Dog pancreatitis: Can it cause CHF with cough and distended belly?

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.

Congestive heart failure and pneumonia can certainly have very similar symptoms in dogs - breathing hard, coughing, laying around more than normal, etc. Chest x-rays and blood work would normally help to determine which of these problems your dog has, as results of these tests would be different in congestive heart failure vs. pneumonia. If you have a more specific question about your dog's particular situation, feel free to post again - we would be happy to try and help.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Roxy! It is possible she is having a flare up of pancreatitis, but she is 9 years old so we need to be mindful of other things as well. She could be painful in her neck or back or have a different metabolic condition (liver, kidney problem or diabetes). I think starting the omerprazole as prescribed by your Vet is fine. For my patients with pancreatitis I do a low fat diet for life. If she is not eating and still acting abnormal when your Vet opens I would have her seen. Pancreatitis makes them nauseous and is painful. I treat with pain medications, antibiotics and antinausea medications. The omeprazole is just an antacid and will not help much for the nausea and pain. I hope this helps and I wish Roxy a speedy recovery!

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.

Hello, sorry to hear about Roxie. Those symptoms you are noting could be associated with cushings disease. This is a disease of the adrenal glands and/or pituitary gland that causes excessive secretion of steroid hormones. In addition to the voracious appetite, distended abdomen, and muscle mass loss, one may also note increase drinking and urinating, panting, and anxiety (such as the barking you're noting). Cushings disease can be managed medically, but she will likely need bloodwork and potentially an abdominal ultrasound for diagnostics. Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to have Roxie evaluated. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Your dog should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. It sounds like he may have a heart condition that is causing fluid buildup in his abdomen. This compresses the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Your dog may need to be on a diuretic to help him clear that fluid and ease his breathing. But get him in to be seen right away. Your vet will do an exam, blood work and x-rays to determine the cause and suggest an effective treatment plan.

I am very sorry to hear that you are having these concerning issues with Mambo. From the clinical signs you are describing; distended abodmen, coughing, changes to breathing patterns and lethargy I would be concerned about a potential heart condition. Heart disease can cause the heart to stop pumping blood around the body effectively. This then causes fluids to accumulate in the tissues such as the lungs and the abdomen. This could explain the bloated abdomen and the coughing. I would advise taking Mambo into the veterinarian as soon as you can. Fluid on the lungs can be a life threatening emergency. A veterinarian would be able to listen to Mambo's heart and lunch sounds during an examination and tell you if there is fluid build-up or a heart problem. I hope that is a helpful answer and that Mambo receives the medical care he needs soon. Sending my absolute best wishes to you both.