What do Pimobendan, Lasix, and meds do for my dog's heart and lungs?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry to hear about Bizou! Unfortunately, if he is in congestive heart failure, the only treatment is the lasix pill (furosemide). Depending on how severe his condition is, he may not survive without hospitalization with oxygen and injectible lasix. Your vet may have a strong suspicion of this if Bizou has a heart murmur and many crackles in the lungs (we can hear with the stethoscope). However, even that is not enough to definitively diagnose it. I have seen a couple dogs I was sure were in heart failure and when I took the x-rays, it turned out to be pneumonia or cancer. If you can at all afford it, go for the xrays so you at least know what you are dealing with - if it's cancer instead of heart failure, that may change your approach. If it is heart failure, it will give a clue as to how serious. If you can't afford the x-rays, treat for whatever the vet thinks is most likely. If heart failure is it, the most commonly prescribed medications are furosemide, enalapril, and pimobendan (though there are others). Finally, if he is still struggling for air, his tongue/gums are any color other than bright pink, or the vet thinks it is serious enough to require oxygen, and you cannot pay for treatment, I would strongly consider euthanasia. Dying by gasping and struggling for air while drowning in your own fluids is a horrible way to go - I've seen it several times. Please feel free to reach out to me via consultation if you'd like to to have a more detailed conversation with you. Best wishes to you and Bizou.

Poor Tata. The furosemide medication that she is on right now is supposed to help clear fluid out of her lungs. If she is still having issues breathing then I would ask your vet if she can safely up her dosage. There is a wide safety range for this medication so chances are she can up. Just remember that heart failure symptoms will never completely resolve with medication. Your goal is to make Tata as comfortable as possible. Best of luck with your pet.

Oh no! This sounds very serious and the Lasix alone probably isn't enough to control her symptoms. If she is this sick you should definitely take Roxy back in to the vet to perhaps up her dose of Lasix (there is often a wide range that you can give pets until symptoms resolve) or give her actual heart medication. If the heart is not addressed directly (with medications), then no matter how much Lasix you give, the lungs will continue to fill with fluid due to the direct relationship that is shared between the heart and lungs. This website link discusses the use of both Lasix and heart medications (Enalapril) together in pets with signs of congestive heart failure, which is likely Roxy's condition. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=537

Lasix is a diuretic medication used to decrease fluid in the lung if there is evidence of congestive heart failure. The best way to diagnose heart disease is with an echocardiogram, but since mainly veterinary specialists perform this procedure veterinarians often prescribe Lasix based on heart changes and evidence of pulmonary edema fluid on x-rays. If Fred's diabetes is well regulated it may not be worthwhile to change his food. There are some therapeutic diets that are formulated to have lower sodium and increased amounts of omega 3 fatty acids that may benefit patients with heart disease, but since diet plays an important role in glucose regulation there's a chance Fred's insulin requirements could change with a new diet. Depending on the type of heart disease diagnosed or suspected some veterinarians recommend a taurine supplement or fatty acid supplement. You could ask your veterinarian if either of these would be recommended in Fred's case.

Unfortunately the dilation of the heart cannot be reversed, but the medications will help to slow its progression and improve the other side effects of enlarged heart. The vetmedin helps the heart pump faster and harder, the furosemide reduces fluid build up in the lungs and the benazepril stops maladaptive pathways being activated. You should see a difference in him within a week or two, the medication can help to improve quality of life greatly.

It depends. Some dogs with appropriately managed congestive heart failure can live for years. Other dogs may only live days. Lasix is good for removing fluid from the lungs, but it is rarely used alone in treatment of congestive heart failure. Medications like enalapril and Vetmedin are commonly used alongside Lasix. I would recommend discussing these additional medications with your vet. https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/congestive-heart-failure/

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.