Congestive Heart Failure (vet, prescription, legal, treatment)

[Annie3468]

My 14 yo shizu/pom was diagnosed with CGF over a year ago. I had all the expensive test and started giving him 2 meds per day. The problem is that the vet needs to repeat the tests every six months and I can't afford $500 every six months, the meds are $40 per month, I can handle that.....so, I have been out of meds since last October and now he is caughing more and seems to be tired most of the time. Please don't flame me, I know that the disease is getting worse, my question is, how long will he live w/out the meds? Is he suffering? I would be glad to continue the meds, but the vet won't fill another prescription w/out the tests
Any suggestions?

[Dashdog]

Have you thought of finding a new vet and explaining that your dog did well on the medicines and that you can not aford all these test every 6 months? I ask because many years ago when my then old cocker Maddie developed a bad heart murmur and Xrays showed CHF the vet I was using wanted to run a zillion expensive test. I did not have the money back then and she was old so why put her through all of that? He told me if there were no more tests there was nothing he could do and told me if I loved my dog I would do all the tests. Of course he had used this line before with vitamins or some such thing he tried to sell me as every time we went in there was something else he wanted to try to sell me.

I decided to get a second opinion and went to another vet . I explained the fact I did not have alot of money and that I was not sure I even like the idea of putting an elderly dog through all those tests. I did have her Xray with me ( had to battle the other vet to get it but I knew that I do have a legal right to borrow it to take it to another vet). The new vet looked at it checked Maddie over and gave me some lasix to dry out her lungs and gave us if I recall right some endacard and told me to come back in two weeks. When we came back the murmur had greatly improved and a new Xray showed her lungs were clear so he was comfortable continuing to treat her with out all the other tests. She lived another 2 years. Yes he is still my vet as I really feel he cares more about the animal then the money unlike the other vet.

You can maybe approach it as more of a hospice type care since it is an elderly dog with a condition that can not be cured but can be controlled that you are trying to give a better quality of life too ?

Good luck hopefully you can find a vet that is willing to continue with a treatment that is working with out the added expense of all those tests.

[kansas sky]

Originally Posted by Annie3468

My 14 yo shizu/pom was diagnosed with CGF over a year ago. I had all the expensive test and started giving him 2 meds per day. The problem is that the vet needs to repeat the tests every six months and I can't afford $500 every six months, the meds are $40 per month, I can handle that.....so, I have been out of meds since last October and now he is caughing more and seems to be tired most of the time. Please don't flame me, I know that the disease is getting worse, my question is, how long will he live w/out the meds? Is he suffering? I would be glad to continue the meds, but the vet won't fill another prescription w/out the tests
Any suggestions?

Have you checked to see if the tests cost the same after the first time? I ask this because the cardiologists I work for charge about half for the exam, echo and ecg every visit after the first one. The x-rays cost a little less too on recheck, though we don't control those prices. I hope you can find someone to work with you somewhat on cost. I work in a large institution so we don't have as much control as I would like, but we do the best we can to work within the owner's financial limitations.

[Annie3468]

Have you checked to see if the tests cost the same after the first time? I ask this because the cardiologists I work for charge about half for the exam, echo and ecg every visit after the first one. The x-rays cost a little less too on recheck, though we don't control those prices. I hope you can find someone to work with you somewhat on cost. I work in a large institution so we don't have as much control as I would like, but we do the best we can to work within the owner's financial limitations.

Thanks Kansas Sky, No I didn't ask about the re-tests, I will call him and schedule an appt to discuss. I have know this vet since he began practice in 1982, I have always found him to be a reasonable person. Maybe I assumed too much...anyway thanks for your advice.

[FiveHorses]

Good luck to you and your doggie.

[Annie3468]

Thanks for the advice.....I noticed last night that his tummy is kind of swollen, maybe it seems that way because his body is getting so thin....is that normal for a dog with CHF?
P.S. I have an appt for him on Monday, I will let y'all know what happens.
Annie

[FiveHorses]

Was he on diuretics before?

[kansas sky]

Originally Posted by Annie3468

Thanks for the advice.....I noticed last night that his tummy is kind of swollen, maybe it seems that way because his body is getting so thin....is that normal for a dog with CHF?
P.S. I have an appt for him on Monday, I will let y'all know what happens.
Annie

Good luck on Monday! If the right side of his heart is starting to fail, their tummies can fill with fluid. They may need to drain some of that away if it's making him uncomfortable.

[Annie3468]

Five Horses - yes, he was on Lasix and also Enalapril.

[FiveHorses]

You'll see from the list in the linked article, that a "potbellied" appearance is due to fluid accumulation and a classic symptom of CHF in dogs (and why the dog was on diuretics before).

CHF: Understanding Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs