Can I give my senior cat with CHF dandelion or milk thistle?

The heart condition is likely a sequel to the hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism speeds up the heart rate, and that increases the thickness of the heart muscle which will enlarge the heart. Please do not experiment with herbal medicines. Hyperthyroidism, if not controlled will cause the heart condition to worsen, so it is absolutely necessary to use medications that will work such as thyreostatic medication (the thyroid medications your veterinarian prescribed). The Furosemide will help your cat get rid of the fluid in her lungs. Please listen to your veterinarian. Your kitty can have a good quality of life with the correct medications. This is one case where herbals will not help.

Hey. It looks like the pictures you tried to attach did not work for one reason or another. I can tell you right now that if Tommy is in congestive heart failure, there are no products that are able to make the claim of being able to reverse the disease process. The only way to stop congestive heart failure is by repairing the problem causing it in the first place, which is in most instances in veterinary medicine not possible. The medications that we use are meant to slow the progression of the disease and control the symptoms. This herbal drug may have some of those similar effects, but I doubt it will be a substitute for drugs like furosemide and enalapril. Hope this makes sense.

I am sorry Snow is having this issue. You can contact your vet to see if any adjustments can be made to the current medications as far as dosing is concerned but short of that, no, there really isn't anything else you can do. It sounds like she is being treated appropriately. Best wishes.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Toxicity does not increase with number of medications, and the more medications you have the better they can work together to help fight the heart disease. (Toxicity occurs with OVERDOSES of one particular drug). Heart disease unfortunately is progressive, and if Zoe has been placed on all four of these medications, it likely means that the heart disease is severe, and she NEEDS these medications so that she doesn't suffer from congestion (which is awful). These are all life-long medications so please do not stop them! At this stage there aren't any other typical heart medications to add in, so if Zoe is not doing well clinically (weak, tired, not breathing well, bloated abdomen), then I recommend you have a recheck with your vet. These drugs can be hard on the kidneys, but in order to treat the heart disease so that Zoe isn't suffering from congestive heart failure, this is sometimes unavoidable. Best of luck with Zoe, I hope she feels better!

Thanks for asking PetCoach! When we use a holistic approach to treatment, we need to remember that it is best to think of it as a marriage of traditional western medicine (drugs) with eastern medicine (herbs, acupuncture, etc). Some of the medications we use for congestive heart failure just CANNOT be replaced-- for instance Lasix (furosemide) - this medication is essential in treatment of chf. Additional treatments in addition to frequently used drugs for CHF would include acupuncture, as well as an herb called Hawthorn. This herb is not going to interfere with Lasix (furosemide), Vetmedin (pimobendan), or enalipril. If she is on digoxin (used to treat some arrhythmias), it could potentially interfere. I recommend Standard Process/Medi-herb brand for herbals. Here is a website to find a place that sells this brand: https://www.standardprocess.com/HCP-Search Adding acupuncture and Hawthorn would be the best suggestion I have for you. Good luck with your dog!

Unfortunately herb mixtures will not kill Greg's cancer, and you have to be very careful with some of these "natural" remedies as they may contain ingredients that are toxic to cats. If your family is against chemo, you can do hospice care if he does not have a good prognosis without chemo. That involves keeping him as comfortable as possible, pain medications prescribed by the vet as needed. You can discuss with his vet if that's an option. Best of luck.

There is nothing you can really do that is natural at home. The medication provided by your veterinarian is the best to help Moo live the best life he can with all of his issues. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.