My dog was diagnosed with heart failure at 13 years old. Vet prescribed pimobendan and steroids which she had a horrid reaction to. I took her back and demanded another blood test, whereby it was then determined that in addition to her heart failure, she now had liver damage, which was caused by the meds. The vet basically told me good luck and that she did not have long again. After doing my own research, I took her off kibble and started cooking my own food (meat, veggies etc. With added supplements) and began adding hawthorn berry to her feeding regime as well as liv-52. Her coughs almost completely subsided within a month and her liver has improved drastically. She is now almost 17 now and shows no sings of slowing down. Point is, do your research, there are lots of beneficial, natural alternatives out there that vets do not recommend.
@@victorm6176 hi, we do not have an issue with fluid retention. I think it Is because she was diagnosed sort of early on and i immediately started her on the hawthorn. Fingers crossed she doesn't develop it anytime soon.
I wish I knew about this before. My dog was prescribed pimobenden and did fine on that for 6 months while prpgressively worsening. Then after adding the cough suppressant she declined rapidly and the vet tells me that this new medication couldn’t be the cause. I’m gonna try this. Idk how much time I have left though.
Img thats great am in the same boat the meds are not working hes coughing all day but he looks good idk its weird what kind of food and stuff helped him ill try anything at this point glad your dog is doing good what kind is it
@@michaelbarbarino1581 apart from the hawthorn berry and liv-52 capsules, I've since switched her to a balanced, raw diet. She's been doing great on that and I haven't heard her cough in months. She is a lab mix. Hope your guy feels better.
My 13 year old Chihuahua died of congestive heart failure a few hours ago, by the time we realized something was off about her she was having trouble breathing then foam came out of her nose and her tongue turned blue ish. We rushed to the vet but she died in my arms before we could get there. She lived a long time and now I'm just sitting on my chair because I would always play with her but I can't anymore. It feels so much different without her, she came a long way from an aggressive dog to a loving sweet heart.
I'm saddened to hear this. Breaks my heart. My Yorkie was diagnosed with CHF today. I'm just reading comments to see how everyone else's experience is. I'm sincerely sorry about your fur baby!
Im so sorry you had to go through this, it’s never easy….I’m laying in bed with our chihuahua, she’s leaving this world its 3:18 am I know she isn’t going to make it through the night, I don’t even have my rent money, the vet wanted $300 to put her down, I was going to take her to a clinic or the animal shelter but of course it’s the weekend holiday, everyone’s closed in my small town…she’s suffering, I hate myself for being financially unstable 😢
@@DjKayD I’m so sorry you have to feel this pain too… I know animals are here to teach us to live in the moment… please keep your heart and home open for another fur baby to love 🙏🪽
Wow, my yorkie has had worsening symptoms for years and progressed exactly how you explained it; vet just gave her an all clear, she passed 3 weeks later - nobody seems to do their job these days, just collect payment - Thank You, my mind is at ease knowing more than likely why she expired. Heart broken but educated in Florida
Our 13 year old Maltese had a heart murmur for a couple years, and just recently developed a cough that was misdiagnosed as Kennel Cough by the vet. About a month later the little guy passed away overnight, leaving us wondering why he down-spiralled so quickly. This video was extremely helpful in helping us understand better what happened to him.
Hey Sammy. I am really sorry to hear about your loss. Coughing unfortunately has so many different possible causes, and Kennel cough is the most common cause, so it is not always easy to pinpoint the correct cause directly from the get go, hence why we usually start with the most probably and then work our way up. I am glad this video made it a bit easier to understand what your pet went through. My sincere condolences to you and your family for your loss.
@@DogtorPete they should have taken a chest X-ray, that’s how they saw the enlarged heart and fluid in the chest, I’m sorry for your loss, we are playing it day by day, minute, by minute.
Same with my little guy except I diagnosed him with kennel cough because I had him groomed at a pet store. I killed him waiting for kennel cough to heal.
@@DogtorPete a chest xray and full blood workup and a ProBNP to start would have been the first thing ANY vet should do. NO VET should brush it off as kennel cough. Your excuse is not acceptable.
My dachshund has CHF. His heart is massive. It’s. 5/6 on a scale. Had his EKG & bloodwork and X-rays done today at the vet & was put on a medicine until we get his results from the cardiologist, he’ll be 16 yrs old this December, he’s lived such a grand life, so when he does cross the rainbow bridge I’ll know he had a full & wondrous life.
I have a 15-year-old female miniature dachshund and I’m worried she might have congestive heart failure. What were the tall tail signs that you saw at home before taking them to the vet?
@@Jody-LeeMcClelland loosing interest so stopped doing thing's they liked like casing a ball etc. Breth goes bad 🦨👃breathing becomes short. They wonder around aimlessly and staring at a wall.
Ive just lost my beloved chiwawa to heart disease,😢he was 10yrs old,i could have saved him with a heart operation IF i had 900 pound.i didnt have that kinda money so he had to pay with his life.yes we all love our animals,but that shouldnt be a reason the vets can charge us these ridiculous prices 😢😢😢
I have a 14 year old dog diagnosed with CHF, she's on Pimobendan and Furosemide. It's now two months after diagnosis. I think we don't have much time left. Keep strong everyone.
My pup turned 14 years old today. He was diagnosed with CHF last September, after being diagnosed with Mitral Heart Valve disease 4 years ago. He's also on same meds as yours, plus Cardalis. 3 times a day. I can see his end coming his way slowly but surely. It's devastating. Sending good spirits your way.
My baby was diagnosed at 8.5 yrs with Mitral Valve disease and put on pimobendan and sildenafil. They later added furosemide and enalapril. He lived till 12 yrs old and passed a month ago 😢
My dog just turned 15. She started coughing a month ago. I just got her to the vet today. She developed a heart murmur I was told. I’ve been trying to control her cough with organic honey and bone broth. She’s 22 lbs , but they say she should be about 20 lbs. I’m sick about this. She goes back tomorrow morning for further testing😢, vet said she could be treated with diet and medication, I have a wellness plan , it doesn’t cover this kinda of thing. I owe my baby my life and will do everything I can for her. Thanks for the great video ❤
The exact same thing happened with my 17 year old Cairn Terrier. Towards the end of last year, he started to have coughing fits. I took him to the vet and they diagnosed him with a heart murmur. He's on several medications which is actually helping. He no longer coughs and the heart murmur is now down to about a 4.5/6, they said.
@@oescamillaThey put him on Vetmedin which did help with the coughing, but I'm not sure how long it really extended his life. He passed shortly after I made the above comment. :(. I now have a ton of videos in tribute to him on my channel...
My dog has always been one to eat grass and vomit. She's had some issues with weight as a middle aged dog. But lost some as well. She's always been active and playful. I have noticed Suttle changes but just thought it was due to her getting old. She's had coughs and such as a puppy. Usually associated with allergies. Two days ago however I noticed she was slower than usual didn't seem very excited. Then a couple hours later found her laying in the floor and had peed on herself. And laid in it. I let the other two dogs go outside while I talked to her got her to slowly stand up. Then carried her to get a quick bath. And wrapped her up to keep her warm . And cuddle her. She was breathing different than normal. So I took her to the vet. She had fluid in her lungs and enlarged heart. They did tests and said she's in heart failure . They kept her over night. She's doing much better today. She's now on 3 meds. Furosemide, benazepril, and pimobendan. She's almost 8 year old dachshund mix . Trying to learn everything I can to help her have the best life and as healthy and happy as possible for as long as she can.
My 17 yr old dog has CHF. She pants at night but only coughs when facing down hill. She refuses to take her furosimide (sp) without biting me and hiding it in her food makes her refuse to eat it. Also, if she takes her meds, she pees all over the house. She also has dementia. In a way it's unfortunate almost that she seems to really still enjoy life during the day so I hesitate putting her down. I just wanted to say it to someone. It's such a hard thing. I love her so.
@@oneANGRYelf be patient and give the med With syringe droper on the food just find the way to do so disolve the tablest on very little water and use the droper and give it into the mouth.
Hi Mimi, I’m sorry to hear this. My dog is 17 years old and she also has dementia, she eats well and takes her medication, but she still has trouble breathing and sometimes she faints 😢 but I also refuse to put her down, even though she is not getting any better.
@@cindyalcala8412 Thank you for sharing with me. I put my little sweetie down in April and although I am aching for her, she is not suffering any more. I realized that my desire to keep her was not a kindness to her. It was my own selfishness. My heart is almost open to adopting an old lady again. I hope you find peace in letting go.
My seventh-month old girl Bean was just diagnosed with heart disease through a blood test a couple hours ago. We rescued her and her brother as little puppies from the streets of Beijing. Our boy is super active and loves to run around; however, our little girl doesn't like to walk and gets tired more quickly. Bean was always the weakest and most anxious in the litter of four (the other two were adopted out). We're still living in China, and unfortunately, don't have access to advanced veterinary care. I don't even know what kind of heart disease she has. Our vet said it must be congenital since she's so young. The doctor gave us some medicine. I'm glad we discovered this now and just hope she can live a long life.
Thank you very much for this Free info. My veterinarian has never exray or anything. Im going somewhere else. He did prescribe vetmedin, enalapril, and salix, and told me to play with it til i get it right. That is why i found you i didn't have a clue. THANK YOU!! MAY GOD MAKE YOU TO PROSPER. YOU ARE AWESOME!❤❤❤❤
Any rare chances can happen to a puppy as well and can't do nothing about. My 6 week puppy died last night on my mom arms. We named him max and he was screaming in pain slowly because he knows he's gonna pass away from feeling the pain. He saw his last mother and brother one last time and right after he died... 😭 . I hate this enlarged heart cardiomyopathy problems! Rest in peace angel. You're up there and not suffering the pain no more.
My buddy is ill. He's a little old, 12 years old now almost 13, he's been in the family since I was in junior high school.... He has been restless for a few months now and has had breathing problems and what seemed to be a brief collapse. I took him to the vet for a routine checkup and he confirmed a strong heart murmur, as well as possible entherite or colon cancer... He said that the main problem is the second that the heart can wait and scheduled an x-ray and ecg for next month...but for the agitation I forgot to tell him about the episode in which he had a fainting spell... I read that dogs affected by CHF (congestive heart failure) have very low life expectancy max 6 months 1 year ... Besides the possible tumor... I'm very afraid of losing him, it's funny that at the beginning I hated him, I didn't want him, then he broke into my heart, with those beady eyes and the big nose, so cheerful and hyperactive, he jumped around like a kangaroo, he did so many pranks when he was young... I'm almost addicted to him, he's the only real friend, a part of my soul... I regret having neglected him several years ago, too busy with teenage dramas. How do you handle loss? I'm not capable, I hate even more the fact that in time I will forget him... as if he never existed. The house will be so cold and empty...and I'll get used to it like nothing happened.
Trust me. You’ll never get used to it. To love is to lose and the love we lose haunts us forever in some weird way. Even if you do find a new normal (which is what you must do in order to survive). I know that even though time will make it seem different, the part in my heart that is my dogs will always be Hers even if it feels differently over time. I’m so sorry for your situation.
I have a Boston Terrier who was diagnosed with a heart murmur when he was 6 years old. I took him to a cardiologist right away and was prescribed Vetmedin right away and has been on it ever since. He just turned 15 and his heart has only progressed slightly.
I’ve got a 12 year old mini schnauzer mix that is in the final stages of CHF. In the US at least regular vets seem to know nothing about the details of treatment and referred me to a canine cardiologist ($$$$). I’ve been treating my dog for a year under their guidance but she’s finally succumbing to the disease. Anyway, if you can afford it, take your dog to a specialist for this issue. It’s so sad that veterinary practice has turned into a big money making racket than reasonable care for animals here in the US.
My 12 year old pomchie had been diagnosed with severe, advanced heart failure. She apparently must’ve had it for about a year. I hate myself for dismissing all the symptoms. I thought she was just coughing because of allergies, and that she was just getting “fat”(swollen belly) because she ate too much (she was such a glutton.) We took her to the vet after she had suddenly gotten a very hard, swollen belly, pooped and peed on herself, a non-stop cough, and she wouldn’t stand on her own. We were told the best thing for her was to put her to rest. We had her put down on March 2, 2023, 2:50 AM. I miss her. I never realized how empty it would feel without her. I wish I had spent more time with her before we had her put to sleep, but I was too filled with grief to give her the love that she deserved before and during her final hours. We buried her. I wish I had noticed the symptoms and started treating her as soon as was possible.
I’m so sorry. This made me cry. 😢! We never feel like we’re doing enough! I’m trying my best. I waited 2 months to take my baby to the vet. I tried my own medicine, honey and bone broth. ! My Sophie ❤ I want her to live forever! I hate that things just come on to them. 😢😢
My 14-yr-old chihuahua/jack russell started coughing last Oct/Nov. I took him to the vet because I thought he had heartworm. Diagnosis was congestive heart failure. The vet said his heart sounded like a washing machine. He gave me a couple of medicines, and I went back the next week. Saw the doctor I had seen off and on over the last 21 years for our pets. He said he thought treatment was worth it for my dog, though his condition was advanced. I took Scooter back every couple weeks as the doctor checked him and tweeked his meds. It's now June 1. He has "died" (He passes out more often now) in the last 3 weeks. He even defecates and urinates during these episodes. I've cried and said good-bye three of those times. But then he gets back up after about 5 minutes and within 15 minutes, he's happy and acting totally normal. Today, my husband and I were really watching his breathing while he was lying down. His mouth was not open, but his chest made it look like he was working hard to breathe. He takes 4 medicines twice a day, including the Pimobendan and Enalapril you mentioned. I don't know what to do because we have an out of town wedding this weekend, and we need to board him and his "brother" (13-yr-old chihuahua/poodle). Our boarder said she would give him his meds. I just hate to leave him! :-( and I can't take him to the hotel, etc. He is very familiar, at least, with our boarder...
Ah I'm sorry to hear about your doggo. Heart failure can become difficult to control when it becomes advanced and I can imagine how hard it must be for you guys to go through these episodes where the doggo seems like he passed away. But it sounds like you and your vet is doing an excellent job in supporting him with the appropriate medication. Best of luck! I really hope that you manage to still get to spend lots of good quality time with your pet. :)
@@Marigold976 he passed away while we were out of town. The lady who cared for our dogs when we had to go out of town was devastated because it happened when she had him. I felt horrible and we miss him. Thank you for asking! ❤️
Thank you so much for the video. Now I understand CHF so much more. This is the best video I have found to help me understand what my dog is going through and if I am doing all I can for her.
Thank you for watching Carol. It does help a lot when we understand what our pets are going through in order to know how we can help them. Best of luck with your doggo! :)
We have a chi-wiener (dachshund mix) who just turned 15. He does not reflect his age and most vets are surprised of his active personality. He was diagnosed with a collapsed trachea and heart murmur about 18 mos ago during During a physical. Maybe 8 months ago, he occasionally started coughing/hacking and trying to cough something up. This weekend had 1st CHF episode.responded well to O2 chamber but ER admitted to over-dosing the lasix. Moved to cardio/kidney hospital with acute kidney damage. 4 days in trying to balance kidney hydration & avoid fluid in heart. Looking for additional QT at home before the inevitable. Son completes service and home in two weeks. Make everyday count bc life happens fast.
Thanks for the tip. I just got back from the vet today and the vet told me it could be my dog‘s congestive heart failure because she has a heart murmur and and instead of listening to the vet I told her it was her trachea but now watching your video I truly believe it’s heart congestive failure she has I want to thank you so much for sharing this video! It has open my eyes to other things. She’s right now very uncomfortable I don’t know how to help her the vet sent her home with antibiotics for her throat bc of me😔🥴🥴
I'm in so much pain right now my Chihuahua of 10 yrs passed away from this terrible disease this morning my heart is broken💔😭💔💔💔💔😭😭 the pain is indescribable He passed away having us next to him at all times telling him we love him ,so I tell you this as soon as your baby gets diagnose love them extra spend extra time with them kiss them extra.Take alot of pictures I see him someday again happy and disease free 💔
I’m really sorry for you loss, I’m crying reading this, my chihuahua is 17 years old and not doing well, she needs us for everything, but I refuse to put her down.
I am so so sorry for your loss. I am crying as I just experienced this a couple of weeks ago with my dog. My heart is broken. I am absolutely devastated…
Hello Doctor. Thank you for the amazing information regarding Congestive Heart Failure in Dog. You are a great veterinary and an awesome human being. God Bless you
Holly, my King Charles Cavalier is currently experiencing this. She was doagnosed about 4 months ago because i noticed a cough. She was put on furosemide and Enalapril. She has a heart murmur and has a bulging belly that has gotten worse. I think her meds may need adjusted. I am taking her back to the vet tomorrow because she's worrying me. Occasionally I find coughed up phlegm. She is my best friend and i can't bear the thought of losing her. This video was very thorough and informative and reinforced my need to take her back to the vet asap. Thank you for the video!
I have a Jack Russell that I literally rescued from an abusive owner. She was 4 when I picked her up. She started that honking sound and my Vet took X-rays twice in 4 months. It progressed to an enlarged heart with pressure on her trachea. She mostly pants now but they’re high energy dogs so it’s hard trying to keep her calm. It’s been a little over a year since she was diagnosed. She’s costing me a fortune but like most of us, they’re worth it. I haven’t taken her to a cardiologist because of the cost. So she’s comfortable on medications and doing the best we can. Thanks for this information 💓 My Vet said she listened really well and no murmur
In September 2014, I adopted an 8 year old shih tzu with a stage 4 heart murmer/CHF who had been surrendered by her prior owner to be euthanized. Amy Elisabeth was an angel and her heart condition was effectively managed with medication and diet. Amy passed away in December 2017 from cancer, not CHF. In January 2018, I adopted 3 year old shih tzu Oscar from a rescue organization. He had severe heartworms and other health issues. It took 2 years to get those conditions resolved before Oscar was neutered. When Oscar began exhibiting the same symptoms Amy had, I diagnosed he had a heart problem and immediately took him to the vet who confirmed my diagnosis. lol. I'm confident my vet and veterinary cardiologist will figure out the right medications and diet so that Oscar can have a long happy life. CHF is managable.
This comment helps me stay positive. Thank you! My 7 year old chihuahua mix recently diagnosed with CHF. We're super stress and depress. Vet recommend low sodium diet and avoid grain free but we just unsure what food would be good. Appreciate any advice/suggestions that you may have.
I have an 11 year old Shih-Tzu (Dexter) he had Kennel Cough last year which put additional stress on his Heart. He was born with a slight heart murmur which has now turned to Heart Disease after all the coughing. He coughs now pretty much all the time and gets the odd hours rest here and there. He’s on vetmedin, Cardalis & furosemide. I also give him CBD Oil for dogs and a couple of other natural remedies. I’m going to try Hawthorne, if anyone has recommendations? He’s not really interested in food now, apart from sausages 😅😢which would normally only be a treat. My heart goes out to everyone in these comments, it’s so sad to see a loved one like this ❤️
Hi, I enjoyed you video a lot. It’s very educational. I have 7 months old Tibetan terrier with heart problems. I noticed him coughing around 5 months and brought him to the vet. Unfortunately in my small country there isn’t cardiologist, so the only tool to diagnose him was via x-ray. The heart is enlarged. He was prescribed with antibiotics( just in case) even though the lungs were clear and the white blood cells were in the normal range. After 10 days his coughing didn’t improve, but worsened and I noticed cyanosis of the gums and tongue. He was prescribed Vetmedin, Furosemide, and supplements( taurine, carnitine and q10, b complex) and special cardiac food. Now after 2weeks of this therapy, his situation is even worse. The coughing fits are more often and are triggered by emotional or physical stress. His ability to exercise( walk around the block) is low. He can’t play with other dogs because he is getting tired. And he is still just a puppy. Now I’m trying to find a way to take him abroad for proper diagnostic, but the Covid19 situation is not helping. My question is why the Vetmedin is not helping. Do you think that maybe there i defect in the septum, or maybe stenosis of the aorta? I know that the answer lies in proper ultrasound. I don’t know what to do right now to help him, until I can bring him abroad. Thank you!
I just lost my 5 year dog, he had an heart attack all of a sudden, there were no signs , just once i found him breathing differently and then he was fine didn't see him ever again breathing differently, he was barking his lungs out on someone when it happened and he was fine within 2-3 mins , he was healthy af always active never showed any alarming signs , he was a rescue dog, he was reactive and very sensitive emotionally, he was always so loving and friendly and a handsome boy 💔
I think some dogs are more prone to things as they stress more and are more sensitive. It's hard to know whats going on inside a dogs body, i know before my 9y chi's breathing issue, he was absolutely in perfect health, looked about 2 with soft puppy like hair. Still was as lively as he ever was so it was all very sudden.
As soon as your dog is diagnosed with chf make sure they get no more snacks or even small table scraps and most of all no sodium. My dog swelled up like a balloon. 100% bland diet chicken and rice and meds from vet got rid of the fluid asap. It has been trial-and-error I hate it. And what happened to the days of going to the vet and spending under a $100 Every visit now is $800-$1000 dollars no matter what vet you go to
Thanks Doc Pete, extremely valuable. Both our little guys (Toy Poodle/Shitzu/Yorkshire Terrier) have been unfortunately been detected with CHF. The female sibling was diagnosed 15 months ago with LHF and since then has been on a prescription of Vetmedin and Enalapril. She responded well and has been doing well. Her brother unfortunately had to be hospitalized last week with a similar issue. This despite regular echocardiograms and one as recently as one month ago. He had a heart murmur of 3/6 and at that point medication was not recommended. He has responded to a prescription of vetmedin, lasix and enalapril and we are trying to stay positive. Both are very active despite their advanced age (17+ years). We have them on a low protein senior diet but it is getting harder to get them to eat, despite several toppers etc. They will eat if I cook them some beef mince and stew it with carrots, beans and broccoli. I also add some water and flour to bind the food. No salt. Is this a safe and sufficient diet? Is it too high in proteins? Do they need some Sodium? What would be considered the best diet for them? Many thanks
My 11 yo chi mix had a level 3 heart murmur which the vet said was common and we can keep an eye on. Last Sunday night she started coughing and wheezing. I made an appointment online for the next morning, but didn’t take her to the ER. She settled down when it was time for bed, her wheezing seemed to subside. She passed away in the snuggled up next to me. A few years ago another dog I had had similar symptoms which is how I knew, only the coughing and wheezing were much more severe. I took her to an ER, where they put her into a respiratory tent and she passed away the same day. I wasn’t there with her and the bill was close to 5K for just a few hours of treatment. I have been struggling with guilt for not taking my dog to ER, but when I took my other dog to ER I also felt guilty for how she died. But at least my dog who died at home got to be comfortable at home when she passed.
The vets can't really do alot when they are that far gone tbh. I think the vets should be more proactive when doing checkups and inform owners alot earlier of the symptoms so it can be treated earlier before the damage to the heart is done and then they just sell you a load of pills.
@@DjKayD yeah I’m going to be more pushy at the vet in the future, if they say there are symptoms I’m going to insist in discussing treatment options earlier.
My 11 yr old morkie born 8/22/11, died Tuesday, 11/8/22 began with heart murmur, progressed to left sided mitral valve. Started pimobendan, Fainting began memorial day, started furosemide, then enalapril. I monitored his respirations with the app called Cardalis. Slowly he coughed more, then cried out before daily faints. Vet added spironolactone, to wean down furosemide. He died that night. After he had supper, he refused his pm meds and died at 11pm. I'm heartbroken.
Do you suppose it was possibly from stopping the furosemide OR adding the spironolactone ? Or do you suppose it was just your doggies time? I’m hesitant whether I want to give my dog furosemide
Great video and thank you for the indepth analysis. Our 11 year old maltese was recently diagnosed with a heart murmur and prescribed Vetmedin. He was seen by a Cardiologist that prescribed this treatment. The first few months he seemed perfectly fine. Earlier this week he suddenly became extremely lethargic. We rushed back to the Vet who took an x-Ray and said that he's starting to show some fluid in his chest. They prescribed medicine to help with the fluid and naseau medicine. We worried sick and hope that we caught this early enough to help him!
My sweet baby Bentley was diagnosed in 2019 with mitral valve disease and placed on pimobendan and sildenafil . Eventually they put him on enalapril and spironalactone also. He went in and out of CHF… I Doubled up on his furosemide when I heard the gurgling in his breathing . That would get him out of CHF but eventually the meds couldn’t contain the disease I took him to ER for oxygen Chamber and IV of furosemide and got call at 3am that my best friend had gone into cardiac arrest😭 The saddest drive I ever made 3:14am. He made it to 12 yrs old in Nov 23…passed Jan 5,2024
My 10 year old Belgian Malinios a retired working dog was diagnosed this afternoon with CHF today which her heart is failing mines is breaking thank you so much for taking the time to make such an informative video.
Hey Christian. I'm so sorry to hear that! I hope your vet is able to buy a lot of precious time with appropriate heart medication! Best of luck for you and your doggo!
My 13 yo Cocker Spaniel was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure after a trip to the emergency room after briefly passing out. The care was exactly as the Dr. explains in this video including the hospital stay, tests and eventually the same three medications. The only difference is her Cardiologist also prescribed different food for her condition, believing that it may have been partly due to a grain-free diet, which apparently research indicates may be a cause. Currently, six months later she is healthy and acdting like a 4 year old again, so please be aware of the signs and symptoms (my dog was having difficulty breathing and was caughing) and visit your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Just 3 days back my pet was taken to vet n found that she has CHF she finds very difficult to breath n very inactive but as you said they removed fluid from her abdomen by injecting and she is in medication she is 8 now hopefully waiting for her recovery And the best thing is that I thank you so much for sharing the very very useful knowledge about CHF in dogs after watching so many videos finally found one best n informative video thank you for sharing
My chihuahua is very healthy-looking at about age 12. You've been suffering with diagnosed CHF for about two years. He's on cardalis and furosemide. I'm just learning about natural supplements. He's coughing an awful lot.
I believe good oral health is the key to prevent heart disease, and other chronic disease. Take care of your dog’s teeth. Have infected teeth extracted. This goes for people,too.
My dog is a 17 pound chihuahua Jack Russell mix. He’s 11 years old. He gets daily 1 mile walks and eats and drinks like normal. He has an enlarged heart with a heart murmur. He started coughing a year ago. He’s currently on: Lasix, Vetmedin and Analapril. He has flare ups of coughing but also gets his coughs triggered if he growls, or gets too excited. I’m not sure what to do at this point.
My 11yr old rat terrier/beagle mix, Sadie, was diagnosed with CHF years ago but never showed any symptoms other than the heart murmur. She was being monitored every 6 months by vet. No changes in heart size and no fluid buildup. Just this weekend, she started with rapid breaths and coughing. Went to ER and she had a little fluid in her lungs but not the worst they’ve seen. She stayed on oxygen and had some lasix for an hour or two and was discharged. The minute we got home her breathing was worse than before the first time we brought her. She was solely focused on breathing and holding her head up. She wouldn’t take a treat and her jaw was clenched tight. Went back to ER where they kept her 2 nights on O2 and lasix. First night she was still rapidly breathing but improving. I should hear something today. They did start her on all the meds for her heart, but I’m concerned the minute I get her back home today, she will have breathing problems again and I can’t keep driving an hour and paying up to $2500 for overnight stays. The hardest question I ever had to ask is when is it time to put your dog to rest for CHF?
Hey Menefreghista. I am sorry to hear about your pet baby. CHF is a very tough disease to deal with, especially since the onset of symptoms can be rapid and severe as what you just described. And I agree, intensive hospitalization is very expensive especially if the doggo needs oxygen supplementation. It is a very tough question to answer. CHF can be relatively well managed on the proper heart meds (Enalapril, Furosemide and Vetmedin), so I'd say that if the doggo is already on the best treatment (which it sounds like she is), and she is not showing a well enough improvement to maintain a good quality life, and if she reaches a point where being alive is only adding to her suffering, then it might be a good time to consider euthanasia. This is a very difficult decision to make, and seeing that I don't know your doggo I can't really give you an answer. But I always say that a pet owner knows their pet, and if the pet is not what he/she used to be and you know you've tried everything you possibly can, and they had a long good quality of life, then it might be justified to let them go. I would advise you to sit down with your vet to make this call, as he/she should be able to give you a prognosis so that you can make an informed decision. Best of luck! You are a great pet parent! Thank you for taking care of your doggo so well! :)
@@DogtorPete Thanks for the reply Dr Pete. It’s been a few weeks now and so far she seems to be doing fairly well. She seems to breathe fast from time to time but for the most part, she’s still eating, being her normal self, and still gets excited when keywords are spoken or when people come visit. Cardiologist prescribed 2 more meds and increased her lasix slightly at night. I just hope we can continue this path and not have any more emergencies. I know eventually meds won’t work anymore, but as long as she’s not suffering, then I’m not either. Appreciate all your info.
...dudley, newfie/lab cross - 57kg, has been diagnosed with CHF very recently, i realised something was wrong when he starting snoring having never snored in his life - he's 9 and half - he had been what i would call 'clearing his throat' for a while on and off...the day after he started snoring i took him to the vet who diagnosed CHF and he now has heart pills for life - vetmedin - and is now stable, altho' a couple of days after he started the pills i thought he had blocked kidneys due to his hunched back and basic inablility to pass fecal matter...turned out he had some kind of gastric reaction to the vetmedin, so after treatment all went back to 'normal'...he regulates his walking time himself...i am feeding him a diet consisting of regular kibble and a lot of veg and fruit...he seems to be doing ok but we are now experiencing higher temperatures so walking is restricted to very early a.m and late evening...it's very obvious that his lifestyle has changed, he is actually acting his age now...your video (and my excellent vet) gives me hope for a good few months/years with my mate dudley...thanks...
I'm going through this right now with my pom Bentley. I took him in to the vet just a few days ago. He has this hacking/cough that started up and it sounded like there was something in his throat. Well I had zero clue, thought maybe he had a cold or something. I was NOT prepared for them to tell me he is in heart failure, borderline congestive heart failure with an enlarged heart and kidney disease. They told me he only has 6 months to live, maybe a year!!! I'm just....in shock I think.... my sweet baby boy is only 6 years old.
oh i am so sorry. MY 13 year old chihuaha has a similar sounding cough and i am un able ( cant afford it cause im on disability) to take to the vet. But I will ask my Aunt if she can help me pay for a vet visit...His breathing is not great some days, i am worried it is a heart murmer like your dog. So sorry he is only 6 years old
My dog was diagnosed at 11 years with mitral valve disease, she is on a rather low daily dose of pimobendan and cardalis since then and has shown no significant progression in 3 years, not in CHF yet so fingers crossed she has a few more years! However she also has a collapsing trachea due to a spine deformity so she's always coughing a little, which makes it hard to tell when her condition worsens
My 11 years doberman has DCM and I was about to take it to Europe by airplane since I am gonna move to Sweden where I got married, I am from Mexico and returned to pick him .I would NEVER abandon him, give him away or put him to sleep. Do we have any chances that he could survive the 11 hours direct flight travel? The airline company,Lufthansa, says that it has everything under control in that area where large dogs travel: pressurization,temperature , oxygen and other essential things for them to be well and I only can think that there's no way that he could resist even when in daily life he is very active and seems to be in good shape. Thank you.
Thanks for asking this question as we had two dogs here in Bahrain and we will retire in Philippines in 3 years time. One of the dogs is in vets right now with pulmonary edema and we are waiting on word if he will survive. I could not have him put down and leave him but neither would wish to let him perish on a plane journey. Before this heart edema, we have always been worried about the 10 hour flight in any case.
My 5 years old dog has been diagnosed with ventricular hyperthrophy yesterday. He had a seizure a few days ago and the vet suggested we keep him under observation and bring him for a heart scan. That's how we found out. I cannot find much information about this online. Could you please help me? I love my baby to pieces, I still can't process what happened. He has no other symptoms.
My 10 year old chiweenie was just diagnosed with chf , he has started on 3 meds , lasix, pimobenden and another I don't remember the name of at the moment. He was coughing terribly, sometimes for several hours at a time, at first they thought kennel cough because it was going around here, but then he had a swollen belly and xray showed enlarged heart. He also has the crackling sound in his lungs. He goes back in 2 weeks for anoth e check up, hoping to get him better. He has a previous history of trauma and is a survivor of toxic epidermal necrosis, so he is a fighter.
Superb quality of video. Excellent. Our 12 year old Schnauzer has a very very large heart, unproductive coughs, and slight swelling of the abdomen, he may not be reacting to his medications as efficiently as we would like. He is depressed it seems and by the end of the year (if he makes it) we are preparing to give him a dignified end of life.
Hey dok! My 13j oue jack Russell wys vroeë simptome, dik pens gou moeg , slymrige hoesie, vlgns Jou inligting kan dit regterkant klep wees, tyd laat Sal moet sekermaak. Darem amazing dok hier in richardsbaai, Dankie vir die informatiewe video.👍
Just happen today my zhitshu, stay in hospital for 6days. Lately his ok but cannot see clearly. Diagnose with heart failure and kidney failure. The doc said 4months is the longest time. But today he cough to much blood and cause him die. Quikly the heartbeat stop. Thanks for sharing, i wish i learn this early.
Hey. I am so sorry to hear about your loss. You did everything you can to help him, thank you for that! Kidney and Heart failure is unfortunately a deadly combo. Best of luck to you and your family!
My maltipoo is 15 and has grade 5 heart murmur. He is currently on vetmedin and it has been working for the past year now but these past couple of days I’ve noticed he has been coughing more often and seems like he has difficulty breathing. His coughing is more noticeable and it makes me concerned. I’m sure it isn’t comfortable not being able to breathe normally. I want to take him to an emergency vet clinic rather than the vet I usually take him to. I know a pet emergency clinic is more expensive than a regular vet but they don’t have the tools that an emergency clinic has and I want my questions answered now. I most definitely will take him to the pet emergency clinic for an exam and an x-ray to determine what my decision will be when it’s closer to his time. He still has energy. He can run, bark, eats plenty, play and jump. His heart just gets tired. I don’t have him jumping around too much or his heart will work too hard and he’ll get a seizure. I don’t want to put him to sleep if he still can walk and run perfectly fine. That seems wrong to do. Would you pull the plug on your grandmother who still walks around and can feed herself but she has a terrible cough and takes multiple medications? I’m aware humans and dogs are completely different. I just cant bring myself to let my dog go if he still shows that he is capable to walk towards me on his own and wag his tail when I come home from work.
Hello and thank you for sharing this informative video. My chihuahua is a month shy of turning 14 yrs and within that last year has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure left valve. It’s seems as her condition has rapidly digressed and medication is supporting her. Every so often she has a small episode where she loses her strength and appetite followed by increase in respiratory rate. I have been able to administer furosemide injection when this occurs but unable to get her to eat anything so she results in not having her other two medications Pimobendan & Spironolactone. I end up bringing her in for emergency care. I would really appreciate if you could share any further recommendations for this type of condition. 🙏🏽
My dog wasn’t eating either. I decided to try beef heart…nutrient dense and full of amino acids. It worked. I made it in a pressure cooker with extra water to also put on her dry kibble to soften and she is now willing to eat that as well. Might be worth a try until appetite returns.
Hello Doctor I would appreciate your help. My dog was dx with MVD stage B2 in August with severe MV regurgitation. He has no fluid around his heart as of yet. He's almost 13.. an Italian greyhound. On Vetmedin BID and Benazepril QD. At times he coughs and gags..had 2 episodes of syncope approx 1.5 months ago. Something terrible happened the other night. Work up 4am to Emilio screeching twice.. when I turned on the light.. his head was cocked back, he was limp, unresponsive and not breathing. No respirations! I did not check his pulse..as I was in extreme panic. My boyfriend grabbed his legs and lifted them off the ground for for approx 30 seconds..as I thought it could be a syncope.. he was still unresponsive..limp I began attempting CPR.. I am an RN and had no idea what I was doing on Emilio. I was frantic!! My partner was shaking his body, rubbing him, we did everything. After aprox 2 min..his eyes opened.. Remained lethargic for several minutes.. until he came to his senses.. I brought him to the vet the next morning. EKG was normal, BP was good, Heart ultrasound was ok..no fluid around the heart but she said in 6 months since his last ultrasound, the left side of his heart is slightly more enlarged.. Please help me to understand what happened to Emilio that night.. the vet does not know if it was cardiac arrest, syncope, electrical component malfunctioning, neurological /heart related. I am devastated and cannot bear to see that again. It was horrible. If I hadn't awoken to his screams, would he have died? Could it be the medication? She said its not the medication.. did we do the right thing lifting him off the ground, the CPR?? Can you please help me?😭
Although rare, vetmedin can cause sudden death in dogs. Make sure he is getting the correct dosage of this for his weight, especially if he has lost weight from the heart disease because too much can increase those odds. Also make sure you are not feeding him a grain free diet as that has been linked to heart disease in dogs due to lack of taurine. Or you can supplement taurine if changing his diet isn't an option. I feed my dog fresh lightly browned ground beef and give him the naturevet cardiovascular supplement so he gets more taurine ever since he was diagnosed with left atrial enlargement. He seems to be holding up ok. I hope for the best for your pup.
I got an older stray chihuahua. Vet said he was pretty good. Although he gets winded & wheezy after bathroom breaks outside in winter time. Some dog admirer told me he sounded like a friends (older) dog who was diagnosed with CHF. We have used doggy cough syrup & an albuterol inhaler. With relief noted. At an advanced age of 9 yrs + is it worth treatment costs??
Hey Sra. If you have the financial means, then taking the dog to a cardiologist will be best as they will have access to better diagnostic equipment, such as an echocardiogram and electrocardiogram, that can help diagnose your doggo's condition more accurately and therefore determine a better treatment protocol.
@@DogtorPete thanks Doc, your video is the first one that actually breaks it down in a way normal people like can understand and take charge the medical care of my pet. I lost my 21 year old but I still have a 14 year old . Thanks again for making this videos for the general public .
I stumbled across your video while trying to educate myself on CHF since I received very vague explanations from my primary vet. Thank you for breaking this down in a way that's so easy to understand. My little one was diagnosed in August, stage B-2. Cardiologist in my area is scarce and nothing available until November. In the meantime, she was prescribed Vetmedin aka pimobendan. I've noticed she's coughing more often and wheezing quite a bit. Any suggestions until she can see the cardiologist? Thank you again for the great content.
Thank you for watching. I am glad the video helped a bit. :) Vetmedin is a really good drug to both help the heart having stronger contractions and to relax the peripheral blood vessels to lower the blood pressure. If the dog starts coughing, it could be an indication that there is fluid build up in the lungs which can be treated with Furosemide or Spironolactone. I would suggest taking him back to your primary vet to listen to the lungs and see if he/she can maybe prescribe additional meds until you can get to the cardiologist.
I took my dog to his vet 1 year ago, I knew something was wrong. She said he was fine so I found another vet, & he said my dog was fine. I KNOW he was not fine. He quit breathing fri night, I did cpr while we were rushed to hospital, vet there said his heart couldn't take it anymore & she did all she could do, she said just by looking at him that she knew he had CHF.
Ihello everyone I have my malted beautiful babe 10 years old just took him to the vet 2 days ago, he was coughing pretty ugly and he told me he has Hart failure on left side lung is congested ,have me 3 medication but clearly told me he has 3 to 12 to leave it's up to me either I want to keep him on meds until he does it I can decide to put him to sleep and sincerely I thing it's best not to keep him suffering just because I love him but I'll enjoy his company for a few days and I'll say goodbye, we have no right to keep them suffering. I love him and want him in peace without pain..my babe love..so Q..
My Greyhound was diagnosed last year with heart insufficiency, he's on Furosemide. I took him to the vet, when he started coughing after walks or playtime. He's 12 years now and does rather fine. Currently lost his friend of 7 years though and now his age is showing a bit more. He still loves his walkies but has gotten slower and is lacking stamina. But then again, he is 12 years old and by all means this is to be expected is it not? As stupid as it sounds, he is the oldest dog I've ever had, so I don't really know what to expect. My two other Greyhounds died at the ages of 7 and 9 and my GSD at the age of 10. Lost all of them to cancer.
I’m pretty sure, I’ve been doing a lot of research on this, that these heart conditions can come from so much overbreeding in the smaller dogs. Although there are similar cases in larger dogs.
My 16 year old dog has CHF and she has not been eating she was also diagnosed with appendicitis at the time however her swollen tummy has went down and the medications prescribed seems to be working. My question is how do I increase her appetite
@dogtorpete Wow, this helped to possibly understand what happened to my beautiful Pomeranian Lenny (11yo). He just passed away yesterday. 😢 He was diagnosed with a partially collapsed Trachea after he had dental surgery in January 2021. Been having some coughing on and off since then, but nothing too concerning. I wonder now if that was even the right diagnosis?? Could it be that it was the start of congestive heart failure all along?? Or could the partially collapsed trachea cause CHF? He seemed fine minus the cough until Saturday at bedtime when his coughing lasted a long time and went all night (with periods of sleep). In the morning he wouldn't eat 🚩, until I warmed his favorite soup. I gave him a small amount just to see how he did. His breathing got gradually worse till we noticed his tomgue had changed colour. On route to the vet he stopped breathing. I did CPR until a thick white/yellowish liquid started coming out of his nose and no heart beat. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Hi, what should I feed my dog with chf? He’s a Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese Mix (ten pounds). He’s in the early stages of CHF and also has a grade 3/4 heart murmur. I’ll appreciate your advice!!! What kinds of low sodium food should he be eating to get adequate nutrition and live a long quality life.
Hey Palak. The best formulated food that you can give a patient with CHF is either Royal Canin® Veterinary Diet Canine Cardiac or or Hill's® Prescription Diet® h/d. You can check this link to an article as well with more information on what you need to look out for in the diet and in what concentrations : vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nutrition-for-dogs-with-heart-disease
I been posting this a lot because many don't know it but make sure whatever you are feeding your dog is not grain free, and if it is you need to add a taurine supplement as grain free dog foods have been linked to heart disease in dogs.
Great Info Just Subscribed...Question: My King Charles was diagnosed with CHF and is on meds. 3 different types 3 times a day. So she's doing better yet unfortunately they found foreign objects in her. Most likely nickels or quarters. Not sure how and it's emotional horrible. Would you suggest an extraction with her condition???
Thank you for the video really helped me understand better . But would really like to know what supplements can be given to my dog with MVD and is taking Vetmedin. Thank you
Thanks for the video it is very helpful. Just wondering on the recommendations on supplements. How much of each. IS the B vitamin and b complex, I'd imagine. Not sure how Taurine & Carnitine affect the heart and this condition. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you
Add some nice black chaga tea in water daily. Feed your dog some beef,chicken,lamb,small dogs half egg daily or add pasture raised chicken eggs in food, sardines in water not oil,wild fish of any kind ,mostly salmon,hawthorn, and or hawthorn berry for strenghthen your heart and danelion will help with milk thistle added aswell and will help with liver function so your dog has good bile to break down food and the a imal meats will provide proper vitamins for your dogs health and will digest more easily for healthy heart recovery and healing. I like to add wild mushrooms in food but they need to be cooked and raw meat is good or lightly browmed ,partial raw as well a little bit of garlic is good too some low carb veggies . The more natural foods homemade is best for dogs and people. That is what worked for me and my dogs that had heart problems. Hope that was good information for you.
Hi there! My dog was diagnosed with syncope, he takes vetmedin, furosemide, and fortekor but at nights he coughs a lot and sometimes faint. Can i give him cough medicine for dogs or honey to help soothe his throat?
There are heart surgeries for dogs, and could cost between $6000-15000. But best if you ask your vet. Because it could vary significantly from locations and type of surgery.
My dog recently had a phone tea surgery and after 5-6 days she is showing heart failure symptoms which is difficulty and shortness in breathing and she is not eating anything. What shall I do I am too confused and numb
My dog was diagnosed about a month ago. At first the doctor did an exray to confirm and suggested considering an ultrasound and or Cardiologist. She was put on 20 mg of Furosemide. I took her back a week later because i noticed her belly was really swollen and was told its too late for her and there would be nothing they could do an i should consider Euthenization...OMG...she does not eat her breakfast anymore and sometimes all her dinner or just 1/2 of it but still wants her treats all day. I dont know if i should get a second opinion based on your video. I feel there are other options for her. SHe is a 9 yr old beagle collie cross
Hey Anita. Sorry to hear about your doggo's condition. There are more options available, such as increasing the Furosemide dose and/or frequency to help drain more fluid from the lungs and abdomen, Pimobendan to help increase the heart's ability to contract and Enalapril to help reduce the blood pressure. Whether these meds will help will depend on your vet's assessment of the dog's condition, as in some cases where the heart failure is already too far advanced these meds seldom help, and then, as hard as it is to say, euthanasia may be the best alternative, especially if you've tried everything and the dog's quality of life remain poor. Good luck on your decision 🌻
My Yorkie was diagnosed the same and the doctor told me she would have to be put down. It comes with such a shock when they tell you that. I surely wasn’t expecting that news that day. I wished I’d have noticed things sooner but I’m not sure there were any noticeable symptoms for her.
My dog is on heart medication. Not sure if he got any attack. I just heard him shout n he lied on one side. But when I picked him up, he was okay, just breathing a bit fast. Just a bit.
Thank you for sharing. My dog only got 3 medicine vetmimdine and lasix I'm not sure if I spelled it right. And another one but I'll come back later to tell you cause I don't want to wake her. But now she coughing more. Especially after drinking water
My dog was diagnosed with heart failure at 13 years old. Vet prescribed pimobendan and steroids which she had a horrid reaction to. I took her back and demanded another blood test, whereby it was then determined that in addition to her heart failure, she now had liver damage, which was caused by the meds. The vet basically told me good luck and that she did not have long again. After doing my own research, I took her off kibble and started cooking my own food (meat, veggies etc. With added supplements) and began adding hawthorn berry to her feeding regime as well as liv-52. Her coughs almost completely subsided within a month and her liver has improved drastically. She is now almost 17 now and shows no sings of slowing down. Point is, do your research, there are lots of beneficial, natural alternatives out there that vets do not recommend.
Hi very nice what about furosamide for fliud retenction
@@victorm6176 hi, we do not have an issue with fluid retention. I think it Is because she was diagnosed sort of early on and i immediately started her on the hawthorn. Fingers crossed she doesn't develop it anytime soon.
I wish I knew about this before. My dog was prescribed pimobenden and did fine on that for 6 months while prpgressively worsening. Then after adding the cough suppressant she declined rapidly and the vet tells me that this new medication couldn’t be the cause. I’m gonna try this. Idk how much time I have left though.
Img thats great am in the same boat the meds are not working hes coughing all day but he looks good idk its weird what kind of food and stuff helped him ill try anything at this point glad your dog is doing good what kind is it
@@michaelbarbarino1581 apart from the hawthorn berry and liv-52 capsules, I've since switched her to a balanced, raw diet. She's been doing great on that and I haven't heard her cough in months. She is a lab mix. Hope your guy feels better.
My 13 year old Chihuahua died of congestive heart failure a few hours ago, by the time we realized something was off about her she was having trouble breathing then foam came out of her nose and her tongue turned blue ish. We rushed to the vet but she died in my arms before we could get there. She lived a long time and now I'm just sitting on my chair because I would always play with her but I can't anymore. It feels so much different without her, she came a long way from an aggressive dog to a loving sweet heart.
I'm saddened to hear this. Breaks my heart. My Yorkie was diagnosed with CHF today. I'm just reading comments to see how everyone else's experience is. I'm sincerely sorry about your fur baby!
Im so sorry you had to go through this, it’s never easy….I’m laying in bed with our chihuahua, she’s leaving this world its 3:18 am I know she isn’t going to make it through the night, I don’t even have my rent money, the vet wanted $300 to put her down, I was going to take her to a clinic or the animal shelter but of course it’s the weekend holiday, everyone’s closed in my small town…she’s suffering, I hate myself for being financially unstable 😢
Oh gosh, sorry to hear that. My 9yo boy chihuahuha died yesterday very similar circumstance, but was on a diuretic. It's absolutely heartbreaking.
@@DjKayD I’m so sorry you have to feel this pain too… I know animals are here to teach us to live in the moment… please keep your heart and home open for another fur baby to love 🙏🪽
Our 15 yo chihuahua going through this now. Very sad and stressful.
Wow, my yorkie has had worsening symptoms for years and progressed exactly how you explained it; vet just gave her an all clear, she passed 3 weeks later - nobody seems to do their job these days, just collect payment - Thank You, my mind is at ease knowing more than likely why she expired. Heart broken but educated in Florida
Exactly
Is so frustrating.I’m like soo annoyed right.sorry for your loss.
Same, the vet i showed who was an experienced doctor for the zoo said it was just an allergy
Our 13 year old Maltese had a heart murmur for a couple years, and just recently developed a cough that was misdiagnosed as Kennel Cough by the vet. About a month later the little guy passed away overnight, leaving us wondering why he down-spiralled so quickly. This video was extremely helpful in helping us understand better what happened to him.
Hey Sammy. I am really sorry to hear about your loss. Coughing unfortunately has so many different possible causes, and Kennel cough is the most common cause, so it is not always easy to pinpoint the correct cause directly from the get go, hence why we usually start with the most probably and then work our way up. I am glad this video made it a bit easier to understand what your pet went through. My sincere condolences to you and your family for your loss.
Bad vet
@@DogtorPete they should have taken a chest X-ray, that’s how they saw the enlarged heart and fluid in the chest, I’m sorry for your loss, we are playing it day by day, minute, by minute.
Same with my little guy except I diagnosed him with kennel cough because I had him groomed at a pet store. I killed him waiting for kennel cough to heal.
@@DogtorPete a chest xray and full blood workup and a ProBNP to start would have been the first thing ANY vet should do. NO VET should brush it off as kennel cough. Your excuse is not acceptable.
My dachshund has CHF. His heart is massive. It’s. 5/6 on a scale. Had his EKG & bloodwork and X-rays done today at the vet & was put on a medicine until we get his results from the cardiologist, he’ll be 16 yrs old this December, he’s lived such a grand life, so when he does cross the rainbow bridge I’ll know he had a full & wondrous life.
How did the dog do 🤞
I have a 15-year-old female miniature dachshund and I’m worried she might have congestive heart failure. What were the tall tail signs that you saw at home before taking them to the vet?
@@Jody-LeeMcClelland loosing interest so stopped doing thing's they liked like casing a ball etc. Breth goes bad 🦨👃breathing becomes short. They wonder around aimlessly and staring at a wall.
Ive just lost my beloved chiwawa to heart disease,😢he was 10yrs old,i could have saved him with a heart operation IF i had 900 pound.i didnt have that kinda money so he had to pay with his life.yes we all love our animals,but that shouldnt be a reason the vets can charge us these ridiculous prices 😢😢😢
I have a 14 year old dog diagnosed with CHF, she's on Pimobendan and Furosemide. It's now two months after diagnosis. I think we don't have much time left. Keep strong everyone.
My pup turned 14 years old today. He was diagnosed with CHF last September, after being diagnosed with Mitral Heart Valve disease 4 years ago. He's also on same meds as yours, plus Cardalis. 3 times a day. I can see his end coming his way slowly but surely. It's devastating. Sending good spirits your way.
My baby was diagnosed at 8.5 yrs with Mitral Valve disease and put on pimobendan and sildenafil. They later added furosemide and enalapril. He lived till 12 yrs old and passed a month ago 😢
My dog 12yo is also prescribed with Pimobendan. May I ask if this will be a daily maintainance because it is expensive?
@@nezisgarden yes, it is daily maintenance
@@nezisgardenyes my dear my doctor too prescribed till the dog alive this will continue....
My dog just turned 15. She started coughing a month ago. I just got her to the vet today. She developed a heart murmur I was told. I’ve been trying to control her cough with organic honey and bone broth. She’s 22 lbs , but they say she should be about 20 lbs. I’m sick about this. She goes back tomorrow morning for further testing😢, vet said she could be treated with diet and medication, I have a wellness plan , it doesn’t cover this kinda of thing. I owe my baby my life and will do everything I can for her. Thanks for the great video ❤
The exact same thing happened with my 17 year old Cairn Terrier. Towards the end of last year, he started to have coughing fits. I took him to the vet and they diagnosed him with a heart murmur. He's on several medications which is actually helping. He no longer coughs and the heart murmur is now down to about a 4.5/6, they said.
@@Septantrionalis very similar situation. May I ask what meds are helping? Thanks
@@oescamillaThey put him on Vetmedin which did help with the coughing, but I'm not sure how long it really extended his life. He passed shortly after I made the above comment. :(. I now have a ton of videos in tribute to him on my channel...
My dog was diagnosed with CHF yesterday by a vet when he went into respiratory distress. This video was so helpful. Thank you!
My dog past away today due to congestive heart failure sadly. Was a fighter spiritually, but her body couldn't keep up.
How’s your dog doing now?
Going thru the exact same thing literally right now :(
@@xBlayze same atm taking him to cardiologist today hopefully my boy will bounce back he’s only 1 year old😞
How is your dog now?
My dog has always been one to eat grass and vomit. She's had some issues with weight as a middle aged dog. But lost some as well. She's always been active and playful. I have noticed Suttle changes but just thought it was due to her getting old. She's had coughs and such as a puppy. Usually associated with allergies.
Two days ago however I noticed she was slower than usual didn't seem very excited. Then a couple hours later found her laying in the floor and had peed on herself. And laid in it. I let the other two dogs go outside while I talked to her got her to slowly stand up. Then carried her to get a quick bath. And wrapped her up to keep her warm . And cuddle her. She was breathing different than normal. So I took her to the vet. She had fluid in her lungs and enlarged heart. They did tests and said she's in heart failure . They kept her over night. She's doing much better today. She's now on 3 meds. Furosemide, benazepril, and pimobendan. She's almost 8 year old dachshund mix .
Trying to learn everything I can to help her have the best life and as healthy and happy as possible for as long as she can.
My dog is a dachshund too she has congestive heart failure too and a heart murmur. Sorry about your dog
How long has your dog been with heart failure?
My 17 yr old dog has CHF. She pants at night but only coughs when facing down hill. She refuses to take her furosimide (sp) without biting me and hiding it in her food makes her refuse to eat it. Also, if she takes her meds, she pees all over the house. She also has dementia. In a way it's unfortunate almost that she seems to really still enjoy life during the day so I hesitate putting her down. I just wanted to say it to someone. It's such a hard thing. I love her so.
I’m worried my dog will do the same thing. I’m torn between just putting her down or having her go though all the side effects of the medicine.
@@oneANGRYelf be patient and give the med With syringe droper on the food just find the way to do so disolve the tablest on very little water and use the droper and give it into the mouth.
Hi Mimi, I’m sorry to hear this. My dog is 17 years old and she also has dementia, she eats well and takes her medication, but she still has trouble breathing and sometimes she faints 😢 but I also refuse to put her down, even though she is not getting any better.
@@cindyalcala8412 Thank you for sharing with me. I put my little sweetie down in April and although I am aching for her, she is not suffering any more. I realized that my desire to keep her was not a kindness to her. It was my own selfishness. My heart is almost open to adopting an old lady again. I hope you find peace in letting go.
This dude is a real one.
My seventh-month old girl Bean was just diagnosed with heart disease through a blood test a couple hours ago. We rescued her and her brother as little puppies from the streets of Beijing. Our boy is super active and loves to run around; however, our little girl doesn't like to walk and gets tired more quickly. Bean was always the weakest and most anxious in the litter of four (the other two were adopted out). We're still living in China, and unfortunately, don't have access to advanced veterinary care. I don't even know what kind of heart disease she has. Our vet said it must be congenital since she's so young. The doctor gave us some medicine. I'm glad we discovered this now and just hope she can live a long life.
How is she?
Thank you very much for this Free info. My veterinarian has never exray or anything. Im going somewhere else. He did prescribe vetmedin, enalapril, and salix, and told me to play with it til i get it right. That is why i found you i didn't have a clue. THANK YOU!! MAY GOD MAKE YOU TO PROSPER. YOU ARE AWESOME!❤❤❤❤
Any rare chances can happen to a puppy as well and can't do nothing about. My 6 week puppy died last night on my mom arms. We named him max and he was screaming in pain slowly because he knows he's gonna pass away from feeling the pain. He saw his last mother and brother one last time and right after he died... 😭 . I hate this enlarged heart cardiomyopathy problems! Rest in peace angel. You're up there and not suffering the pain no more.
My buddy is ill.
He's a little old, 12 years old now almost 13, he's been in the family since I was in junior high school....
He has been restless for a few months now and has had breathing problems and what seemed to be a brief collapse.
I took him to the vet for a routine checkup and he confirmed a strong heart murmur, as well as possible entherite or colon cancer... He said that the main problem is the second that the heart can wait and scheduled an x-ray and ecg for next month...but for the agitation I forgot to tell him about the episode in which he had a fainting spell...
I read that dogs affected by CHF (congestive heart failure) have very low life expectancy max 6 months 1 year ...
Besides the possible tumor...
I'm very afraid of losing him, it's funny that at the beginning I hated him, I didn't want him, then he broke into my heart, with those beady eyes and the big nose, so cheerful and hyperactive, he jumped around like a kangaroo, he did so many pranks when he was young... I'm almost addicted to him, he's the only real friend, a part of my soul... I regret having neglected him several years ago, too busy with teenage dramas.
How do you handle loss? I'm not capable, I hate even more the fact that in time I will forget him... as if he never existed. The house will be so cold and empty...and I'll get used to it like nothing happened.
Trust me. You’ll never get used to it. To love is to lose and the love we lose haunts us forever in some weird way. Even if you do find a new normal (which is what you must do in order to survive). I know that even though time will make it seem different, the part in my heart that is my dogs will always be Hers even if it feels differently over time. I’m so sorry for your situation.
You will never forget him ❤️. It's like a family member. You love them forever 💙
@@angelicadaley hope the best for you
You wont forget him ever. I still think about my dog from 30 years ago
My first cat passed away in 2011, and I can confirm that the pain is healed. So I don't agree, eventually you will get on.
I have a Boston Terrier who was diagnosed with a heart murmur when he was 6 years old. I took him to a cardiologist right away and was prescribed Vetmedin right away and has been on it ever since. He just turned 15 and his heart has only progressed slightly.
I’ve got a 12 year old mini schnauzer mix that is in the final stages of CHF. In the US at least regular vets seem to know nothing about the details of treatment and referred me to a canine cardiologist ($$$$). I’ve been treating my dog for a year under their guidance but she’s finally succumbing to the disease. Anyway, if you can afford it, take your dog to a specialist for this issue. It’s so sad that veterinary practice has turned into a big money making racket than reasonable care for animals here in the US.
My 12 year old pomchie had been diagnosed with severe, advanced heart failure.
She apparently must’ve had it for about a year. I hate myself for dismissing all the symptoms. I thought she was just coughing because of allergies, and that she was just getting “fat”(swollen belly) because she ate too much (she was such a glutton.)
We took her to the vet after she had suddenly gotten a very hard, swollen belly, pooped and peed on herself, a non-stop cough, and she wouldn’t stand on her own. We were told the best thing for her was to put her to rest.
We had her put down on March 2, 2023, 2:50 AM.
I miss her. I never realized how empty it would feel without her. I wish I had spent more time with her before we had her put to sleep, but I was too filled with grief to give her the love that she deserved before and during her final hours.
We buried her.
I wish I had noticed the symptoms and started treating her as soon as was possible.
I’m so sorry. This made me cry. 😢! We never feel like we’re doing enough! I’m trying my best. I waited 2 months to take my baby to the vet. I tried my own medicine, honey and bone broth. ! My Sophie ❤ I want her to live forever! I hate that things just come on to them. 😢😢
Just diagnosed. I'm devastated. This was very helpful thank you.
My 14-yr-old chihuahua/jack russell started coughing last Oct/Nov. I took him to the vet because I thought he had heartworm. Diagnosis was congestive heart failure. The vet said his heart sounded like a washing machine. He gave me a couple of medicines, and I went back the next week. Saw the doctor I had seen off and on over the last 21 years for our pets. He said he thought treatment was worth it for my dog, though his condition was advanced. I took Scooter back every couple weeks as the doctor checked him and tweeked his meds. It's now June 1. He has "died" (He passes out more often now) in the last 3 weeks. He even defecates and urinates during these episodes. I've cried and said good-bye three of those times. But then he gets back up after about 5 minutes and within 15 minutes, he's happy and acting totally normal. Today, my husband and I were really watching his breathing while he was lying down. His mouth was not open, but his chest made it look like he was working hard to breathe. He takes 4 medicines twice a day, including the Pimobendan and Enalapril you mentioned. I don't know what to do because we have an out of town wedding this weekend, and we need to board him and his "brother" (13-yr-old chihuahua/poodle). Our boarder said she would give him his meds. I just hate to leave him! :-( and I can't take him to the hotel, etc. He is very familiar, at least, with our boarder...
Ah I'm sorry to hear about your doggo. Heart failure can become difficult to control when it becomes advanced and I can imagine how hard it must be for you guys to go through these episodes where the doggo seems like he passed away. But it sounds like you and your vet is doing an excellent job in supporting him with the appropriate medication. Best of luck! I really hope that you manage to still get to spend lots of good quality time with your pet. :)
Hi how is your pup?
@@Marigold976 he passed away while we were out of town. The lady who cared for our dogs when we had to go out of town was devastated because it happened when she had him. I felt horrible and we miss him. Thank you for asking! ❤️
Thank you for this video! My 14 yo shihtzu was just diagnosed with this and it gave me peace knowing more about what was happening ❤️
Thank you so much for the video. Now I understand CHF so much more. This is the best video I have found to help me understand what my dog is going through and if I am doing all I can for her.
Thank you for watching Carol. It does help a lot when we understand what our pets are going through in order to know how we can help them. Best of luck with your doggo! :)
Thank you for making this! My 10 year old Bo-Dach got diagnosed with CHF today and I am trying to educate myself. This helped a lot!
Hey Ashley. Thank you for watching. :) I'm glad you found it helpful.
How’s your dog doing now?
We have a chi-wiener (dachshund mix) who just turned 15. He does not reflect his age and most vets are surprised of his active personality.
He was diagnosed with a collapsed trachea and heart murmur about 18 mos ago during During a physical. Maybe 8 months ago, he occasionally started coughing/hacking and trying to cough something up. This weekend had 1st CHF episode.responded well to O2 chamber but ER admitted to over-dosing the lasix. Moved to cardio/kidney hospital with acute kidney damage. 4 days in trying to balance kidney hydration & avoid fluid in heart. Looking for additional QT at home before the inevitable. Son completes service and home in two weeks. Make everyday count bc life happens fast.
Thanks for the tip. I just got back from the vet today and the vet told me it could be my dog‘s congestive heart failure because she has a heart murmur and and instead of listening to the vet I told her it was her trachea but now watching your video I truly believe it’s heart congestive failure she has I want to thank you so much for sharing this video! It has open my eyes to other things. She’s right now very uncomfortable I don’t know how to help her the vet sent her home with antibiotics for her throat bc of me😔🥴🥴
I'm in so much pain right now my Chihuahua of 10 yrs passed away from this terrible disease this morning my heart is broken💔😭💔💔💔💔😭😭 the pain is indescribable He passed away having us next to him at all times telling him we love him ,so I tell you this as soon as your baby gets diagnose love them extra spend extra time with them kiss them extra.Take alot of pictures I see him someday again happy and disease free 💔
I’m so sorry for your loss. He is with you in spirit and will wait for you.
I’m really sorry for you loss, I’m crying reading this, my chihuahua is 17 years old and not doing well, she needs us for everything, but I refuse to put her down.
I am so so sorry for your loss. I am crying as I just experienced this a couple of weeks ago with my dog. My heart is broken. I am absolutely devastated…
Sorry for your loss, Mine just passed away yesterday. When was your dog diagnosed with CHF and how long after diagnosis did he pass away?
Hello Doctor. Thank you for the amazing information regarding Congestive Heart Failure in Dog. You are a great veterinary and an awesome human being. God Bless you
Holly, my King Charles Cavalier is currently experiencing this. She was doagnosed about 4 months ago because i noticed a cough. She was put on furosemide and Enalapril. She has a heart murmur and has a bulging belly that has gotten worse. I think her meds may need adjusted. I am taking her back to the vet tomorrow because she's worrying me. Occasionally I find coughed up phlegm. She is my best friend and i can't bear the thought of losing her. This video was very thorough and informative and reinforced my need to take her back to the vet asap. Thank you for the video!
Hi I hope your furby is OK
I have a Jack Russell that I literally rescued from an abusive owner. She was 4 when I picked her up. She started that honking sound and my Vet took X-rays twice in 4 months. It progressed to an enlarged heart with pressure on her trachea. She mostly pants now but they’re high energy dogs so it’s hard trying to keep her calm.
It’s been a little over a year since she was diagnosed.
She’s costing me a fortune but like most of us, they’re worth it. I haven’t taken her to a cardiologist because of the cost. So she’s comfortable on medications and doing the best we can. Thanks for this information 💓
My Vet said she listened really well and no murmur
In September 2014, I adopted an 8 year old shih tzu with a stage 4 heart murmer/CHF who had been surrendered by her prior owner to be euthanized. Amy Elisabeth was an angel and her heart condition was effectively managed with medication and diet. Amy passed away in December 2017 from cancer, not CHF.
In January 2018, I adopted 3 year old shih tzu Oscar from a rescue organization. He had severe heartworms and other health issues. It took 2 years to get those conditions resolved before Oscar was neutered. When Oscar began exhibiting the same symptoms Amy had, I diagnosed he had a heart problem and immediately took him to the vet who confirmed my diagnosis. lol. I'm confident my vet and veterinary cardiologist will figure out the right medications and diet so that Oscar can have a long happy life.
CHF is managable.
Thank you so much for this comment! My dog is currently experiencing symptoms of congested heart and i am so hurt and scared
@@tommyhanvev how’s he/she doing currently going through that rn just found out my 1 year old has CHF
This comment helps me stay positive. Thank you! My 7 year old chihuahua mix recently diagnosed with CHF. We're super stress and depress. Vet recommend low sodium diet and avoid grain free but we just unsure what food would be good. Appreciate any advice/suggestions that you may have.
I have an 11 year old Shih-Tzu (Dexter) he had Kennel Cough last year which put additional stress on his Heart. He was born with a slight heart murmur which has now turned to Heart Disease after all the coughing. He coughs now pretty much all the time and gets the odd hours rest here and there. He’s on vetmedin, Cardalis & furosemide. I also give him CBD Oil for dogs and a couple of other natural remedies. I’m going to try Hawthorne, if anyone has recommendations? He’s not really interested in food now, apart from sausages 😅😢which would normally only be a treat. My heart goes out to everyone in these comments, it’s so sad to see a loved one like this ❤️
Sausages often contain onion powder... Dogs can't eat that
Hi, I enjoyed you video a lot. It’s very educational. I have 7 months old Tibetan terrier with heart problems. I noticed him coughing around 5 months and brought him to the vet. Unfortunately in my small country there isn’t cardiologist, so the only tool to diagnose him was via x-ray. The heart is enlarged. He was prescribed with antibiotics( just in case) even though the lungs were clear and the white blood cells were in the normal range. After 10 days his coughing didn’t improve, but worsened and I noticed cyanosis of the gums and tongue. He was prescribed Vetmedin, Furosemide, and supplements( taurine, carnitine and q10, b complex) and special cardiac food. Now after 2weeks of this therapy, his situation is even worse. The coughing fits are more often and are triggered by emotional or physical stress. His ability to exercise( walk around the block) is low. He can’t play with other dogs because he is getting tired. And he is still just a puppy. Now I’m trying to find a way to take him abroad for proper diagnostic, but the Covid19 situation is not helping. My question is why the Vetmedin is not helping. Do you think that maybe there i defect in the septum, or maybe stenosis of the aorta? I know that the answer lies in proper ultrasound. I don’t know what to do right now to help him, until I can bring him abroad. Thank you!
How is your puppy now? Is he still alive? I'm so sorry. I also have a dog with chf. I'm devastated. I've just lost another dog to cancer. 😞🐕😢
I just lost my 5 year dog, he had an heart attack all of a sudden, there were no signs , just once i found him breathing differently and then he was fine didn't see him ever again breathing differently, he was barking his lungs out on someone when it happened and he was fine within 2-3 mins , he was healthy af always active never showed any alarming signs , he was a rescue dog, he was reactive and very sensitive emotionally, he was always so loving and friendly and a handsome boy 💔
I think some dogs are more prone to things as they stress more and are more sensitive. It's hard to know whats going on inside a dogs body, i know before my 9y chi's breathing issue, he was absolutely in perfect health, looked about 2 with soft puppy like hair. Still was as lively as he ever was so it was all very sudden.
same as what happen to my 5 yr old dog yesterday ' in a minutes we lost him.. 😢
Same here i just lost my baby boy within minutes of him breathing very adnormally and he was just in and out of the vet 15 days prior
He was also 5 years old
As soon as your dog is diagnosed with chf make sure they get no more snacks or even small table scraps and most of all no sodium. My dog swelled up like a balloon. 100% bland diet chicken and rice and meds from vet got rid of the fluid asap. It has been trial-and-error
I hate it. And what happened to the days of going to the vet and spending under a $100 Every visit now is $800-$1000 dollars no matter what vet you go to
Thanks Doc Pete, extremely valuable. Both our little guys (Toy Poodle/Shitzu/Yorkshire Terrier) have been unfortunately been detected with CHF. The female sibling was diagnosed 15 months ago with LHF and since then has been on a prescription of Vetmedin and Enalapril. She responded well and has been doing well. Her brother unfortunately had to be hospitalized last week with a similar issue. This despite regular echocardiograms and one as recently as one month ago. He had a heart murmur of 3/6 and at that point medication was not recommended. He has responded to a prescription of vetmedin, lasix and enalapril and we are trying to stay positive. Both are very active despite their advanced age (17+ years). We have them on a low protein senior diet but it is getting harder to get them to eat, despite several toppers etc. They will eat if I cook them some beef mince and stew it with carrots, beans and broccoli. I also add some water and flour to bind the food. No salt. Is this a safe and sufficient diet? Is it too high in proteins? Do they need some Sodium? What would be considered the best diet for them? Many thanks
My 11 yo chi mix had a level 3 heart murmur which the vet said was common and we can keep an eye on. Last Sunday night she started coughing and wheezing. I made an appointment online for the next morning, but didn’t take her to the ER. She settled down when it was time for bed, her wheezing seemed to subside. She passed away in the snuggled up next to me.
A few years ago another dog I had had similar symptoms which is how I knew, only the coughing and wheezing were much more severe. I took her to an ER, where they put her into a respiratory tent and she passed away the same day. I wasn’t there with her and the bill was close to 5K for just a few hours of treatment.
I have been struggling with guilt for not taking my dog to ER, but when I took my other dog to ER I also felt guilty for how she died. But at least my dog who died at home got to be comfortable at home when she passed.
The vets can't really do alot when they are that far gone tbh. I think the vets should be more proactive when doing checkups and inform owners alot earlier of the symptoms so it can be treated earlier before the damage to the heart is done and then they just sell you a load of pills.
@@DjKayD yeah I’m going to be more pushy at the vet in the future, if they say there are symptoms I’m going to insist in discussing treatment options earlier.
My 11 yr old morkie born 8/22/11, died Tuesday, 11/8/22 began with heart murmur, progressed to left sided mitral valve. Started pimobendan, Fainting began memorial day, started furosemide, then enalapril. I monitored his respirations with the app called Cardalis.
Slowly he coughed more, then cried out before daily faints. Vet added spironolactone, to wean down furosemide. He died that night. After he had supper, he refused his pm meds and died at 11pm. I'm heartbroken.
Your video explained so clearly what happened to my sweet boy. Thank you.
I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my dog to this a couple of weeks ago
Do you suppose it was possibly from stopping the furosemide OR adding the spironolactone ? Or do you suppose it was just your doggies time? I’m hesitant whether I want to give my dog furosemide
Great video and thank you for the indepth analysis. Our 11 year old maltese was recently diagnosed with a heart murmur and prescribed Vetmedin. He was seen by a Cardiologist that prescribed this treatment. The first few months he seemed perfectly fine. Earlier this week he suddenly became extremely lethargic. We rushed back to the Vet who took an x-Ray and said that he's starting to show some fluid in his chest. They prescribed medicine to help with the fluid and naseau medicine. We worried sick and hope that we caught this early enough to help him!
Thank you SO much. Very clear and informative. And I could listen to that accent all day long!
Thanks Anna! :)
Thank you so much for your valuable video for explain heart failure in dog
My sweet baby Bentley was diagnosed in 2019 with mitral valve disease and placed on pimobendan and sildenafil . Eventually they put him on enalapril and spironalactone also. He went in and out of CHF… I Doubled up on his furosemide when I heard the gurgling in his breathing . That would get him out of CHF but eventually the meds couldn’t contain the disease I took him to ER for oxygen Chamber and IV of furosemide and got call at 3am that my best friend had gone into cardiac arrest😭
The saddest drive I ever made 3:14am. He made it to 12 yrs old in Nov 23…passed Jan 5,2024
My 10 year old Belgian Malinios a retired working dog was diagnosed this afternoon with CHF today which her heart is failing mines is breaking thank you so much for taking the time to make such an informative video.
Hey Christian. I'm so sorry to hear that! I hope your vet is able to buy a lot of precious time with appropriate heart medication! Best of luck for you and your doggo!
@@DogtorPete thank you for the well wishes.
My 13 yo Cocker Spaniel was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure after a trip to the emergency room after briefly passing out. The care was exactly as the Dr. explains in this video including the hospital stay, tests and eventually the same three medications. The only difference is her Cardiologist also prescribed different food for her condition, believing that it may have been partly due to a grain-free diet, which apparently research indicates may be a cause. Currently, six months later she is healthy and acdting like a 4 year old again, so please be aware of the signs and symptoms (my dog was having difficulty breathing and was caughing) and visit your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Your awesome! ❤ & very smart. Thank you
Just 3 days back my pet was taken to vet n found that she has CHF she finds very difficult to breath n very inactive but as you said they removed fluid from her abdomen by injecting and she is in medication she is 8 now hopefully waiting for her recovery And the best thing is that I thank you so much for sharing the very very useful knowledge about CHF in dogs after watching so many videos finally found one best n informative video thank you for sharing
How is she now? My dog is in the same position right now and he isn’t taking his medication which is making it difficult for recovery
I have to go to testing on Friday because the doctor said that my dog's heart sounded bad. He's 8 years old
@@Rabs146 how is your dog now?
My chihuahua is very healthy-looking at about age 12. You've been suffering with diagnosed CHF for about two years. He's on cardalis and furosemide. I'm just learning about natural supplements. He's coughing an awful lot.
I believe good oral health is the key to prevent heart disease, and other chronic disease. Take care of your dog’s teeth. Have infected teeth extracted. This goes for people,too.
My dog is a 17 pound chihuahua Jack Russell mix. He’s 11 years old. He gets daily 1 mile walks and eats and drinks like normal. He has an enlarged heart with a heart murmur.
He started coughing a year ago. He’s currently on: Lasix, Vetmedin and Analapril.
He has flare ups of coughing but also gets his coughs triggered if he growls, or gets too excited.
I’m not sure what to do at this point.
My 11yr old rat terrier/beagle mix, Sadie, was diagnosed with CHF years ago but never showed any symptoms other than the heart murmur. She was being monitored every 6 months by vet. No changes in heart size and no fluid buildup.
Just this weekend, she started with rapid breaths and coughing. Went to ER and she had a little fluid in her lungs but not the worst they’ve seen. She stayed on oxygen and had some lasix for an hour or two and was discharged.
The minute we got home her breathing was worse than before the first time we brought her. She was solely focused on breathing and holding her head up. She wouldn’t take a treat and her jaw was clenched tight. Went back to ER where they kept her 2 nights on O2 and lasix. First night she was still rapidly breathing but improving. I should hear something today.
They did start her on all the meds for her heart, but I’m concerned the minute I get her back home today, she will have breathing problems again and I can’t keep driving an hour and paying up to $2500 for overnight stays.
The hardest question I ever had to ask is when is it time to put your dog to rest for CHF?
Hey Menefreghista. I am sorry to hear about your pet baby. CHF is a very tough disease to deal with, especially since the onset of symptoms can be rapid and severe as what you just described. And I agree, intensive hospitalization is very expensive especially if the doggo needs oxygen supplementation. It is a very tough question to answer. CHF can be relatively well managed on the proper heart meds (Enalapril, Furosemide and Vetmedin), so I'd say that if the doggo is already on the best treatment (which it sounds like she is), and she is not showing a well enough improvement to maintain a good quality life, and if she reaches a point where being alive is only adding to her suffering, then it might be a good time to consider euthanasia.
This is a very difficult decision to make, and seeing that I don't know your doggo I can't really give you an answer. But I always say that a pet owner knows their pet, and if the pet is not what he/she used to be and you know you've tried everything you possibly can, and they had a long good quality of life, then it might be justified to let them go. I would advise you to sit down with your vet to make this call, as he/she should be able to give you a prognosis so that you can make an informed decision. Best of luck! You are a great pet parent! Thank you for taking care of your doggo so well! :)
@@DogtorPete Thanks for the reply Dr Pete. It’s been a few weeks now and so far she seems to be doing fairly well. She seems to breathe fast from time to time but for the most part, she’s still eating, being her normal self, and still gets excited when keywords are spoken or when people come visit.
Cardiologist prescribed 2 more meds and increased her lasix slightly at night. I just hope we can continue this path and not have any more emergencies. I know eventually meds won’t work anymore, but as long as she’s not suffering, then I’m not either.
Appreciate all your info.
My dog has symptoms of both chamber’s failure. Praying!
Thank you so much for this amazing video :)
Thank you for the video, very informative.
brilliant..keep informing
Thanks for watching Muhammad. :)
...dudley, newfie/lab cross - 57kg, has been diagnosed with CHF very recently, i realised something was wrong when he starting snoring having never snored in his life - he's 9 and half - he had been what i would call 'clearing his throat' for a while on and off...the day after he started snoring i took him to the vet who diagnosed CHF and he now has heart pills for life - vetmedin - and is now stable, altho' a couple of days after he started the pills i thought he had blocked kidneys due to his hunched back and basic inablility to pass fecal matter...turned out he had some kind of gastric reaction to the vetmedin, so after treatment all went back to 'normal'...he regulates his walking time himself...i am feeding him a diet consisting of regular kibble and a lot of veg and fruit...he seems to be doing ok but we are now experiencing higher temperatures so walking is restricted to very early a.m and late evening...it's very obvious that his lifestyle has changed, he is actually acting his age now...your video (and my excellent vet) gives me hope for a good few months/years with my mate dudley...thanks...
Quite useful information
Thank you sir
I'm going through this right now with my pom Bentley. I took him in to the vet just a few days ago. He has this hacking/cough that started up and it sounded like there was something in his throat. Well I had zero clue, thought maybe he had a cold or something. I was NOT prepared for them to tell me he is in heart failure, borderline congestive heart failure with an enlarged heart and kidney disease. They told me he only has 6 months to live, maybe a year!!! I'm just....in shock I think.... my sweet baby boy is only 6 years old.
oh i am so sorry. MY 13 year old chihuaha has a similar sounding cough and i am un able ( cant afford it cause im on disability) to take to the vet. But I will ask my Aunt if she can help me pay for a vet visit...His breathing is not great some days, i am worried it is a heart murmer like your dog.
So sorry he is only 6 years old
My dog was diagnosed at 11 years with mitral valve disease, she is on a rather low daily dose of pimobendan and cardalis since then and has shown no significant progression in 3 years, not in CHF yet so fingers crossed she has a few more years! However she also has a collapsing trachea due to a spine deformity so she's always coughing a little, which makes it hard to tell when her condition worsens
My 11 years doberman has DCM and I was about to take it to Europe by airplane since I am gonna move to Sweden where I got married, I am from Mexico and returned to pick him .I would NEVER abandon him, give him away or put him to sleep. Do we have any chances that he could survive the 11 hours direct flight travel? The airline company,Lufthansa, says that it has everything under control in that area where large dogs travel: pressurization,temperature ,
oxygen and other essential things for them to be well and I only can think that there's no way that he could resist even when in daily life he is very active and seems to be in good shape.
Thank you.
Thanks for asking this question as we had two dogs here in Bahrain and we will retire in Philippines in 3 years time. One of the dogs is in vets right now with pulmonary edema and we are waiting on word if he will survive. I could not have him put down and leave him but neither would wish to let him perish on a plane journey. Before this heart edema, we have always been worried about the 10 hour flight in any case.
Thank dr. For your knowledge
I like your explanation thanks!!!!
You are welcome Joel! :)
My 5 years old dog has been diagnosed with ventricular hyperthrophy yesterday. He had a seizure a few days ago and the vet suggested we keep him under observation and bring him for a heart scan. That's how we found out. I cannot find much information about this online. Could you please help me? I love my baby to pieces, I still can't process what happened. He has no other symptoms.
Great video - thank you!
My 10 year old chiweenie was just diagnosed with chf , he has started on 3 meds , lasix, pimobenden and another I don't remember the name of at the moment. He was coughing terribly, sometimes for several hours at a time, at first they thought kennel cough because it was going around here, but then he had a swollen belly and xray showed enlarged heart. He also has the crackling sound in his lungs. He goes back in 2 weeks for anoth e check up, hoping to get him better. He has a previous history of trauma and is a survivor of toxic epidermal necrosis, so he is a fighter.
Thank you. My Pekingese had CHF 😢
Superb quality of video. Excellent. Our 12 year old Schnauzer has a very very large heart, unproductive coughs, and slight swelling of the abdomen, he may not be reacting to his medications as efficiently as we would like. He is depressed it seems and by the end of the year (if he makes it) we are preparing to give him a dignified end of life.
Thanks! Very helpful!
My pup died 12/28/22....I'm wondering if the shots and heartworm could of caused this disease.. he died right next to me when Jesus came for him.
Hey dok! My 13j oue jack Russell wys vroeë simptome, dik pens gou moeg , slymrige hoesie, vlgns Jou inligting kan dit regterkant klep wees, tyd laat Sal moet sekermaak. Darem amazing dok hier in richardsbaai, Dankie vir die informatiewe video.👍
Just happen today my zhitshu, stay in hospital for 6days. Lately his ok but cannot see clearly. Diagnose with heart failure and kidney failure. The doc said 4months is the longest time. But today he cough to much blood and cause him die. Quikly the heartbeat stop. Thanks for sharing, i wish i learn this early.
Hey. I am so sorry to hear about your loss. You did everything you can to help him, thank you for that! Kidney and Heart failure is unfortunately a deadly combo. Best of luck to you and your family!
Thank you sir. Now I understand
My maltipoo is 15 and has grade 5 heart murmur. He is currently on vetmedin and it has been working for the past year now but these past couple of days I’ve noticed he has been coughing more often and seems like he has difficulty breathing. His coughing is more noticeable and it makes me concerned. I’m sure it isn’t comfortable not being able to breathe normally. I want to take him to an emergency vet clinic rather than the vet I usually take him to. I know a pet emergency clinic is more expensive than a regular vet but they don’t have the tools that an emergency clinic has and I want my questions answered now. I most definitely will take him to the pet emergency clinic for an exam and an x-ray to determine what my decision will be when it’s closer to his time. He still has energy. He can run, bark, eats plenty, play and jump. His heart just gets tired. I don’t have him jumping around too much or his heart will work too hard and he’ll get a seizure. I don’t want to put him to sleep if he still can walk and run perfectly fine. That seems wrong to do. Would you pull the plug on your grandmother who still walks around and can feed herself but she has a terrible cough and takes multiple medications? I’m aware humans and dogs are completely different. I just cant bring myself to let my dog go if he still shows that he is capable to walk towards me on his own and wag his tail when I come home from work.
Hello and thank you for sharing this informative video. My chihuahua is a month shy of turning 14 yrs and within that last year has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure left valve. It’s seems as her condition has rapidly digressed and medication is supporting her. Every so often she has a small episode where she loses her strength and appetite followed by increase in respiratory rate. I have been able to administer furosemide injection when this occurs but unable to get her to eat anything so she results in not having her other two medications Pimobendan & Spironolactone. I end up bringing her in for emergency care. I would really appreciate if you could share any further recommendations for this type of condition. 🙏🏽
My dog wasn’t eating either. I decided to try beef heart…nutrient dense and full of amino acids. It worked. I made it in a pressure cooker with extra water to also put on her dry kibble to soften and she is now willing to eat that as well. Might be worth a try until appetite returns.
How many millimetres is considered large for a Staffordshire Bull Terrier
My dog is pantiing heavily. No co I gh. Excessive thirst. I think more of DM. Calling vet tomorrow. Great video 11:14
How is your pup??
Hello Doctor
I would appreciate your help. My dog was dx with MVD stage B2 in August with severe MV regurgitation. He has no fluid around his heart as of yet. He's almost 13.. an Italian greyhound. On Vetmedin BID and Benazepril QD. At times he coughs and gags..had 2 episodes of syncope approx 1.5 months ago.
Something terrible happened the other night. Work up 4am to Emilio screeching twice.. when I turned on the light.. his head was cocked back, he was limp, unresponsive and not breathing. No respirations! I did not check his pulse..as I was in extreme panic. My boyfriend grabbed his legs and lifted them off the ground for for approx 30 seconds..as I thought it could be a syncope.. he was still unresponsive..limp
I began attempting CPR.. I am an RN and had no idea what I was doing on Emilio. I was frantic!! My partner was shaking his body, rubbing him, we did everything.
After aprox 2 min..his eyes opened..
Remained lethargic for several minutes.. until he came to his senses..
I brought him to the vet the next morning.
EKG was normal, BP was good, Heart ultrasound was ok..no fluid around the heart but she said in 6 months since his last ultrasound, the left side of his heart is slightly more enlarged..
Please help me to understand what happened to Emilio that night.. the vet does not know if it was cardiac arrest, syncope, electrical component malfunctioning, neurological /heart related. I am devastated and cannot bear to see that again. It was horrible.
If I hadn't awoken to his screams, would he have died? Could it be the medication? She said its not the medication.. did we do the right thing lifting him off the ground, the CPR??
Can you please help me?😭
Although rare, vetmedin can cause sudden death in dogs. Make sure he is getting the correct dosage of this for his weight, especially if he has lost weight from the heart disease because too much can increase those odds. Also make sure you are not feeding him a grain free diet as that has been linked to heart disease in dogs due to lack of taurine. Or you can supplement taurine if changing his diet isn't an option. I feed my dog fresh lightly browned ground beef and give him the naturevet cardiovascular supplement so he gets more taurine ever since he was diagnosed with left atrial enlargement. He seems to be holding up ok. I hope for the best for your pup.
I got an older stray chihuahua. Vet said he was pretty good. Although he gets winded & wheezy after bathroom breaks outside in winter time.
Some dog admirer told me he sounded like a friends (older) dog who was diagnosed with CHF.
We have used doggy cough syrup & an albuterol inhaler. With relief noted.
At an advanced age of 9 yrs + is it worth treatment costs??
Dr.P, Do you recommend seeing a cardiologist or just have your vet do the follow ups?
Hey Sra. If you have the financial means, then taking the dog to a cardiologist will be best as they will have access to better diagnostic equipment, such as an echocardiogram and electrocardiogram, that can help diagnose your doggo's condition more accurately and therefore determine a better treatment protocol.
@@DogtorPete thanks Doc, your video is the first one that actually breaks it down in a way normal people like can understand and take charge the medical care of my pet. I lost my 21 year old but I still have a 14 year old . Thanks again for making this videos for the general public .
I stumbled across your video while trying to educate myself on CHF since I received very vague explanations from my primary vet. Thank you for breaking this down in a way that's so easy to understand. My little one was diagnosed in August, stage B-2. Cardiologist in my area is scarce and nothing available until November. In the meantime, she was prescribed Vetmedin aka pimobendan. I've noticed she's coughing more often and wheezing quite a bit. Any suggestions until she can see the cardiologist? Thank you again for the great content.
Thank you for watching. I am glad the video helped a bit. :) Vetmedin is a really good drug to both help the heart having stronger contractions and to relax the peripheral blood vessels to lower the blood pressure. If the dog starts coughing, it could be an indication that there is fluid build up in the lungs which can be treated with Furosemide or Spironolactone. I would suggest taking him back to your primary vet to listen to the lungs and see if he/she can maybe prescribe additional meds until you can get to the cardiologist.
@@DogtorPete thank you for the recommendation! Stay well!
I took my dog to his vet 1 year ago, I knew something was wrong. She said he was fine so I found another vet, & he said my dog was fine. I KNOW he was not fine. He quit breathing fri night, I did cpr while we were rushed to hospital, vet there said his heart couldn't take it anymore & she did all she could do, she said just by looking at him that she knew he had CHF.
Don't give CPR to a dog that's breathing shallow.
@@ICWieneryay, I didn't do cpr until he quit breathing. It was all so fast.
@@luckymcknight2321 a challenging day indeed.
Ihello everyone I have my malted beautiful babe 10 years old just took him to the vet 2 days ago, he was coughing pretty ugly and he told me he has Hart failure on left side lung is congested ,have me 3 medication but clearly told me he has 3 to 12 to leave it's up to me either I want to keep him on meds until he does it I can decide to put him to sleep and sincerely I thing it's best not to keep him suffering just because I love him but I'll enjoy his company for a few days and I'll say goodbye, we have no right to keep them suffering. I love him and want him in peace without pain..my babe love..so Q..
Great video
My Greyhound was diagnosed last year with heart insufficiency, he's on Furosemide. I took him to the vet, when he started coughing after walks or playtime. He's 12 years now and does rather fine. Currently lost his friend of 7 years though and now his age is showing a bit more. He still loves his walkies but has gotten slower and is lacking stamina. But then again, he is 12 years old and by all means this is to be expected is it not? As stupid as it sounds, he is the oldest dog I've ever had, so I don't really know what to expect. My two other Greyhounds died at the ages of 7 and 9 and my GSD at the age of 10. Lost all of them to cancer.
I’m pretty sure, I’ve been doing a lot of research on this, that these heart conditions can come from so much overbreeding in the smaller dogs. Although there are similar cases in larger dogs.
My 16 year old dog has CHF and she has not been eating she was also diagnosed with appendicitis at the time however her swollen tummy has went down and the medications prescribed seems to be working. My question is how do I increase her appetite
@dogtorpete Wow, this helped to possibly understand what happened to my beautiful Pomeranian Lenny (11yo). He just passed away yesterday. 😢
He was diagnosed with a partially collapsed Trachea after he had dental surgery in January 2021. Been having some coughing on and off since then, but nothing too concerning. I wonder now if that was even the right diagnosis?? Could it be that it was the start of congestive heart failure all along?? Or could the partially collapsed trachea cause CHF?
He seemed fine minus the cough until Saturday at bedtime when his coughing lasted a long time and went all night (with periods of sleep). In the morning he wouldn't eat 🚩, until I warmed his favorite soup. I gave him a small amount just to see how he did. His breathing got gradually worse till we noticed his tomgue had changed colour. On route to the vet he stopped breathing.
I did CPR until a thick white/yellowish liquid started coming out of his nose and no heart beat.
Do you have any thoughts on this?
so very sorry
So sorry you went through this. My dog died similar to yours. It’s heartbreaking
Hi, what should I feed my dog with chf? He’s a Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese Mix (ten pounds). He’s in the early stages of CHF and also has a grade 3/4 heart murmur. I’ll appreciate your advice!!! What kinds of low sodium food should he be eating to get adequate nutrition and live a long quality life.
Hey Palak. The best formulated food that you can give a patient with CHF is either Royal Canin® Veterinary Diet Canine Cardiac or or Hill's® Prescription Diet® h/d. You can check this link to an article as well with more information on what you need to look out for in the diet and in what concentrations : vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nutrition-for-dogs-with-heart-disease
I been posting this a lot because many don't know it but make sure whatever you are feeding your dog is not grain free, and if it is you need to add a taurine supplement as grain free dog foods have been linked to heart disease in dogs.
what are the side effects of the medicines you mentioned?
It ain’t good
Great Info Just Subscribed...Question: My King Charles was diagnosed with CHF and is on meds. 3 different types 3 times a day. So she's doing better yet unfortunately they found foreign objects in her. Most likely nickels or quarters. Not sure how and it's emotional horrible. Would you suggest an extraction with her condition???
Thank you for the video really helped me understand better . But would really like to know what supplements can be given to my dog with MVD and is taking Vetmedin. Thank you
Thanks for the video it is very helpful. Just wondering on the recommendations on supplements. How much of each. IS the B vitamin and b complex, I'd imagine. Not sure how Taurine & Carnitine affect the heart and this condition. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you
Add some nice black chaga tea in water daily. Feed your dog some beef,chicken,lamb,small dogs half egg daily or add pasture raised chicken eggs in food, sardines in water not oil,wild fish of any kind ,mostly salmon,hawthorn, and or hawthorn berry for strenghthen your heart and danelion will help with milk thistle added aswell and will help with liver function so your dog has good bile to break down food and the a imal meats will provide proper vitamins for your dogs health and will digest more easily for healthy heart recovery and healing. I like to add wild mushrooms in food but they need to be cooked and raw meat is good or lightly browmed ,partial raw as well a little bit of garlic is good too some low carb veggies . The more natural foods homemade is best for dogs and people. That is what worked for me and my dogs that had heart problems. Hope that was good information for you.
Garlic is toxic for dogs
@@theresa215Onions are, garlic is fine in very small doses, and helps repel fleas.
Hi there! My dog was diagnosed with syncope, he takes vetmedin, furosemide, and fortekor but at nights he coughs a lot and sometimes faint. Can i give him cough medicine for dogs or honey to help soothe his throat?
How come there’s no heart surgery in the US?
There are heart surgeries for dogs, and could cost between $6000-15000. But best if you ask your vet. Because it could vary significantly from locations and type of surgery.
My dog recently had a phone tea surgery and after 5-6 days she is showing heart failure symptoms which is difficulty and shortness in breathing and she is not eating anything. What shall I do I am too confused and numb
Thank u so much for sharing.. Godbless🎉
My dog was diagnosed about a month ago. At first the doctor did an exray to confirm and suggested considering an ultrasound and or Cardiologist. She was put on 20 mg of Furosemide. I took her back a week later because i noticed her belly was really swollen and was told its too late for her and there would be nothing they could do an i should consider Euthenization...OMG...she does not eat her breakfast anymore and sometimes all her dinner or just 1/2 of it but still wants her treats all day. I dont know if i should get a second opinion based on your video. I feel there are other options for her. SHe is a 9 yr old beagle collie cross
Hey Anita. Sorry to hear about your doggo's condition. There are more options available, such as increasing the Furosemide dose and/or frequency to help drain more fluid from the lungs and abdomen, Pimobendan to help increase the heart's ability to contract and Enalapril to help reduce the blood pressure. Whether these meds will help will depend on your vet's assessment of the dog's condition, as in some cases where the heart failure is already too far advanced these meds seldom help, and then, as hard as it is to say, euthanasia may be the best alternative, especially if you've tried everything and the dog's quality of life remain poor. Good luck on your decision 🌻
My Yorkie was diagnosed the same and the doctor told me she would have to be put down. It comes with such a shock when they tell you that. I surely wasn’t expecting that news that day. I wished I’d have noticed things sooner but I’m not sure there were any noticeable symptoms for her.
My dog is on heart medication. Not sure if he got any attack. I just heard him shout n he lied on one side. But when I picked him up, he was okay, just breathing a bit fast. Just a bit.
Hey doc. After being put on meds how long before appetite comes back? Thanks
Thank you for sharing. My dog only got 3 medicine vetmimdine and lasix I'm not sure if I spelled it right. And another one but I'll come back later to tell you cause I don't want to wake her. But now she coughing more. Especially after drinking water