My Labrador has DCM and heavy breathing. What's the prognosis?

I am sorry Harry does not feel well. It looks like according to the x-ray report he was diagnosed with possible dilated cardiomyopathy. This is where the left side of the heart is enlarged and not beating properly. The best option is to take Harry to a cardiologist for pets. They can do an ultrasound of the heart and determine what medications Harry needs. Most of the time these patients need medications for life. Unfortunately this is a fatal disease and needs medication for the heart to function properly. Hopefully Harry will feel better with medicines soon

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!

I’m sorry to hear that Summer is so sick. Does she have a diagnosis? Usually fluid build up is due to just a few things. Either heart failure ( which doesn’t sound right with small heart and slow rhythm), or low protein, or cancer. Low protein is typically caused by liver disease, kidney disease or intestinal disease. Some of these conditions are more treatable than others, but unlikely to be curable. I think her prognosis depends on what process is causing her symptoms, but I would prepare yourself for a limited time with her. I’m so sorry. Best of luck to you and Summer.

First off, I'm so sorry you suddenly lost Ranger! How horrible for you, please accept my condolences for your loss :-( Please keep in mind that without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain what caused him to pass away, but I can make an educated guess. In senior dogs, heart problems are common, and he could have been suffering from heart failure causing the heavy panting and leading to his death. Unfortunately cancer is also common in senior dogs, especially Labs as a breed, and cancer could have caused him to pass away. Dogs are very stoic with illness, and oftentimes they don't show signs of that illness until they are very sick. Cancer that has spread to the lungs or a primary lung tumor would cause heaving panting and does lead to death. These two diseases would be my top differentials for what caused his death. If you want a definitive answer, you can request your vet do a necropsy (an autopsy for dogs). This would give you some answers. Again, I'm so sorry for your loss.

I would discuss other treatment options with your vet. I understand that ultrasound can often be cost prohibitive, but your vet may be able to prescribe medications based on their best guess of the cause of the illness. Based on the labored breathing, weakness, and gagging, I would be worried about Donny's heart and lungs. I know heartworm disease is not terribly common, but it is still a possibility. Other possibilities include heart failure, pneumonia, hypertension, or cancer. You might discuss radiographs with your veterinarian to look inside Donny's chest. Increased potassium could indicate lab error, renal failure, gastrointestinal issues, or possibly Addison's Disease, or it could be normal. Elevated white blood cells can indicate bacterial or viral infection, inflammation, or cancer.

There are many things this could be: * laryngeal paralysis * congestive heart failure * severe pain * hypothyroidism * pulmonary thromboembolism * pneumonia * bloat * many more possibilities.... He really needs to get to the vet for an exam and possibly some blood testing and/or x-rays so you can get a diagnosis. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Heart disease affecting the lungs occurs when the heart is unable to pump the blood forward well, and the pressure back-up in the lungs causes fluid to seep out into the lungs, and the lungs fill up like a sponge filling up with water. The medications for heart disease include a diuretic which will essentially 'ring out' that sponge. It pulls fluid out of the body, and therefore out of the lungs. For this reason Rocky will drink and pee a lot on the medication. The other medications work by making the heart pump better (Pimobendan is the usual drug of choice for this) as well as decreasing the blood pressure so the heart can pump in a forward direction more easily (ACE inhibitor usually). Depending on the level of heart disease your vet will choose 1, or all 3, of these medications. Some dogs respond very well to medications and can live for a while, with changes in the medications every once and a while. Some dogs unfortunately don't respond well to the medication. It all depends on how severe the heart is at this point, as well as how well Rocky will respond to medications. You can get an echo (ultrasound of the heart) to determine exactly how bad the heart is at this point, or just see how he responds to the medications. His best chance is to be diligent about his medications, don't let them run out as he will need to be on them for the rest of his life, and do your follow up appointments as your vet is recommending. Best of luck with Rocky.