Dog with heart failure in pain. What can I do when vet says no more?

I am so sorry that your pet is in heart failure. Fluid build up in the abdomen is not a good sign. She needs to see a veterinarian asap to have the fluid drained from her belly first. Then she can potentially go on an additional medication to help manage her heart disease. I would recommend discussing with your vet about placing her on Vetmedin (Pimobendan) which will help her heart pump more effectively. However if you cannot reasonably have the procedure done to drain the fluid (abdominocentesis) then pain medication can be prescribed by your vet to help make her comfortable until you know its time to let her go. Again I am so sorry that your pet is so very ill and I wish you all the best.

Hi. Is your pet on medications for heart failure? If so, and still coughing, your veterinarian may need to reassess xrays and possibly increase doses of medication. Prognosis for heart failure is guarded to poor. I'm sorry she isn't feeling well

These decisions are certainly not easy to make and I'm sorry that you and Pepper are going through this. While I can't examine Pepper to speak to his current state of respiratory distress or discomfort, anytime ascites and respiratory changes consistent with heart failure are present, the animal is generally uncomfortable. With heart failure, animals accumulate fluid in and around the lungs and do not appropriately perfuse oxygenated blood, causing a weakened state with difficulty breathing. In cases of heart failure, I would recommend either trying appropriate diuretics and other medications (possibly enalapril/benazapril and pimobendan, as indicated) or euthanizing. Without reducing the fluid in the chest and improving heart contractility to allow for better oxygenation, animals have a diminished quality of life. Closely monitor Pepper for more effort in his breathing, coughing, inappetance and lethargy. I'm sorry you're going through this and I hope this helps.

I'm so sorry that Jenny isn't feeling well. You are correct, it sounds like she is showing signs of congestive heart failure. Unfortunately there are no over the counter medications you can give her for this. She really needs to see a vet. She needs diuretics, ace inhibitors and a drug to help her heart contract better (pimobendan). With these medications on board many dogs can live for quite some time and have a good quality of life. Without the medications I am afraid she won't well. I found this website that may help you in finding some low cost vet care in your area: https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/care/vetcare I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Jenny.

I'm sorry Haachiko is feeling so poorly at the moment! Unfortunately yes, it is likely he is in pain. Dogs can be very stoic when ill, and will often be in pain without necessarily vocalizing the pain. All of the symptoms you are seeing indicate he is quite ill and he will be feeling very badly. There is no cure for heart disease, but mediation can be given to manage his symptoms. I would speak to your vet about medications that may be appropriate for him. I'm sorry he is so ill :-(

First, I am so sorry for your loss of Poppy. Pancreatitis can be a very painful and often devastating disease within aggressive and immediate treatment. Unfortunately the loss of fluids from vomiting and diarrhea can result in shock. I am hopeful that the anti spasm medication the vet gave would have provided her some pain relief before she passed. Again, I am so sorry for your loss.

I certainly agree with your veterinarian that the symptoms you are mentioning do sound consistent with heart failure. If your veterinarian has not yet taken an x-ray of her chest, that would be the next thing I would recommend doing. It will confirm if there is fluid in her lungs. There are a number of medications that can be used for heart failure. A diuretic is only one of them and diuretic doses do have to be adjusted to each patient. I am attaching a handout below with more information on heart failure and medications for you. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1968 Another option would be to have a consultation with a cardiologist who can do an ultrasound of Roxie's heart (an echocardiogram) and will be able to help decide on the best medications for her based on that information. You can find a cardiologist near you here. http://find.vetspecialists.com Good luck! I hope that was helfpul. Thanks for using PetCoach.