My 11-year-old Lab has heart issues and fluid. What's her prognosis?

Poor girl! Typically the fluid that was drained can be sent off for analysis to try and identify any cancerous cells. Also if it is hemangiosarcoma then an ultrasound of the spleen should reveal cancer there too, as this is typically where it would originate before spreading to the heart. You could also ask your vet for a referral to an internal specislist to do more advanced imaging to come up with an accurate diagnosis. Also until the cause is found, Gracee is likely going to need additional drainages of the excess fluid build up around her heart, and you want that to be done by a specialist anyway because of the high risk associated with such a procedure. I think it's reasonable to say that you should prepare yourself for the worse because the odds of this being cancer is greater than it not being cancer unfortunately. I send my deepest sympathies for you and your pet during this troubling time and I hope that you are able to make a decision regarding her care soon that you are comfortable with and keeps her best interest at heart.

Sorry to hear about Dollar's recent diagnosis. In general, DCM is a terminal disease. The goal of treatment is to slow it's progression and help with the symptoms. Some breeds are much more prone to a quick and devastating disease process while others progress more slowly. The Dobermann Pinscher is the poster child for this condition, and as a result, often succumbs to it rather quickly. Labradors are not known to carry this condition very often and to my knowledge, have no genetic predisposition for it. However speaking with a board certified cardiologist about this might shed some more light on the issue in terms of recent studies, particularly breed specific ones. If Dollar is not already on medications, I would encourage you to speak with you vet or consult with the cardiologist about getting him started on several right away. Typically, there are at least two or three medications to consider in order to stem the tide. Prognosis will be determined based on serialized ultrasounds of the heart to determine the disease's progression. I have seen some animals live weeks, while others can live well over a year. Unfortunately, one of the symptoms of this condition is sudden death, so managing the disease as best as possible is the best way to avoid this. Hope this helps, and once again, I'm sorry about the diagnosis.

It is all dependent on the cause of the liver failure. Is the liver failure due to a primary tumor or other cause? Prognosis varies from pet to pet. Whether it is cirrhosis of the liver or a tumor causing the problem, the prognosis can be days to years depending on how severe it is. What I would recommend is further testing to help determine if there is a primary cause. You can drain his abdomen periodically to make him comfortable. If there is a liver mass, some liver tumors can be removed surgically by removing the affected liver lobe. Not that long ago, I removed a large tumor on a friend's dog that was causing fluid in the abdomen and also the mass / cyst contained approximately 750ml of fluid! The dog is doing great and the prognosis is very good as the tumor was benign. Some outcomes are favorable and others are unfavorable. It would be best to seek further testing to help get a better grasp on what the prognosis will be for his dog. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions / concerns and I would be happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend taking him to the vet right away. He may have a back up of fluid into his lungs basically making him feel like he is drowning. I cannot give him a prognosis and tell you how much time he has left without knowing more about his case. You need blood work, X-rays and a possible ultrasound of his heart to know the severity and what is going on right now. If you are unable to do the full work up, discussing euthanasia would not be a bad idea because he is currently suffering. I hope this helps. Good luck and kisses to Baylor!

There are many medications which can be used to support a failing heart and should be used alongside diuretics in order to help support the function of the heart, reduce fluid build up in the lungs and abdomen and control blood pressure if required. Unfortunately, no cure is available and medications should be adjusted as Zoe's condition changes; many dogs can live for months-years with a heart condition depending on the severity of other health complications which can also occur as they age. Without a full history of all her complaints and recent tests it is impossible to assess her medium-long term prognosis

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Coughing and bringing up clear liquid could be coughing up stuff instead of vomiting. This is important to try to differentiate. Coughing up liquid is more consistent with heart disease. The x-rays are difficult to read as the image transfer through is of poor quality and to really assess the lungs you need good quality images, however the heart does look a bit enlarged and the lungs do look a bit 'white'. I cannot assess the liver on these radiographs as you cannot see them. An enlarged heart, white lungs (fluid in the lungs), and an enlarged liver is consistent with both right and left sided heart disease. I recommend you return either to your vet, or another vet, and get a specialist ultrasound of the heart (an 'echo') to determine if heart medications are required. Your vet can also listen to the heart to see if a murmur is present in the heart, or 'crackles' are heard on the lungs. Heart disease is very serious and needs medications to manage. Without these Lily unfortunately will essentially drown in her own lungs, if heart disease is the problem. I suggest a recheck as soon as possible to get this figured out. Best of luck with Lily, I hope she feels better soon.

I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. Unfortunately, chronic renal failure is a common problem in elderly dogs, and is often in the late stages already by time it's diagnosed. The situation was likely complicated by the fact that your girl also had CHF, because the treatment for renal failure (lots of fluids) is essentially the opposite of what dogs with heart disease need to control their symptoms. So we are often stuck between a rock and a hard place, when it comes to trying to treat dogs who have both of these problems. It sounds like your girl had a wonderful life, to have made it to 17 years old. It doesn't sound like there's anything at all you could have done differently - these are both just bad diseases, that are unfortunately common in older pets. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.