My Cavalier has MVD. Should she take Vetmedin for CHF prevention?

20-40% of adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have heart murmurs, most commonly due to hereditary problems with the mitral valve. While many go on to develop congestive heart failure, other dogs may be asymptomatic for a long time, or may develop another disease before the heart is significantly affected. Not all Cavaliers die from heart disease.

A heart supplement wouldn’t hurt but she probably doesn’t necessarily need one, particularly if she does not have documented heart disease. If you choose to use a supplement I would recommend VetriScience Cardio. You should always check with your vet before starting any supplement.

Vetmedin (Pimobendan) is an inotrope, which means that its job is to make the heart pump more forcibly, so I would say that what you are seeing clinically is the medication doing its job. I would not recommend discontinuing this medication. But also, if you feel that your pet Ruby has any other adverse effects to this medication, then it will be necessary to have her seen and examined by a vet in person in order to get any recommendations as to what, if any, changes in her medication are needed in the future. Best of luck with Ruby and I hope that her condition can be stabilized well with her medication. Best wishes and take care.

Unfortunately, this Coq10 will not prevent her from getting heart disease. There's no harm in giving it to her, but as you've said, the cavalier King Charles spaniel is prone to heart disease genetically. Supplements do not change her genetics, but you can help her heart health by making sure she isn't obese and has plenty of exercise.

With my research I was able to find a reliable source that contradicts the use of both Young at heart and Pimobendan (Vetmedin). Since your pet is already on Vetmedin, he should not be on this supplement. The other heart medication, Enalapril, can be given with this supplement however, but I am unsure if this is indicated for your pets specific heart condition or not. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8501760 I would however suggest getting him on a prescription dog food for pets with heart disease such as Hill's H/D or Royal Canin Cardiac. I hope that Krystal's condition stabilizes soon with her heart medications. The best we can hope for is to help her compensate for her heart defect as long as feasibly possible. Best of luck to you and take care!

Without a full clinical history and especially echo findings it is very difficult to advise further here - HCM is extremely rare in dogs, especially of this age and DCM or mitral valve disease and secondary changes are much more common. Many dogs will have a high blood pressure when being taken due to stress (even more so than people) and in small dogs readings can be very difficult and more than 2 readings would be recommended and after a period of acclimatization to the clinic. Referral for an echo wold be recommended

With Charlie-coughing is no fun!! With the history of mitral valve disease I would definitely be concerned that the coughing is secondary to progressing cardiac issues. I would recommend taking Charlie to your regular veterinarian as soon as you can. They can do a thorough physical exam and may recommend X-rays and blood work. The concern is that Charlie’s heart is no longer pumping as effectively as it should, and fluid can start to build up in the lungs. This makes it difficult to breath and contributes to coughing. Depending on the findings your vet may recommend seeing a cardiac specialist, additional testing such as a cardiac ultrasound (echo) may be indicated as well. Your vet will likely discuss some medication options with you-dogs with cardiac disease often need medication to help remove the fluid in their lungs and also to help support cardiac function.