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has anyone had this happen so quickly? I miss him more than I can say.
I am so very sorry for your loss.
My vet told me there are two types of CHF; one creates a pressure around the heart and the other creates pressure around the lungs. I believe it depends on which valve in the heart is affected. CHF will also put stress on the other parts of the heart and cause issues over time.
My Chaulpa was diagnosed with the first kind of CHF. We had him on Lasix and a few other things for around 8 months and he was doing Ok (occasional issues, but nothing major).
In May 2015, he started having breathing problems. I took him to they vet and they informed me his CHF had progressed and now he was also getting fluid around his lungs. I left him at the vet as they were going to drain the fluid and hold for observations: he passed away 20m after I left the vet's office.
hey all. we found out our little ball of crazy (<3 lb chihuahua, almost 11) has CHF. i took him the the emergency vet at 3 am due to insane coughing that came on pretty quick. the response from the vets we saw was very disheartening. one actually told us that he was past his expiration date and to consider him a hospice patient. he had a chest scan and blood work, diagnosed with pneumonia and possible lung cancer. he also has a seizure disorder. poor little broken dog. so he was pretty sick for about a week, given vetmedin and lasix as well as an antibiotic on top of the seizure meds. he seemed to improve so greatly, recheck at the vet came back favorable: no cancer, infection gone, all good stuff. so today he had a minor coughing fit and i am worried. not sure if i am overreacting or not. . .his resting breathing is still really good (about 28 breaths per minute), he is eating, active, tail wagging. we all know that it is so hard to tell when they aren't feeling well, and they can't tell us. my main reason for posting, though, is to ask if anyone has any tricks for giving medicine. chihuahuas are notoriously picky eaters. i have tried baby food, dog ice cream, vanilla ice cream. . . the liquid meds are the hardest to get him to take. it has been about three weeks since the early morning vet visit. he is currently sacked out on the couch, seeming fine, but i just do not know!
I too have a 9 pound chihauhau with Chf and an enlarged heart. I feel like I am on a roller coaster on minute he is coughing like a kid with croup the next minute he is outside trying to catch the squrarel. My dog is on enalaprel,lasix, vetmiden, spiraldactone. I have spent about 2,500.00 dollars in the last month and am not sure where this will end, but I love my dog and this is all very painful. Wish I had some good sound advice about these meds! Help
My Italian greyhound Gino just dx with Chf grade 4-6 murmur. He's doing OK on all the usual meds. I too spent close to $2500.00 in last WEEK between ER visit follow up vet visit meds. I don't care tho. To not add to the cost I'm making his low sodium food instead of the prescription food the vet wanted me to get. Cooked chicken stew beef in low sodium broth in crock all day, add low sodium peas green beans ground in blender until consistency of canned dog food and served with cooked Brown rice. He loves it. Also give him a dog vitamin and 1/2 tums for calcium He's my heart and I'll do anything for him. I also have a yellow lab, blind with diabetes that uses insulin 2x day and another Italian greyhound with seizures. Gino is the oldest and never had health probs until now. I'm totally devastated. With the meds and low sodium diet, he's hanging in there, he sleeps alot now
My dog Sammy 12 1/2 Shih Tzu has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure last October 2016, he had it way before then, maybe 8 mo. he is not doing well at all his belly has swollen up and he is coughing all day his medication runs me about 350 a month I know there is no cure for him, I just can't bring myself to do it, because I don't know if it's the right time but he seems like he can't breathe and I don't want that
My dog Sammy 12 1/2 Shih Tzu has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure last October 2016, he had it way before then, maybe 8 mo. he is not doing well at all his belly has swollen up and he is coughing all day his medication runs me about 350 a month I know there is no cure for him, I just can't bring myself to do it, because I don't know if it's the right time but he seems like he can't breathe and I don't want that
I'm so sorry to hear about Sammy. But if you love him, allowing him to be humanely euthanized and have a peaceful passing rather than suffocating to death, is the last loving gift you can give your dog. Imagine the panic and fear that you would have, not being able to get enough oxygen. Your dog is experiencing that now. The end is even worse. I know you wouldn't knowingly want your dog to suffer, and be fearful while he suffocates to death. Please give him the final gift of love. Think of it as you taking on emotional pain, so he doesn't have to suffer, and you free him of fear, pain, and a painful death.
My dog Sammy 12 1/2 Shih Tzu has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure last October 2016, he had it way before then, maybe 8 mo. he is not doing well at all his belly has swollen up and he is coughing all day his medication runs me about 350 a month I know there is no cure for him, I just can't bring myself to do it, because I don't know if it's the right time but he seems like he can't breathe and I don't want that
This was one of the toughest choices I have ever made.
My advice: if the pet is still having fun and playing then they are probably Ok for a while. Spend as much time as possible with them, take them to every dog-friendly public park/walk (health permitting) and take lots of videos/photos. I also started giving him lots of different kinds of wet dog foods, treats, etc.
If they are in pain or having constant breathing/sleeping issues, it is a very different story. CHF can end in many different ways; some quick and peaceful and some not-so-pleasant. I woke at 3 am one morning to find my Chupie was falling down standing as he could not get comfortable enough to sleep; a few hours later, I had at vet and they held him for observations: he passed a few hours later (around the vet and staff, but still alone...)
In hindsight, I found I did ignore some of the hints and suggestions the vet gave about his condition as I only wanted to hear the 'good news'.
We opted for an in-home euthanasia for our last pet and I would recommend it (with a good vet) to anyone that faces this dreadful task: I was able to hold my other furry baby tight in my arms as she passed into her final slumber.
I can now add my sad story of losing a dog to congestive heart failure.
We adopted a little female chihuahua mix, black with white feet & a white chest blaze, in November 2008. There was no history, just that she was a stray running the streets. This was in California. She was healthy & perky. We were later told that she was probably also part Schipperke. All of our dogs have been rescues, because I detest breeders.
Our daughter's childhood Pomeranian was a product of a breeder. He was born with patent ductus arteriosus, basically a hole in the heart caused by too much inbreeding. The breeder was going to euthanize him to keep the defect out of the breed...isn't that nice? My husband's co-worker took him, & my husband brought him home. He lived to be nearly 15 years old & had CHF most of his life, but didn't seem to know it, he was perky & playful until the last few weeks of his life, when he died peacefully in my arms. His only treatment for the CHF was liquid digoxin & a low dose of lasix twice daily.
Now back to my little mixed-breed dog who died yesterday at around 10 years old. She always was healthy, received good vet care, but didn't need much, other than immunizations & dental cleanings. Because of unexpected life circumstances, she pretty much became my only friend & constant support system. Two years ago, during a routine tooth cleaning, I was told she had a minor heart murmur, requiring no special care. In March of 2016, she developed a growth on her front leg that became infected & required surgery. At that time I was told that her heart murmur had greatly worsened & she had CHF...what? But, OK, my Pom lived with that most of his life. She started taking Vetmedin, aka pimobendan, a very expensive canine cardiac medication, no generic available.
Life went on, she was perky as ever, playing with our adopted Doberman. Then in June of this year, she developed a cough. The vet prescribed a cough medication & antibiotics & we took a short vacation, but the cough never completely resolved. Back to the vet, now she has fluid in her lungs & ascites (fluid in the abdomen) & we are told she has advanced state CHF! What? Furosemide (Lasix) is added to the list of meds, which now includes Vetmedin & cough medicine. She is enjoying her long summer walks but tiring easily. Her belly swells. She stops eating, refuses her meds, even with peanut butter bribes. Now the vet tells us she is in end-stage CHF & will die soon...what? Our Pom lived to be 15 & this dog is a mutt! The vet bluntly tells me that, due to so much inbreeding by breeders, even mixed breeds are now susceptible to genetic defects caused by inbreeding.
So after a short rally on July 24, my little dog propped herself up on her front legs all Thursday night, gasping for breath. Nothing I did could help or comfort her. Her eyes said, "I love you, please help me". I ran her to the vet yesterday, & was told that draining her extremely distended belly would not help, the ascites would return, she was put on 100% O2, of which she was only absorbing 60%, & her heart was disintegrating as we spoke. So, spouse & I held her in our arms while they ended her life & we felt her go limp. We had her for 8 years & it should have been longer.
I blame breeders...you are lazy people who exploit animals to earn a living. The health issues you have caused by constant inbreeding has filtered down into mixed-breed dogs. You leech a living off exploitation of innocent animals. I have seen how you treat them & the living conditions they endure. Get a real job, quit exploiting animals, there are already too many unwanted dogs in shelters everywhere.
Oh, and for any suggestions that we just get another dog? Not in this state, you will be lied to about the dog's history. We adopted a Doberman, our 4th Doberman rescue, in November 2015, from a well-known "pure-breed animal rescue". The truth of the matter is that she had been returned to the Tacoma Humane Society TWICE, the second time for biting a family member. The Tacoma Humane Society, because of the biting issue, then declared her to be "unadoptable". So what did they do? Why, they released her to the "pure-breed animal rescue" who in turn, after 3 days in a "foster home", gave her to us, with no disclosures! She is a sweet, loving dog..in our house & on our property, with us & our late little dog...but try to take her in public, on a walk, on a trip, & she goes ballistic...she has reactive-bitten my husband 6 times, serious, skin-puncturing bites. We have tried meds & training, to no avail. The "rescue organization" will not help us with this poor dog, as she is a biter! Duh! BTW, this "purebreed animal rescue" organation requires an extensive written application, & states they will make a home inspection before dumping, oops, I mean placing a dog in your home...there was no home visit. We have acreage, but could have lived in a studio apt., or a shed, for all they knew.
So those are my latest dog experiences, after being an owner of only rescue dogs for 44 years.
For those of you who use Vetmedin for your dog's CHF, I found a (relatively) inexpensive source, cheaper even than Costco pharmacy. Send me a rep for info., I don't do DMs.
If you want to know more about the "purebeed rescue" scam group, do the same, I'll give you an earful.
For all of you who love your dogs & want the best for them, I hope you do not experience the anguish & sadness that I am having, & the suffering my innocent dogs have had.
Any hateful trolling will be ignored, blocked & reported.
Last edited by MarciaMarshaMarcia; 08-05-2017 at 09:56 AM..
I'm so sorry, MarciaMarshaMarcia. I've posted about my heart-dog's CHF. She was a rescue doberman and was about 9 years old when I adopted her. Her CHF was diagnosed at her annual exam less than 2 years later and, with the help of a lot of expensive meds (Vetmedin being one and not the most expensive), she lived to be 14.5 years old -- with not a sick day due to CHF until her last few hours when her heart couldnt move enough blood to her brain and she had multiple seizures. That was 18 months ago and I still grieve for her as though it were yesterday.
And I'm so sorry that you've had a bad experience regarding your rescue dobe. I've lived with dobermans for 45+ years and have adopted only older dobermans for the past 25+ years. I've dealt with several dobe rescue groups here in Texas and havent found any that werent extremely professional and honest. That's not to say there arent some that are less-than-honest, of course, and I understand your being so upset. I'd be angry too if I were you.
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his medication runs me about 350 a month I know there is no cure for him, I just can't bring myself to do it, because I don't know if it's the right time but he seems like he can't breathe and I don't want that
