On Apr 5, 10:05*am, FurPaw wrote:
Mr_Markham wrote:
Hello all,
has anyone had a dog diagnosed with CHF/chronic valvular disease? My
own little five pounds of perfect has been diagnosed as of last week
and is now on four meds, including enalapril, aldactone, pimobendan,
and of course, the ever popular lasix. The heart specialist says she
may have a year to a year and a half. It's heart breaking and surreal
all at once. I have seen her echo and her heart valve problem but at
the same time I take her out and she loves, loves, loves to run and
jump and leap around like her heart is fine.On the meds she has
virtually no cough at all, ever, (unless her archenemy appears in the
yard and she gets on rant and gulps too much water in the middle of
her rant after drying out her throat barking) and it makes me wonder
if anyone else has had experience with this that maybe they could
share with me?
Thanks in advance.

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. *You didn't say how old your
dog is.

I've had 3 chihuahuas with congestive heart failure, heart
murmurs and enlarged hearts. *All lived for several years after
the diagnosis, to reasonable ages for their breed. *Tika was 13
at diagnosis and lived to 16; her only treatment was lasix.
Gordo was 9 or 10 and lived to 14; he took lasix, benazepril and
spironolactone. *Chile was 14 and is now nearly 17; she takes
lasix and started on pimobendan, which was approved in the US
only recently.

Yes, there is no cure, and the treatments have their own side
effects. *But they do help prolong the life of the dogs with a
reasonably good quality. *Chile is now a doddering old lady and
sleeps most of the time, but she still enjoys her ice cream and
sitting on my lap getting full-body massages.

My vets never gave me a prognosis, so I can't say whether your
vet is underestimating or being realistic based on the condition
of your dog's heart. *The advice I would give you is to just
enjoy her to the ultimate in the time that she has remaining. *It
sounds like she's giving you that message, too. (Dogs don't live
long enough, anyhow.) *And when she does slow down, be there with
a lap and a ready hand for dishing out the pets.

Hope this helps -

FurPaw

--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * - Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Hi Furpaw, thanks for the answer. My dog is 9 years old and she's the
coolest dog I ever met. :-) It's nice to see your stuff about your own
dogs, thanks. I appreciate reading it.