Going Strong

[Guest saltwaterron]

riley will be 9 in august and was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) 3 years ago. she shows absolutely no signs of anything being wrong. very thankful but wondering what the future might hold. do dogs usually live for a long time with this condition

[hikinghounds]

I don't really know how long dogs usually live with cardiomyopathy, but the few dogs I've known with it had to be on medicine. I do know that greyhounds have naturally larger hearts and I've heard that sometimes a vet will misdiagnose them with cardiomyopathy. If Riley hasn't ever had any actual heart problems I wonder if it could have been misdiagnosed?

[Charlies_Dad]

If you have not recently, you may want to have her heart checked. An enlarged heart is not a concern unless it is very large or continues to enlarge. We lost our Jack six months after he was diagnosed with a large heart plus irregular heartbeat. He was on mess but unfortunately we believe a blood clot likely caused his passing.

[Guest saltwaterron]

i'm beginning to believe she was misdiagnosed. for 3 years i have waited on her to show signs of a heart problem but there have been none. her vet has me coming in every 3 or 4 months to listen to her heart and i will ask her about the lack of symptoms for the 3 last 3 years and if maybe she was mis-diagnosed.

[kudzu]

No answers to your question. Just happy to read she's doing well, whether or not it was a misdiagnosis.

[Guest saltwaterron]

No answers to your question. Just happy to read she's doing well, whether or not it was a misdiagnosis.

thanks

[Remolacha]

I think she could still be around after three years with cardiomyopathy, but I can't image her going three years with no symptoms, heart disease is always (I think) progressive. that she was misdiagnosed! Whatever the case, great that she is doing well

[Guest saltwaterron]

there are times when she will stay in her crate til late morning sometimes even after noon. there are times when she when show no interest in her food and next day eat like she's starving. there are days she doesn't want to go for a walk or doesn't want to go too far. i have never equated that with heart. we did go for a walk one day and on the way home she just stopped and sat down. that i did equate with her condition but it has only happened once. the vet did hear a slight heart murmur one time but hasn't heard it lately.

[Guest FordRacingRon]

there are times when she will stay in her crate til late morning sometimes even after noon. there are times when she when show no interest in her food and next day eat like she's starving. there are days she doesn't want to go for a walk or doesn't want to go too far. i have never equated that with heart. we did go for a walk one day and on the way home she just stopped and sat down. that i did equate with her condition but it has only happened once. the vet did hear a slight heart murmur one time but hasn't heard it lately.

Can I ask a question? The reason is, we have been treating my girl as though she has cognitive disorder but at the vet 2 days ago xrays were taken and the vet thinks she has an enlarged heart and we are seeing a specialist MOnday.

 

Although I read your paragraph, most of those traits do transfer to my girl too, but one thing you didn't list which is panting. My girl pants a lot,,a whole lot. And it only, for the most part, starts later in the day. I think panting is one sign of heart trouble but it is also a sign of a ton of other things too,,like being too hot (but not when it isn't hot!). QUESTION: Does you dog do a lot of panting and/or coughing (mine doesn't cough but that is also a sign of heart trouble)?

 

The thing you wrote aobut walking is her to a tea but she is also 11 so maybe she is just,,well, tired of walking after so many years.

Edited June 7, 2014 by FordRacingRon

[Guest saltwaterron]

Can I ask a question? The reason is, we have been treating my girl as though she has cognitive disorder but at the vet 2 days ago xrays were taken and the vet thinks she has an enlarged heart and we are seeing a specialist MOnday.

 

Although I read your paragraph, most of those traits do transfer to my girl too, but one thing you didn't list which is panting. My girl pants a lot,,a whole lot. And it only, for the most part, starts later in the day. I think panting is one sign of heart trouble but it is also a sign of a ton of other things too,,like being too hot (but not when it isn't hot!). QUESTION: Does you dog do a lot of panting and/or coughing (mine doesn't cough but that is also a sign of heart trouble)?

 

The thing you wrote aobut walking is her to a tea but she is also 11 so maybe she is just,,well, tired of walking after so many years.

yes riley pants a lot.. no coughing..she is 9 yrs... it may just be me but it seems that her tongue turns a little blue after walking..a sign of not enough oxygen..no specialists around here..just have to trust the vet..she did have an ultrasound done that revealed the problem. what brought all this on was for a couple of days before diagnosis she refused to eat and was quite lethargic..when she turned down a turkey neck.. i knew something was wrong..when we went to the vet she was shaking so much more than normal that the vet said something to the effect..this is not normal."..thus began our journey on this path

[Guest saltwaterron]

Can I ask a question? The reason is, we have been treating my girl as though she has cognitive disorder but at the vet 2 days ago xrays were taken and the vet thinks she has an enlarged heart and we are seeing a specialist MOnday.

 

Although I read your paragraph, most of those traits do transfer to my girl too, but one thing you didn't list which is panting. My girl pants a lot,,a whole lot. And it only, for the most part, starts later in the day. I think panting is one sign of heart trouble but it is also a sign of a ton of other things too,,like being too hot (but not when it isn't hot!). QUESTION: Does you dog do a lot of panting and/or coughing (mine doesn't cough but that is also a sign of heart trouble)?

 

The thing you wrote aobut walking is her to a tea but she is also 11 so maybe she is just,,well, tired of walking after so many years.

the vet did say that this condition is very unpredictable..riley could be fine today and if the heart, after over compensating, has done all it can riley could die instantly...

[Guest FordRacingRon]

yes riley pants a lot.. no coughing..she is 9 yrs... it may just be me but it seems that her tongue turns a little blue after walking..a sign of not enough oxygen..no specialists around here..just have to trust the vet..she did have an ultrasound done that revealed the problem. what brought all this on was for a couple of days before diagnosis she refused to eat and was quite lethargic..when she turned down a turkey neck.. i knew something was wrong..when we went to the vet she was shaking so much more than normal that the vet said something to the effect..this is not normal."..thus began our journey on this path

 

yes riley pants a lot.. no coughing..she is 9 yrs... it may just be me but it seems that her tongue turns a little blue after walking..a sign of not enough oxygen..no specialists around here..just have to trust the vet..she did have an ultrasound done that revealed the problem. what brought all this on was for a couple of days before diagnosis she refused to eat and was quite lethargic..when she turned down a turkey neck.. i knew something was wrong..when we went to the vet she was shaking so much more than normal that the vet said something to the effect..this is not normal."..thus began our journey on this path

Parallel dog lives. Mine doesn't cough either. I assume we are getting an US on Monday. She fights eating a lot. Sometimes she just seems so nerovus like she is not comfortable in her own skin, if that make sense. Other times you'd never know anything was wrong at all.

 

I hope all works out for your pupper and you.

[Guest saltwaterron]

 

Parallel dog lives. Mine doesn't cough either. I assume we are getting an US on Monday. She fights eating a lot. Sometimes she just seems so nerovus like she is not comfortable in her own skin, if that make sense. Other times you'd never know anything was wrong at all.

 

I hope all works out for your pupper and you.

same to you. will probably check with the vet end of this month..so glad for your response to my post. not many greyhound people in my area to talk to

[4My2Greys]

I would urge you to consider looking into giving him the ubiqinol form of CoQ10. It has been shown to not only prevent heart disease, but reverse the effects of it. Below is an excerpt from the following website.

 

http://cardiomyopathy-heart-failure.pilliewillie.nl/treatment-heart-failure/treatment.cardiomyopathy.heart.failure.2.php

 

 

Internationally, there have been at least nine placebo controlled studies on the treatment of heart disease with CoQ10:two in Japan,two in the United States, two in Italy, two in Germany, and one in Sweden. All nine of these studies have confirmed the effectiveness of CoQ10 as well as its remarkable safety. There have now been eight international symposia on the biomedical and clinical aspects of CoQ10 (from 1976 through 1993). These eight symposia comprised over 300 papers presented by approximately 200 different physicians and scientists from 18 different countries. The majority of these scientific papers were Japanese (34%), with American (26%), Italian (20%) and the remaining 20% from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Australia, Austria, France, India, Korea, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, USSR, and Finland. The majority of the clinical studies concerned the treatment of heart disease and were remarkably consistent in their conclusions: that treatment with CoQ10 significantly improved heart muscle function while producing no adverse effects or drug interactions. It should be mentioned that a slight decrease in the effectiveness of the blood thinner, coumadin, was noted in a case by a Norwegian clinician. This possible drug - CoQ10 interaction has not been observed by other investigators even when using much higher doses of CoQ10 for up to seven years and involving 25 patients treated with coumadin concomitantly with CoQ10 (this is still, as of this date, unpublished data).

 

The efficacy and safety of CoQ10 in the treatment of congestive heart failure, whether related to primary cardiomyopathies or secondary forms of heart failure, appears to be well established. The largest study to date is the Italian multicenter trial, by Baggio et al., involving 2664 patients with heart failure.

[LuvAPuppy]

I suspect, not seeing any of the test results or anything, that you have misdiagnosis. A dog with DCM has a hugely enlarged, friable heart with thin walls and little pumping power. As others mentioned it is always progressive and requires multiple medications to increase the pumping power and allow the heart to move the blood through the dog effectively since the heart is so weak. An old friend of mine had a Boxer that actually lived to be 9 or 10 with DCM and it's not her heart that took her, but a ruptured hemangiosarcoma (Boxer are prone to both diseases). Ohio State was fascinated and really studied her case intently. My best guess would be, again, not having seen the tests or being there or anything, that your hound would have immediately been placed on Vetmedin, Enalapril and Lasix immediately after diagnosis with the option of Spirolactone being the last resort addition.

 

OT - I wonder how much CoQ10 an IG can have? Mousie has total left sided heart failure. she's doing well on the above meds, but now I have to go research this addition

[Guest saltwaterron]

I suspect, not seeing any of the test results or anything, that you have misdiagnosis. A dog with DCM has a hugely enlarged, friable heart with thin walls and little pumping power. As others mentioned it is always progressive and requires multiple medications to increase the pumping power and allow the heart to move the blood through the dog effectively since the heart is so weak. An old friend of mine had a Boxer that actually lived to be 9 or 10 with DCM and it's not her heart that took her, but a ruptured hemangiosarcoma (Boxer are prone to both diseases). Ohio State was fascinated and really studied her case intently. My best guess would be, again, not having seen the tests or being there or anything, that your hound would have immediately been placed on Vetmedin, Enalapril and Lasix immediately after diagnosis with the option of Spirolactone being the last resort addition.

 

OT - I wonder how much CoQ10 an IG can have? Mousie has total left sided heart failure. she's doing well on the above meds, but now I have to go research this addition

she was put on enalapril for awhile then changed to vetmedin but has been taken off since she is doing so well..

[GeorgeofNE]

Unless your vet is aware that ALL Greyhounds have larger hearts than "regular" dogs, I suspect she is just fine.

[Guest saltwaterron]

Unless your vet is aware that ALL Greyhounds have larger hearts than "regular" dogs, I suspect she is just fine.

sounds good to me....

[Batmom]

If she had an ultrasound, that was presumably an echocardiogram read by a qualified veterinary cardiologist? If that was the case, it's hard to see how the diagnosis could be wrong.

 

A dog can live for many years with various forms of heart disease. Not always rapidly progressive.

Just an x-ray -- there are some vets who are unaware that they need to use a different standard for heart size altho at least some of the digital x-ray programs include that info.

Some basic info here: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/dcm.aspx

[Guest saltwaterron]

If she had an ultrasound, that was presumably an echocardiogram read by a qualified veterinary cardiologist? If that was the case, it's hard to see how the diagnosis could be wrong.

 

A dog can live for many years with various forms of heart disease. Not always rapidly progressive.

 

Just an x-ray -- there are some vets who are unaware that they need to use a different standard for heart size altho at least some of the digital x-ray programs include that info.

 

Some basic info here: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/dcm.aspx

her vet and the one who did the ultrasound came to the same conclusion. interestingly, i was allowed to watch the test being done and the vet explained to me what was going on. he re-affirmed that riley's vet had recognized a problem and he just confirmed it. surely if nothing was wrong he would have said so.