My dog won't eat after heart meds, should I adjust the dosage?

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.

I'm so sorry to hear that you are having this problem with Memi. Balancing heart and kidney failure can be a challenge, so it will certainly be important to find a way to keep Memi eating and taking his medication. My best suggestion is to look into a compounding pharmacy. I am unsure of which ones are available in Canada, but we commonly use a company in the US that can compound medications into liquid or treats instead of pills. That tends to work very well for cats or picky dogs. I would recommend talking to your vet about finding a compounding pharmacy to make Memi's medication into a form that is easier to get into him. In the meantime, the best trick I have found for getting pills into picky dogs is wrapping them in a little Braunschweiger or liver pate. It is stinky enough to hide the flavor of almost any pill. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Adrian. I am sorry to hear about all of her recent troubles. I would give her water through a syringe in small frequent amounts. One of the main medications for heart failure is furosemide (lasix). This is a diuretic to pull fluid off the lungs. This medication is life saving, but can cause dehydration and secondary kidney damage. So it is important for her to stay hydrated. Hopefully her attitude and appetite will pick up once the medications are working. Her breathing rate and effort are big indicators if the heart drugs are working. Her respiratory rate should be less than 30 breaths/min when resting if the fluid has resolved. She should also breathe easily and without obvious effort. The diarrhea can be secondary to the heart disease itself or even the stress of illness. Hopefully it will resolve with the new medication. If she is struggling to breathe, isn't eating or drinking well tomorrow and the diarrhea persists, she will need to see her veterinarian again. It is important to carefully monitor her blood work and blood pressure after starting heart medications. I hope this information helps!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry that Odie isn't feeling well. The heart on the x-rays is very big, so treatment for the heart disease is a good idea. One of the medications given typically with heart disease is a drug called Furosemide, and this usually makes them drink and pee a lot. Other medications for heart disease including Benazepril (Fortekor) and Pimobendan (Vetmedin). Benazepril can be hard on the kidneys so follow up bloodwork is recommended. If Odie is not improving with the medications he might need higher doses. Also, if he isn't eating and drinking, I would be concerned about another disease process going on, and would recommend bloodwork. You can always try a 24 hour emergency center if you can't get into your local vet for a consult. I hope he feels better soon. I wouldn't change any medications you are giving now without talking to a vet first, and it sounds like Odie needs to be seen soon. Best of luck with Odie.

I'm so sorry Duke is having heart and lung problems! I am very concerned that he has not eaten for several days and has no energy. He may potentially have something else going on besides his previously diagnosed heart and lung issues. I would recommend you take him back in to your vet as soon as possible to be evaluated. Often with heart disease, dogs need a combination of medication, including furosemide and pimobendan (the cardisure), and potentially a blood pressure medication. If he is not eating he may need more aggressive treatment and potentially injectable medication. He also may need another x-ray to see how his lungs look. He may need blood work to make sure his kidneys are okay as well as check his electrolytes. Again, I'm so sorry Duke doesn't feel well. Heart disease can be difficult to manage and is progressive, so over time medications sometimes have to be adjusted and/or dosages changed. I hope he starts feeling better soon. Your vet will help you determine what is the next best step for him! Good luck!

This question really depends on what medicaiton she is getting daily. Yes it is true that some pets take time to adjust but she should still be energetic and relatively normal otherwise. She also should be receptive to taking yummy irrresistible treats. I would recommend offering her some boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese to see if you can coax her to eat a full meal. Once she eats you should be able to resume her medicaiton. Also please keep in mind that some medicaitons can cause lack of appetite as a side effect so it is important to have her re-evaluated by your local vet if she is having such a reaction. She may even need to be placed on a different medicaiton that her body will agree with. If you need to discuss her case more in detail feel free to request a consultation at your convenience. I hope this helps! Take care.

Hi. Is your pet on medications for heart failure? If so, and still coughing, your veterinarian may need to reassess xrays and possibly increase doses of medication. Prognosis for heart failure is guarded to poor. I'm sorry she isn't feeling well