My dog has heart/kidney failure, lethargic after fluids. What to do?

Hello, sorry to hear about Michael. It sounds like he needs to be more thoroughly assessed and medically managed. He may even need hospitalization as his breathing rate is severely elevated. I would recommend having him evaluated by a veterinarian tonight to ensure he is not having fluid in his chest or lungs which make it hard for him to breathe. He may likely need to be hospitalized to treat his kidney and respiratory problems as he may be suffering. Hope this helps and best of luck.

These are all great questions. I’m sorry you are having to navigate through this with Memi but he is lucky to have an owner as dedicated as you are! An increased respiratory rate and/or effort can be indicative of fluid build up in the lungs from heart failure. Sometimes this fluid can be heard on exam with a stethoscope and sometimes it can only be seen on X-rays. In my experience, the severity of the fluid build up correlates with the physical exam findings. Occasionally I may see fluid in an X-ray that I cannot hear on exam so I always recommend doing X-rays if I am suspicious of heart failure. The rate at which fluid builds up in th lungs can vary from dog to dog and case to case. There is no way to anticipate how quickly fluid will accumulate in Memi until it begins to happen. A diuretic like lasix can very effectively remove this fluid but, like with all drugs, has to be used with caution and the patient has to be monitored closely while on it. If Memi is still having difficulty breathing I would recommend requesting a recheck appointment with either your regular veterinarian or your cardiologist. I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.

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.

If a dog has heart problems and is unable to utilize the volume of fluids that is given, those fluids can end up in the lungs and cause an increase in breathing. This is most common with large amounts of fluids given IV quickly, but can occur with SubQ fluids. However, it takes time to develop, so it would have occured a number of hours after fluids were given - not immediately after. And when Memi was hospitalized, the IV fluids should have made her worse, not better. The most likely explanation is that the breathing was due to her kidney disease, and the fluids were coincidentally given at the same time. Giving enough fluids (IV or SubQ) is very important to making a kidney failure patient feel good, so continuing her SubQ fuids is important. Good luck! I hope that answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am worried that the increased heart rate may be more due to his heart failure and more fluids around his lungs or in his abdomen. I would talk to your vet about his meds. They may want to increase the dosage of all the meds to help him compensate. They may also add meds like a diuretic to help get some of the fluids off the chest. I am so sorry you are having to go through this. Right sided heart failure is usually caused by heartworms most commonly. Heartworms may not be very common in your area but it may be worth checking. If they haven't already, I would ask them to check for heartworms. I hope this helps!

Hello. Struggling to breath is very uncomfortable and needs to be addressed immediately as it indicates very serious disease which could be fatal at any time. Jockey's breed suggests that heart disease is most likely, however with renal disease as well he could have vomited and aspirated. You will need to have a vet listen to his heart as well as look at chest x-rays to determine if the cause of the breathing is his heart or his lungs. He will then need medications for this. It will be hard to treat heart disease on top of his kidney disease, however struggling to breath is a terrible way to be, and requires treatment to provide a humane quality of life. I am sorry that Jockey is so sick. I suggest a re-visit with your vet. Good luck with Jockey.

Poor girl. I would certainly consider at least getting her checked again and fluid therapy (IV or subcutaneously). If her values are not too bad, she may be able to be managed at home with subcutaneous fluids that you yourself give. That is if you are up to the task. Also I am not sure if she is on a prescription kidney diet. If not, then she needs to be transitioned right away. The vet can also prescribe some anti-nausea medication for her to help with her condition. And lastly, I would highly recommend a supplement called Azodyl, which is a natural way to help lower your pets kidney enzymes. Their toxic levels in the bloodstream are directly correlated with how sick your pet will feel, so focusing on lowering these values can improve your pets condition greatly. Here is a website link with more kidney therapy options --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952670 I hope that these additional treatment suggestions help Chloe stabilize and perhaps hold off the euthanasia talks for a while. Best of luck moving fowrard and take care. : )