Fluid In His Lungs, Heart Failure

[Guest greytone]

Hi everyone!

 

I don't post here often however, I took my 12 year old to the vet on May 21st and got some bad news. We only went in for a wellness exam and shots. However, something more serious was found when Dr Dommer listened to Fred's lungs. She thought that he had fluid in his lungs....so they did a chest xray. Crap, he has fluid in his lungs. Also, she noticed that his heart is extremely enlarged on the xray. She believes that Freddie is in heart failure....it could be caused by heart disease or a heart tumor. The vet couldn't tell if he has a heart tumor by the xray. Freddie was so weak after everything....being in the car, dealing with the heat, and just by being at the vet's office....Freddie needed oxygen therapy. He couldn't even walk out of the vet's office under his own power. They had to wheel him out on a gurney.

Freddie is now on lasix furosemide and enacard. We are going to try these for a couple weeks....and see what happens. And so far the meds have really been working well. He seems to be perkier and walking around the house more. However, he still coughs from time to time.

 

Does anyone have any experience with heart failure?

 

These two meds cause weight loss....I can't keep weight on him even while feeding him pasta, rice, cottage cheese, eggs, chicken, and canned pumpkin. What else can I give him?

 

 

[Rustyroo]

Oh no, I'm sorry about Freddy. I don't have experience, just wanted to send you good thoughts.

[schultzlc]

I am so sorry to hear about your Freddie. A lot of folks will add Ensure to their grey's food to add some calories. Perhaps that could help your boy too.

[XTRAWLD]

Oh my goodness. Sending good thoughts, but unfortunately I have no advice.

[Batmom]

Feeding: Ground beef has more calories than chicken, so that might help. There's also a nutritional supplement called Dyne. It's for dogs, comes in a tube, lots of calories in a small volume -- sort of like evaporated Ensure.

 

I'm sorry you and your pup are facing this but encouraged by his response to the meds. Hugs to you and gentle scritchies to your good boy.

[Jiffer]

Sending scritches to Freddie. We lost our Atlas to CHF (congestive heart failure) in early 2012.

 

It sucks, but I hope the Lasix helps Freddie so you have some good quality time yet. Feed him whatever he wants...that's always my rule when you've got a senior who won't eat well. We recently had an episode with one of my boys and his foods of choice were raw ground beef, turkey lunch meat, and milkbone dog treats.

 

I'd also see if Freddie will eat fish. Sardines are a food of choice to entice them to eat. It's just stinky enough, it seems.

[Charlies_Dad]

Yes we have experience in both cases unfortunately, enlarged heart/CHF and also heart tumour. Both were in our two different boys, age 8.5 and 9.5 respectively. Jack's heart was very enlarged and had CHF. He was on Vetmedin, Lasix and two other drugs but unfortunately he also ended up with a funny heart rhythm which added another drug to his protocol. He was fine for about 6mths on the drugs when we found his heart beating funny and then he unfortunately only lived another 2mths and died in my arms. We don't know what exactly ended his life but likely it was his heart. We also had a Dalmatian who had a similar issue and on the same meds and she lived another 3 years happily so you never know with heart issues. We'll think good thoughts for your boy and hope the meds kick-in and help him.

[Guest BlueCrab]

Out Leyland (non-grey) went into CHF in January. He's on pimobendin, enalopril and furosemide, plus the doctor wants him to have a fairly large daily dose of fish oil, plus 100mg 2x daily of L-Carnitine and Taurine. He was just put on the furosemide about 3 weeks ago. His kidney values went up some, so they dropped his dose a bit. His initial symptoms were a hacking cough that was misdiagnosed, so he was put on antibiotics. When he got worse over the course of a couple days and stopped eating, off we went to the vet again, where a proper diagnosis was thankfully made. But by then he was really bad so he was in an oxygen tent for a day and was kep in the emergency clinic until he stabilized.

 

The meds have helped enormously. You'd never know he's sick, as he plays with his toys and throws them around at dinner and talks to airplanes and birds like he always did. He does flag in the heat so we watch him closely and keep track of his respirations a couple times a day. I love him to bits...I know his life has been shortened by this (he's 11) but I enjoy every day with him and spoil him rotten.

 

Sorry to hear about Freddie. Hope the meds help.

[Guest kaiandsam]

I have been dealing with CHF in my Whippet Jax for three years now, he is at least 14 years old. He has an extremely enlarged heart and fluid in his lungs. He takes lasix (furosemide), enalapril, spirnolactone, and Vetmedin (Pimobendan).

 

Jax coughs a lot both because of the fluid in his lungs and because when he lays down his heart presses on his trachea and makes him cough. It sounds like a regular cough, except at the end of the coughing spate he gags like he's going to throw up. That is the fluid coming up from his lungs. He is also very skinny and doesn't have as much energy as he used to have, still he has a good quality of life, though he mostly sleeps. He is very prone to infection, and got one last September that almost took his life.

 

As for the weight loss, there isn't much you can do other than offer extra calories. We feed Jax a high protein canned food (Blue Wilderness) in small doses four times a day, so he eats an entire can a day. If given to him in larger doses, he gets sick from it. We also have kibble available to him 24/7. He can eat whenever he feels hungry, a lot or a little bit. Our vet recommended lots of protein. She also said pasta is not a great solution because the extra sugars from the carbohydrates put a strain on the liver.

 

The prognosis with CHF is not good, but Jax has managed to dodge the death bullet several times. Over three years. I fully expected him to pass over the winter, but he is still with us. We are reluctant to PTS because his quality of life is still very good. I totally credit the Pimobendan with his longevity. If you read some of the websites about it, it is supposed to be the miracle drug for CHF. The specialist vet that initially diagnosed him said he didn't like it because it has a 3% risk of cardiac death, but our regular vet put him on it after the standard medicines weren't helping with the coughing as well as she'd have liked. I was worried with the first dose, but after the inital scare it really has been a wonder drug. (It is expensive though. But your dog is totally worth it!) I would definetly ask your vet about Pimobendan!

 

I'm sorry you are having to deal with CHF, it really can be a debilitating disease for your baby. But take heart that it is not necessarily an immediate death sentence. I'm always available by PM if you need some support.

 

Kai

[Houndtime]

I started adding Fresh Pet Select to my guys kibble and both have put on weight. You can get it at least two places that I know of and I am sure there are more. Walmart and BJ's. BJ's sells it in a 4/pack. My guys get the chicken and rice.

[Guest mld]

So sorry to hear this diagnosis it good that they caught it. From personal experience, I would make sure you have regular check-ups.

[JJNg]

Sorry to hear about Freddie's diagnosis. Do you have the option of seeing a specialist (internist or cardiologist) to have an ultrasound done of his heart? That would give you a more specific diagnosis and prognosis, as well as provide more information to see if other meds would help. Unfortunately the weight loss is more likely to be due to his heart condition, and not the meds.

[Guest oakley]

So sorry for your boy, no advice or experience but both mine and my boy oakley's thoughts and best wishes are with you xx