Guest saltwaterron Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 took riley to the vet yesterday. no noticeable change in her heart. vet said to keep her inside when the weather gets hot. it has been almost a year since she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. vet seemed to indicate after this length of time riley may start to experience some health changes. upped her lanoxin from 1 a day to 2. did not have the presence of mind to ask but do you think upping her lanoxin is just precautionary? she wants to see riley once a month during the summer months. & Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlies_Dad Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 (edited) What did your vet say about the warm weather? Our Jack was diagnosed this past Fall with CHF and is on all the drugs they normally prescribe. I'm assuming you need to keep Riley in check and not to over-exert himself when it's humid as it's harder to breath? Our Jack is the classic Grey, he doesn't do anything other than lay on a towel in the sun. He's not very active so I think he'll be okay but we will be watching him carefully. No idea on the lanoxin, would be nice to know more about it. Edited March 8, 2012 by Charlies_Dad Quote Kyle with Stewie ('Super C Ledoux, Super C Sampson x Sing It Blondie) and forever missing my three angels, Jack ('Roy Jack', Greys Flambeau x Miss Cobblepot) and Charlie ('CTR Midas Touch', Leo's Midas x Hallo Argentina) and Shelby ('Shari's Hooty', Flying Viper x Shari Carusi) running free across the bridge. Gus an coinnich sinn a'rithist my boys and little girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saltwaterron Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 vet said to take her on potty walks if needed but otherwise stay out of the heat and it does get hot in south carolina. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saltwaterron Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 how old is jack? riley will be 7 in august Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 How was Riley diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF)? CHF means there's fluid buildup due to heart disease, and the fluid is usually either in the lungs (causing coughing and rapid breathing) or the abdomen (causing a distended belly). Most dogs with heart disease that have progressed to the point of CHF need to stay on a diuretic (usually Lasix/furosemide) for life to manage this fluid buildup. If your dog is doing well a year later without diuretics, I'm wondering if she truly had CHF. Adjustments to heart medications are usually done based on worsening of symptoms or worsening changes in heart function seen on ultrasound (echocardiogram). I'm not familiar with changing meds as a precautionary measure. Why the once a month checks during the summer? If she's doing well, seems that getting her in and out of the house and vet's office so often would expose her to more heat and stress. Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saltwaterron Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 actually, she was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. i just refer to it as chf. she had an ekg and ultrasound last june. so increasing her meds is not a good sign? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 so increasing her meds is not a good sign? I'd ask your vet why she decided to increase meds. Have you noticed any changes in how she's doing at home? Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saltwaterron Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 no noticeable changes. some hacking but vet seems to think it's throat irritation. she says her lungs sound clear. riley was so nervous the vet couldn't even listen to her heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 If she's that nervous at the vet, it makes me wonder even more about the benefit of once a month visits over the summer... Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newgreymom Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Has she been seen by a Cardiologist? My vet insisted Dylan had some horrible heart problem so we went the whole cardiologist route. He is fine. We have done 2 echocardgrams in the past 3 years with no change.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saltwaterron Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 haven't seen a cardiologist. not sure that's a possibility. If she's that nervous at the vet, it makes me wonder even more about the benefit of once a month visits over the summer... one good thing is that the vet has never charged for these follow ups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 There's a cardiologist in Columbia, SC at South Carolina Veterinary Specialists if that's an option you're able to consider. Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 (edited) Please do consider seeking a cardiologist's opinion. Heart disease is so often misdiagnosed with greyhounds. At the very least your hound deserves the latest most modern treatment options available that only a boarded cardio vet may be aware of. Edited to add-- trying to understand how your vet determined that your hound has heart disease absence of an echocardiogram????? Edited March 9, 2012 by tbhounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I too would strongly encourage a consult with a cardiologist. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saltwaterron Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 riley did have an ultrasound done. i stood there with the vet as he did the ultrasound and he explained how her left ventricle was not pumping the blood as it should. her second set of x-rays, 6 months after diagnosis, showed that her heart was getting larger. even i could see that before her vet said a word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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