What are signs it's time to consider euthanasia for my dog with CHF?

I'm sorry Chloe has CHF. She will have extreme difficulty breathing, blue colored gums, she may cough blood, and she will be in a lot of distress and pain. I do not recommend letting her get to this place, it would be horrible for her. One of the great things about veterinary medicine is that we have the ability to ease a dog's suffering before they reach a place of intense pain, distress, and suffering. I recommend having her put to sleep before she reaches this place, it will be better for her and you. Having to watch her go through those symptoms I described above would be very upsetting to you, and you don't want to put her or you through it. I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face the question as to when it is time to let them go frequently. I would make a list of five things Chloe loves to do. When she is no longer doing at least two of them, then it's time to let her go peacefully. It's about looking at her quality of life and preventing her from getting to a place where it's awful. You can speak with your vet for more advice as to when to let her go. You can also request a consult with me for a more in-depth discussion about it. I hope this helps, and again I'm sorry :-(

Great questions! Each dog varies in terms of survival from DCM, and treating it medically can help increase the survival time. From your description, it sounds like Chico is medically managed well so far if he able to go for daily walks, play, and the only abnormal sign you see is the short bursts of coughing. You should look out for exercise intolerance (not being able to play or go for walks, collapsing when walking or playing), difficulty breathing, increased coughing, and lethargy. If you see any of those signs, I would take Chico into a vet as soon as possible. He may need an adjustment in the dose of his medications or an additional medication added to control his symptoms. I hope this helps!

If his respiratory rate is normal, he's eating and drinking, seems to be feeling good (not acting lethargic), and recovers quickly from these coughing fits (within 2ish minutes), I don't think you need to take him to emergency. A mild degree of coughing is to be expected in these guys. Try to get a video if you can, that way when you do take him in, the vet can see the severity of what you are seeing at home. I would recommend you call your vet and see if you can increase the dose of Tussigon. Use the following guidelines for when to take him to ER: *respiratory rate at rest persistently above 40 breaths per minute *unrelenting cough or any coughing fit that causes his tongue to turn a blue or purple color *not eating, or acting increasingly tired and lethargic *any new symptoms arise (vomiting/diarrhea, change in the appearance of his belly such as appearing bloated, etc) I hope that's helpful for you! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Tiny! Based on the signs you are describing (panting, coughing, and acting "off" recently), I would definitely be concerned that his heart disease may be getting worse, which may require changes in his medication doses. By law, the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach are not allowed to give any recommendations regarding dosages for any medication, since this requires a physical exam and a VCPR (veterinarian-client-patient relationship). I would suggest talking to the vet who is currently treating Tiny's CHF and who originally prescribed the medications to see what he/she would recommend - it would be best to do this today, or take Tiny back to the vet for an exam this afternoon, since worsening CHF can be life-threatening without prompt treatment.

Hello, I'm sorry to hear about Spunky. It difficult when you receive news like that. It sounds like your vet is doing everything they can to remove the fluid from her lungs and support her heart health. CHF is unfortunately a serious condition and difficult to treat. I would consider her quality of life, and let that help you decide when to let her go. Keep a calendar of her good days and bad to help you visualize what her weeks are like. Also think about what you would want to live like, and if she's enjoying her life. I hope that is helpful. I have a senior dog and these decisions are never easy.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Louie. I'm so sorry that you and him are going through this. I usually tell clients that once he stops eating, drinking, develops difficulty breathing, becomes severely lethargic, etc. it's time to start thinking about euthanasia to prevent suffering. So those are the guidelines I suggest. Again, I'm so sorry you are going through this. I wish you the best in the coming days. Remember, this is the hardest thing that humans will go through in this life. Follow your heart. Louie will tell you when he's ready. God Bless

Hello, I am sorry to hear that Rocky is having troubles. If Rocky is coughing he is not feeling good. Coughing from CHF is like feeling like you are drowning and can't catch your breath. However, you can likely increase his medications in order to help decrease the coughing and give him a better quality of life. Depending on the severity of his heart disease and the dose of medications that you are on now, he may be able to have increased doses and do well for a while, or he may be at the maximum dose and be in end stage heart disease. Chat with your vet about increasing the dose of the diuretic (Furosemide) to make him feel better.