Fluid in my dogs chest cavity

[sun_sh1ne]

Hi there - not sure if anyone has had this happened to their animal...but my 9 year old Shepard Cross recently went from healthy dog to all of a sudden on the verge of dieing.

Tuesday last week.. he started moaning when he sat down.. and because with the warm weather.. we have walked him way more.. and thought maybe his joints were hurting.  

It wasn't till Friday that my hubby and I noticed him breathing heavy on his side and would start groaning when he sat down.  Finally on Sunday we decided to take Siefer to our vet nearby to see if he has an upset tummy or not.  He started having stinky farts.. which isn't abnormal for him..

So on Monday, we took him out and it went from good news 'oh nothing seems to be bugging him at all'.. and we're like 'oh thank gosh.. maybe he just has tummy problems again.. ate something wrong'.  Then she went to listen to his heart.. and could barely.  He had no fever but it was on the high end of the temperature scale.  She then insisted we do xrays... which after $400 we were hoping it was nothing.  Nope.. they could barely see his heart.. saying all the the fluid around his heart is making the xray almost seem ghostly.. his lungs have shriveled up making it the reason why he is having trouble breathing.

They done rushed us to emergency and he had to get an ultrasound done as well as withdrawing fluid to ease the pain and to test it.. with some bloodwork.  We get the results tomorrow but I'm just hoping that I go the right direction.  Everything online seems unsupported in regards to surgery due to the closeness of the heart.. and with his older age... but I just don't want to get tossed around.  It's not about money but after $1400.. i know with additonal info.. it will cost more and more... but I want him to be better not worse.  

Today he is lethargic... and I feel so bad.  My little dog.. she's 5.. knows something is up and she is worried for him.  He has had loose stool and bad gas.. I assume due to stress... and I hope.. and he's eating well...

I am so sad.. and my hubby finally broke down last night as its his dog.. they are really bonded.  We just lost my 15 year old husky last year so this seems way too close and way too fast....

Any suggestions?  Any knowledge to know if this is a few day, few weeks or few months to live?

I am just trying to be prepared.. although we never can be I guess.

Thank you in advance!

[dakotah1975]

I've been reading your problem with your dog and it seems to me like you might want a second opinion. This vet may be the greatest but I think they keep wanting to do different tests which are extrememely costly. I think sometimes the vet has us in a corner and takes advantage of certain situations. I know mine does. I have a yellow lab Cera who has fluid around her heart. She's on three kinds of meds right now but still has laboured breath sometimes.we keep her calm and lots of love. I am going to get a second opinion on her because she was just sick with all mucous. I hope your "puppy" gets better and I know it would be very hard especially when you have lost one not so long ago. I think it comes down to as you said..we want to keep them but I do believe if you ask him and look into his eyes he will let you know when its time...fingers crossed.

[Dbabber]

Thank you everyone for sharing I feel relief that we're not alone in this. I have a 6 year old Frenchie. Her stomach was distended 2 weeks ago so we brought her to emergency care. She ended up having fluid around her lungs, in her abdomen, and around her heart. They said cancer and abnormal cells. They sent the lab work and kept her. Drained some fluid. Labs came back not cancer. We got her a EKG and ekcho and the cardiologist says nothing looks abnormal. She's back home now. She seems back to herself eating drinking pooping fine but over the last week her belly gets bloated depending on the time of day. We try to keep her on bed rest as much as possible.  I just don't know where to go from here? Should I look up a specialist? Bring her back to get more fluid drained? I don't know what to do I get scared that one day she'll have trouble breathing again. I'm just spending as much time as possible with my baby girl. Did anyone get a condition or a name I could look into for these symptoms? Thanks so much.

[richart6444]

OMG, I read every post here and Im ready to cry.  Great community.  My dog is only 3 years old and was just diagnosed with chylethorax a few days ago.  They drained his chest and that helped sooo much.  Ive spent over 3k in 10 days and they want another 9k to do a surgery which has like a 70% success rate with no guarantees.  I'm not sure what to do.  Besides that he's verrrrrry healthy and has always pretty much been on a low fat diet of kibble and home made turkey and vegis cooked in the crock pot, so I really don't know how to get him on a lower fat diet.  Dr. said his diet is great too.  Bought some Rutin ystrdy and am going to give that a try.  Im hoping for any kind of miracle.

[mil0426]

hi I am in exactly the same position as you are I have 9 year old German shepherd Sasha, and we went through all the tests, scans x rays you name she had it, now she is in intensive care at a vetenery hospital .she's had the operation 5 days ago and when you ring the vets they keep saying the same we will ***** her no change im heartbroken she went in on my birthday.do they get better after surgery.

[mil0426]

i have a 9 year old german shepherd with the same problems.they have done loads of tests,heart everything looking for cancer.and tested the cyle found nothing, she is in hospital now, she had the op on Friday. I am so worried hows your dog now

[Stacel7]

Hi my German shepherd had a condition where he had fluid round his heart and kept filling his stomach. They drained the fluid from his stomach 3 times then had to do surgery open his chest up and drain the fluid from round his heart. They told me he only had a 50/50 chance of survival of the op. he had that done when he was only a year old he is now 10 and is healthier than any dog I know