medicine even 2 days the dog can die.  Get your loved animals to a clinic if experiencing any symptoms .life or death goodluck
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Avatar universal
I have a 14-year-old heeler lab mix (50 pounds) recently diagnosed with CHF. She could barely breathe, was coughing, and would not even lay down. The vet gave her an injection of Lasix which was a lifesaver. It eliminated fluids and she could breathe much easier. Unfortunately it also made her pee uncontrollably for about 24 hours. Vets really need to warn people about this! Have plenty of towels ready, and your dog may wet him or herself.
Before she was breathing heavily with her mouth open, drooling, and had a nonproductive cough. Now she is able to breathe with her mouth closed and looks much calmer.
I read other posts that say that if Lasix pills start to seem ineffective, take your dog to the vet for an injection and that will get things back on track. Hopefully we'll get a prescription for some other hurt meds and have several or many more months with Moose.
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1 Comments
My dog was diagnosed in 2012 and only had a few hours to live had we not gotten him to the cardiologist when we did. He's had to go every 6 months when no changes and every 3 months when meds need to be adjusted. He's 12.5 years old now and seems to be doing very well. The vet almost seems shocked about how well he has been doing and for how long. Just wanted to let you guys know there is hope
Avatar universal
I had a 13 year old shiatsu named angel who died from congestive heart failure!  She made it for about a year after being diagnosed!!!   Once she started coughing pretty bad, she died within a few days!!   We let her die on her own and I still to this day don't know if that was the right or wrong thing to do!  Maybe I should've had her put down but I dealt like it was up to God when it was her time, not me!!!  Her last few days she could barely walk outside to go potty and it was actually when trying to walk outside that she finally collapsed and died in my arms!!  It was heart wrenching!!!   But she lived a very good life up until about 2 days before she died!!!    I wish you the best!!!!  
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Avatar universal
My dog was first put on Lasix alone, then later after no real improvement, he was put on Enalapril and Vetmedin.  The change was awesome.  He acted like he felt better than he did when he was young.  He has been on this regimen for 6 months now and he still seems to feel good.
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Avatar universal
My 10 year old lab was just diagnosed with congestive heart failure  he started his mess today  reading the other posts has helped   like all the others on here I am praying Marley does well with the medication  he has never asked for anything and gives so much love  
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Avatar universal
My dog won't take pills, not down the throat because she has a partially collapsed pipe on the way to her stomach and she also detects them in everything.  Peanut butter whatever, will not work.

I have a syringe for giving shots with no needle on it.  I have a pill crusher for the pills,and then add water right in the bowl of the crusher, about two cc's for three pills. Then suck it up and put it in the side of her mouth and squirt it in, in about three small squirts. (my dog is 11 pounds)   Works very well. Even if you have someone help to hold your dog at first, it will get used to it.  My dog will make me know it is time for pills even though she doesn't like it because she knows she gets fed afterwords.  

Now she doesn't want to eat some times so the food goes on my finger and I open her mouth and wipe it on her tongue.  If they fight at first, kinda hold the mouth loosely closed and rub the throat.  After a time of persistence, they will give up the fight. Now most times, after refusing the food and me putting it in her mouth once, she will eat on her own.

My dog has had CHF for two years now and I have had to start making food in my own kitchen.  She was on HIlls gd and will absolutely not swallow it anymore.  She has really picked up on the home diet which is time consuming and a challenge but it is worth it to still have my dog.  She is better than she has been in a long time, back to making the effort to chasing the squirrels.  

I hope I am feeding right, I agonize over the ingredients and if I have them in the right amounts.  However, I read where someone, a doctor said something like it is better to have your dog eating home food that might not be complete nutrition than not to be eating at all.  Eating is vital.

Good luck to you.  
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Avatar universal
I just had this same experience with my little 10 yr old Maltese.  Started with a cough in the middle of the night.  Went to vet first thing in the morning.  Did xrays but nothing showed up.  A few hours later her breathing got worse so I took her back.  Within hours of showing any signs she had to immediately be put down due to her lungs and chest filling up with blood from her heart.  I had no idea that I wouldnt bring her home from the vet.
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Avatar universal
I just had this same experience with my little 10 yr old Maltese.  Started with a cough in the middle of the night.  Went to vet first thing in the morning.  Did xrays but nothing showed up.  A few hours later her breathing got worse so I took her back.  Within hours of showing any signs she had to immediately be put down due to her lungs and chest filling up with blood from her heart.  I had no idea that I wouldnt bring her home from the vet.
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10304467 tn?1409162997
Sounds like my dog Buddy.  He's just been dx'd a grade 2 heart murmur and the primary symptom is restlessness at night.  I made another post with some info you might find helpful.
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10304467 tn?1409162997
Hello everyone;

Like all of you I made my way here after my little boy Buddy was dx'd with a grade 2 heart murmur yesterday.  For a few months he was restless at night, apparently unable to get comfortable or lay fully on his side.  Other than that he's been healthy.

The x-rays showed very minimal heart enlargment, which is good news.  I'm awaiting blood test results to determine what to do next.

After spending two days researching CHF, here's some that you might find beneficial:

1. Omega 3 capsules are a godsend.  I started taking them myself when I was getting off an antidepressant which caused huge side effects, and I call it the miracle drug.  I started Buddy on doggie Omega 3 three days ago, and I already notice that he's starting to rest more and lay on his side.  I would HIGHLY recommend Omega 3 for dogs.

2.  I also ordered Cardio Strength from Vetriscience, which has rec'd rave reviews from other vets and pet parents.  Among other things, it contains Taurine and co-enzyme Q-10, which is key for heart health.  

3.  A low-sodium diet is recommended.  

4. You may want to ask your vet to give your dog a ProDnp blood test.  This test measures the degree of heart disease.  I'm not sure it's useful with pets with full blown CHF, but for those who are uncertain it's less expensive than an EKG.  
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Avatar universal
Hi. I have a five year old boxer that just got diagnosed today, he is on lasix tabs 50mg and vetmedin 5.0, vet said his heart and liver is inlarged and fluid on his lungs, wants to see him in 10 days to recheck everything. He has no energy, no appitite, and is not himself at all, it came on soo quick it was unreal. How long before the medicine starts working and there should be a change? This is pure heartbreak, Soo sorry for everyone going through this.
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10079043 tn?1407680394
Found out my little dog had chf in april and she is on vetmedin and frumiside ( water tablet) she is coping well thankfully apart from the peeing. Have noticed everytime she drinks from her bowl her gagging cough starts, now give her bottled water instead of tap and it seemed to help but still a little cough after each drink. Any advice please.x
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6745866 tn?1399751438
Hello All. I have a 12 year old Malti-poo, Charlie. He started with a level 2 heart murmer. Vet wasn't worried about it. So I wasn't. She had said it was super common and he was otherwise in complete health.  
(November-December 2013)Couple years later went back to Vet , we're at a level 4. Starts him on Fortekor. 2 months go by and he's worse . X- Rays showed his enlarged heart. month later another X-Ray confirmed. Another month later ( could actually be less than month .. more like 2-3 weeks) another X-Ray to see if he had fluid build up. which he did. He then got taken off fortekor and placed on Furosemide (for the fluids)  2x a day 1/4 pills. And stronger heart pills.Vetmedin (for his heart) 2x a day 1 capsule . Now, I know this sounds bad , but I had paid out over 1000.00 on X-Rays and these constant check-ups and I just didn't have anymore money for X-Rays so I never got a follow up to see if the fluid was gone. However my Vets said regaurdless Charlie has to be on Furosemide indeffinately. He is happier now and I let him live everyday like he wants to, again I know this is bad. But, I don't have a whole lot of time left with him, and  I figure what they hey! If he's happy I'm happy. I read some posts saying loss of appitite. My Charlie thus far eats fine sometimes he forgets and needs a little food game to get in the mood, but so far he eats okay and drinks a lot more than before the Furosemide. He  chokes after drinking , but not nearly as bad before Furosemide and Vetmedin. He's learned to drink slower and not be a hyper after.  Though this whole thing has been extremely hard for me. I'm finding as the months go by it's easier to accept  the fact that he is sick. I've learned to do things differently, appreciate him more, spoil him more just love him more. ( If you met my Charlie you'd know he's the devil.lol) However because of his Heart Failure it's made me realize, that I'm not going to have him forever. Which had NEVER occured to me . So I'm still optimistic that he has months with me. And he doesn't seem to be in a rush to leave either.
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8581897 tn?1398805546
Hi my name is Laura and my Little Angeles name is Brandy she now has Contesting failure and been placed on 44 different medications Furosemide Vetmedin Enalprill Primor and Told NO MORE PUPPY FOOD & I need to cook for her which I do not mind I Will DO ANYTHING TO SAVE MY BABY I Am cooking chicken CARROTS rice and Apple's THIS time I tried to add Apple to see if she would like them Brandy also has a Heart Murmur so all of this is Very troublesome to my Heart , I worried so much about her and what I can do to help her feel better I am wondering what other foods I can cook for her without sodium CAN PUPPYS HAVE PORK ?  What type of vegetables and meats can I make for her and is it normal for her to be unaware of loading her pee while sleeping or just sitting even when she barks pee dripples out & down her legs PLEASE HELP .........
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Avatar universal
Hi Patti and Mini Me,

I am so sorry to hear :(  My thoughts and prayers are with you.

I am in a similar situation.  My little 15 year old, mini dachshund, Mylo was diagnosed with CHF back in January.  He was fine that day but later in the evening started having rapid breathing.  So fast to the point, I could not even count the breaths per minute.  I rushed him to the vet.  The vet did not think he was going to make it.  The vet kept him and actually took him home with him for 5 nights.  He told me he would call only if something happened.  :(   Needless to say, I did not sleep the whole time dreading a telephone call.

I finally was able to bring him home.  He was happy to be home but ate very little.  That night he did the same as your dog and laid in his bed not wanting to eat, drink or move.  I carried him outside to go to the bathroom and he was very unstable and falling over.

The next day the same thing.  I could see it is in eyes that he had that "help me" look.  I could not let him just lay there so I decided to take the matters into my own hands.

I started off by mixing his Hill's critical care food with the Hill's W/D food with Pedialyte in a blender.  I then began syringe feeding him twice a day.  He would also not take his pills and I had to physically put them down his throat.  I learned the proper way and it does not hurt him.  I had to do this because like your dog, he would not take it in any type of treat, food, etc. He began to regain his strength and his appetite did come back!

Mylo is on the same meds as your dog except he takes Lasix and Denamarin (for his liver since his enzymes were a little elevated).  I also have him on glucosamine for his back.  

He was having those breathing/rapid heartbeat episodes frequently.  Scary as all hell.  They would finally subside after HOURS. I would go outside and cry uncontrollably because I was afraid that he wasn't going to make it.  His respiratory rate was off the charts and I could not even count his heart beats per minute.  I rushed him to the vet too many times to count  He even got to the point of coughing every so often and then even that became more frequent.

Well it has been almost 9 months since his diagnosis.  He is still on all his meds and I still syringe feed him the Hill's food mixed with the Pedialyte in a blender to this day.  He has an amazing appetite but now I do not feed him anything but organic chicken that I cook every day for him.  I feed him in small portions.  The weird part is, he has not had a rapid breathing/heart racing episode in a while (almost 2 months I would say).  He did have some problems with his back (that is another nightmare altogether).

He truly is my little miracle.  I am beginning to think that diet was playing a big part in his breathing/rapid heartbeat episodes.  I am just stumped.  Whatever caused these episodes to stop is beyond me.  Who am I to question?  I am just happy that he is feeling much better.  I know there is no cure and he doesn't bounce like a madman like he used to.  However, he does trollop around, barks for his food and even wags his tail like crazy again.  These things he didn't do for the longest time.  I am so blessed and thankful each and every day.

I know each dog is different but I wanted to share what I have been doing in hopes that maybe it might help.  

You and Mini Me will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Please respond and let me know how it is going.

Hugs to you and Mini Me!

I know when it first happens Patti, I was scared beyond belief.  I love my Mylo like a child.  
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6332104 tn?1380396591
We just found out yesterday that our 11 year old rat terrior has a very large heart murmur (CHF). They have started him on 5mg of Enalapril 2x a day and Vetmedin 5mg 2x a day. He started this medicine this morning and hasn't moved, eaten, barely drinking any water and has only been out once today to do his business. Not himself at all, he has slepted all day, breathing heavy and just kinda of out of it. They did blood work on him yesterday also and luckily his kidneys and liver are good so far. Can someone please tell me what I need to be expecting. I'm scared to death, and been a basket case since yesterday. I worried giving him these meds or making him more miserable than what he was. Mini Me hates taking pills and the peanut butter and cheese trick doesn't work with him at all. I feel awful that he is having to go through all this and that mommy can't take away his pain. Please help with any info that may help us. Thanks in advance Patti and Mini Me.
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Avatar universal
My name is Debbie.  My little pomeranian was diagnosed with CHF on June 4th of this year.  The vet said that she was between a 2-3 on the scale of 1-5. She is taking 2.5mg of Enalapril, 12.5mg of Furosemide, and 2.5mg of Vetmedin daily. Plus a supplement called Total Heart.  In June her heart was swelled to 2.6. In July it was down to 1.6.  It is suppose to be between 1.2 - 1.4.  She hasn't been choking as much as she was in the beginning but in the last day she has started choking again a lot.  My baby just turned 10 and I am no where ready to lose her.  I hope that I have to force her to take her meds for at least a year.  Yes I did say force her, she is a very picky eater and peanut butter doesn't work with her.  I crush the pills and put them in soft food and make her eat it.
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Avatar universal
My 9 year old pound pup chi Ellie was diagnosed on 2nd novemeber 2012 It was a very sad day, but we are now in June 2013 and she is doing very well on her meds
1 x enalapril 2.5 mg, furosemide 12.5 mg and she was on 1 x Temaril p twice a day...she is now down to 1 x half a Temaril p everyother day and they have added Vet medin 1.25 mg about a month ago...she had her bloods tested last week and her eletra lights are normal and they were very pleased with her...told me 6 weeks before another blood test then about 6 to 8 months after that. Although she does not like exercise that much now she is doing well. One of the best things I have founf to get her meds down is crush them and put in suringe with a tiny funnel add water shake till disolved then put in to mouth and this makes sure she has her meds with no lost tablets...I really think this has helped as she is now in to her 8 month after diagnoised and she is doing better now than before...I know I have to prepare for the end but I am optomistice I will have her a lot longer than I first thought...I have read alot about CHF and dogs on meds can live between 6months to 7 years if medication is admisered propley.
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Avatar universal
Hi all,
I'm so excited I found this community :).  Our dog Boogie was diagnosed yesterday with CHF.  I worry a tad because he's still fairly young, he's not turned 5 yet.  I'm guessing this might've stemmed from a previous heart condition that we were unaware of.  He's always been healthy, so very healthy and so active.  He's is an outside dog (He's a 110 lb German Shepard with a strong "aversion" toward our inside kitty  LOL or he'd be my inside buddy) so he's got the run of our fairly large fenced backyard.  So this kinda came as a shock.  We do walk him (probably not as much as we should) but we get out there and throw the ball with him and our little Schnauzer Marley loves to chase him all over the backyard (hehehe).
We just noticed his symptoms Sunday evening.  He was a whole lot less active (it felt like all of a sudden) and his stomach looked very tight, more so than normal.  So of course curiosity and the vet being closed on Sunday got the better of me and I looked online (the worst thing to do sometimes).  I thought he had an almost always fatal condition Gastric Bloat.  I was terrified that we were fixing to have to put him to sleep.  But gratefully it wasn't that, but I know this is quite a severe condition as well.  I'm just concerned about his activities.  Just this last fall, I was walking in our neighborhood every day, for about 1-2 miles each time and took him with me.  He acted as though he loved it.  And when I would walk out back with his leash, he would run up to me and just sit there until i put it on him :)  so I took that as he was loving it.  I wanted to start doing that again with the weather getting nicer, but I'm afraid now that it'll do more damage.  I know at first I wouldn't be able to walk him probably very far at all, but I just wondered if I should even walk him at all...  I really want to prolong his life as long as possible, b/c he's still so very young and he's my son's little play buddy and it would devastate him if anything were to happen to him.      
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670955 tn?1226597900
I'm so sorry to hear about your darling Kitsey. Please know you did everything you could.  I know how you're feeling. I lost my Boomie Nov. 13th. He went down fast and I chose to euthanize. I was grateful for the 16 extra months meds gave me with him but of course its never enough. The holidays completely passed by without me noticing. It will get better. Allow yourself to grieve. Hugs.
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Avatar universal
I just lost my beautiful little girl Kitsey to CHF, she was 16 yrs old. She was diagnosed  last March, I was told that the usual life span is max of 1yr....she lasted 9 months. She was on 4 pills 2x per day...she did great until Oct 6...her breathing became very labored...I rushed her to the  hospital...she was put in oxygen for 3 nights...they warned me she may not make it through the night, but she made it through like a trooper(mind you, she's only 7lbs)

All was good until Oct 31...it happened again....back in oxygen for 3 nights. then again Nov 17....then again Dec 3....each time she got weaker....the last episode, the Cardiologist told me that she had about 2 hrs to live....her lungs were filling up with fluid, and she was essentially drowning.  I was a complete mess...I didn't want her to suffer, so I agreed to have her put to sleep.
  I am so sad, I can hardly stop crying,,,,I have never felt pain like this before......I still question myself....did I do everything right?  Could I have done more?  I hope to find some peace with this.
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670955 tn?1226597900
Well, once again I went searching for information on what to expect and came across this old thread I started when Boomer was first diagnosed.

He was started on Vetmedin shortly after when everything else wasn't working. He has done well for a year and six months but I fear we are now at the end of the road. He has had a very bad weekend, beginning with throwing up his dinner Friday night, which is the last thing he ate. He is very weak now and refuses to eat. Not sure what tomorrow will bring. My only wish is that he will go to sleep and not wake up. I can't handle making that choice for him right now. It has been a brutal year.

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Avatar universal
I am so sorry for your diagnosis, ann. Our 16-year-old miniature dachshund, Sadie, was diagnosed over a year ago with CHF. However, she has worsened dramatically this week. Her respirations have gone as high as 60-72/min. while sleeping and her heart rate 144-240/min. She is exhausted all the time, doesn't do much except for walk outside to do her duties, and to the food & water bowls to eat then back to bed. I took her to the vet yesterday and we are continuing her Enalapril plus she put Sadie  on Lasix and started her on Vetmedin. She is down to 7.0#. At her peak she weight 9.5# and in Feb. she weighed 8.2#. I was quite shocked when the vet gave Sadie a 50 mg injection of Lasix at the office. That seemed like a massive amount for her size. She scared us on the way home with an episode of aggravated shortness of breath and gagging, but that resolved. Her Xrays showed that her heart is more than double the size that it should be, and expected to see the fluid in her lungs. But what really floored us is that her liver is also enlarged quite a bit.

Our vet says we should be seeing a dramatic difference in her behaviors within the next few days. Today her resp. rate is still 60/min, but much less labored than yesterday. Her heart rate is at or below 144. She is still exhausted but has a slight appearance of feeling better, if you know what I mean by that. I do not want her to suffer, and wonder if I am keeping her hanging on for myself rather than for her good. I pray it will be obvious when it is time to have her put down. I am not looking forward to that day.
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