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Here is a question and i will try to keep it simple:
Our ChuChu Lulu 9 yrs old got diagonsed with CHF - is on enalapril and salix.
my understanding of CHF related cough is that - its caused due to fluid build up and or trachea push due to the enlarged heart.
while we know its an enlarged heart - the trachea is not pushed yet, also xrays show no fluid built up.
so, i am wondering why does she still cough about 8-10 times a day which is a CHF cough and usually when she wakes up from rest and or gets excited etc.
the cough should technically not happen right? considering most websites talk about trachea and or fluid built up as main reason for CHF cough? or am i missing out on something.
apart from that cough she is doing everything proper, rest, food, activity etc...
My oldster has started coughing after he drinks water and when he gets excited. I am pretty sure it is related to his trachea but taking him in for a full physical tomorrow.
Always have used a harness on him.
I know you said her trachea isn't pushing?
Yet do you think she could have a collapsing trachea which I think maybe going on with my old guy.
Not much they can do for it but will see what the Vet says anyway and rule out things/peace of mind.
Congestive heart failure is terminal. There is no cure for it. It's just going to get progressively worse. It may go slowly- it may happen quickly. What your vet is doing now is just trying to give your dog more time. They aren't going to cure it.
I've had many old dogs with CHF- they all coughed, even on medication.
Signs that the medication is working is only partly change in the type and extent of the cough. Look for the dog to be more active, to have more stamina, to be able to lay down comfortably-- To be able to lay sprawled out its side rather than propped up on its stomach- to be able to lay down without looking for something to elevate & rest its head on, like the arm of a chair or the bolster of a pet bed..
Prior to diagnosis, a dog may have a hacking cough with lots of gagging, fluid. With meds, it may become more of a soft cough . Others may have have different experiences with their dogs, but none of mine ever had the cough go totally away.
i know CHF is terminal. i understand that and thats my she is on the mdeication she is on. I am just wondering the cause of the cough. no one seems to have an answer why fo pets cough even when there is no built up and even when the trachea has not yet been pushed by an enlarged heart.
i think when you say - side effects of enalapril i could think thats possible however would it cause a cough like CHF and would it then not be in random times rather than only when excited and or waking up from sleep.
i am just trying to find out why that cough exists. thats all.
My oldster has started coughing after he drinks water and when he gets excited. I am pretty sure it is related to his trachea but taking him in for a full physical tomorrow.
Always have used a harness on him.
I know you said her trachea isn't pushing?
Yet do you think she could have a collapsing trachea which I think maybe going on with my old guy.
Not much they can do for it but will see what the Vet says anyway and rule out things/peace of mind.
thats a good point abbara. let me know what your vet says. trachea collapse could be the only reason i am also thinking ... but these are just gueses was wondering if some expert knows an answer to that. Even the vets dont seem to know exactly - all they say "yeah, the cough will be there" and i am fine with that. but the cause is what riddles me especially when no fluid built up "yet" and no trachea push "yet"
feel bad for my adorable baby. she is strong you know, but doesnt understand getting excited gives her pain... how to explain
Just looked(Googled) up your dogs med.it is called an ace inhibitor.
Also called Vasotec (used in humans, like a lot of med used for dogs as well)
One of the side effects is a dry cough.
Says Doc will switch meds and use another type of Ace inhibitor if cough persists.
Once med is stopped cough stops.
Maybe Vet can give a different but effective same type med.
My angel Snickers left us on Christmas night she was almost 14 so she had more than a few years galloping around with wrapping paper tied to her collar as the Christmas Beagle. Long and short the cough started about a month ago with the gasping shortness of breath, the vet treated her and she responded within 24 hours to the prancing puppy we had always known her as. without any warning within 30 day she woke us with no breath breathing symptoms at 1:00 am, we got her to an emergency clinic quickly but by that time she started to cough up the fluid strangling her heat, it was very hard to watch her suffer and comfort her before they sedated her to calm state to pass. We had a wonderful month together with the best friend you could have but looking back I would have put her down in a happier less traumatic state. You would never want to see your pet suffer this way. Don't be greedy and enjoying every minute left because the end can be harsh and leave you questioning if you did the right thing. I miss you Snick more than you could ever know. Love daddy…
It sounds very much like she might be coughing due to collapsing trachea. I work with a veterinary cardiologist and we see collapsing trachea in the same patient as mitral valve disease a lot. If there is no evidence of pulmonary edema or tracheal elevation on radiographs, you might consider asking your vet about a cough suppressant and see if that helps.
If I may be so bold, has she had evidence of fluid in her lungs (pulmonary edema) before? What was the reason she was initially diagnosed with CHF? I just ask because we see a lot of small, senior dogs who are diagnosed and treated for heart failure when they have some heart disease (usually mitral valve degeneration) and a cough due to collapsing trachea, but not yet (or maybe ever) actual heart failure. I am certainly not any substitute for your vet but it seems to be a very common mistake.
abbara, I think you're right about the enalapril causing a cough in human patients but as far as I know there's no evidence to support this as a side effect in dogs.
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