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While efforts are made to answer all questions as quickly as possible, if an immediate answer is required or if your pet is in need of urgent or emergency care, contact your pet's veterinarian immediately.
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It may be necessary to consult your pet's veterinarian regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your pet's symptoms or medical condition.
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While efforts are made to answer all questions as quickly as possible, if an immediate answer is required or if your pet is in need of urgent or emergency care, contact your pet's veterinarian immediately.
Submit Your QuestionHello, I have a 13-year-old male Chihuahua that weights 10-11 lbs. His mother is epileptic and is on seizure medication. Unfortunately, he inherited epilepsy. He is not on any medication for epilepsy, but he does have an occasional seizure. Maybe once or twice a year. Last year when we took him to the vet, he had a heart murmur. This year when I took him, he has CHF, and is coughing and gagging constantly. The vet put him on Pimobendan flex dose tab and Salix 13.5 mg half tab once daily. I also give him .8 ML of CBD oil. He has gotten very nervous and he licks anything and everything constantly. Now that you know his history, I do have a question for you. I want to know if there is anything else I could be doing for him because he is still gagging and coughing about 15 to 20 times a day. I want to find a way to help comfort him. If you have any suggestions, I wholeheartedly appreciate anything you can tell me. Thank you and have a good day.
HEY! Heart disease is a balancing game with Kidney Failure - due to LASIXS causing kidney disease from long term use. But the Lasixs is what gets the fluid off the lungs, helps them breath and stops the coughing. But it has the kidney failure side effects. Since your dog is a chihuahua, the coughing could be due to a weak or collapsed trachea, which is very common for chihuahuas to have. For this you can use Hycodan Liquid (cough syrup) to suppress the cough. However, if the cough is from fluid on the lungs, your chihuahua will keep coughing and be uncomfortable. I personally just put to sleep my 18 year old chihuahua Tod from heard disease. He did live 2 more years on heart medicine before he died. So the Pimobendan and Lasixs prolonged his life. He was also on Gabapentin for pain and Hycodan for coughing too! So talk to your vet about those two things. STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR VET. And do lots of rechecks with Heart Disease. This was a long answer and I hope it helped you! Dr. Lindsay Butzer PLEASE CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBvlURdNKSJ2oRbzUB1_JQw
What otc can I give a boxer 11y/o for congestive heart disease
Hey! There are no over the counter medications for heart disease in dogs I am so sorry! You need to get prescription medication by your veterinarian. To prolong their lives heart medications for pets are very effective. ~ Dr. Lindsay Butzer
What should I give my dog to help with symptoms especially the cough
Hey! Coughing can be due to heart disease, tracheal issues or pneumonias. Please have your local veterinarian do an in-person physical exam on your dog to prescribe the right medications. I hope this helped! Dr. Lindsay Butzer
What is the best brand of dog food to get for dogs with heart failure?
Hey! I recommend a food that is low in calories for dogs with heart disease so they stay in shape if they are overweight such as Blue Buffalo GI low fat diet linked here. If they are losing weight due to heart disease I recommend feeding them a diet that is higher in protein but low in sodium. If your pet is very geriatric I recommend feeding them boiled chicken plain bland and pat dry with a paper towel to get most of the grease off, to keep weight on them. DIET LINK: https://www.1800petmeds.com/blue+natural+veterinary+diet+gi+gastrointestinal+support+low+fat+dry+dog+food-prod61197.html I hope this helped! Dr. Lindsay Butzer
If my dog I'd on Enalapril. Salix furosemide, vetmedin why is she still coughing?
Her medications may need to be adjusted and/or she may be at a point where the medications may not help anymore or she may have another condition either on top of the congestive heart failure or a different problem all together.
is he in danger because of missing 2 days without his meds
It entirely depends on the severity of his heart failure so consult your veterinarian for the best advice about this.
Is it okay to put flea drops on my dog that has congestive heart failure?
Probably but it may depend on which drops you plan on using, what medications your dog is on, etc. so your veterinarian is the best one to ask.
Hello, my 14yo cat lost a lot of weight the last 2 mths. TheDVM reports he has a high heart rate and DVM can't hear pulse in cat's left leg and only a slight pulse in cat's right leg. DVM suspects heart disease that can be controlled with meds. Testing is $900. Is this reasonable in New Jersey? Thanks.
Yes - he probably needs bloodwork to rule out things like hyperthyroidism, x-rays and ultrasound for confirmation of the heart disease and severity of the condition to determine which medications are most appropriate. I live in Georgia, so asking veterinarians in your surrounding area about prices will give you a better idea about prices but that sounds about right for all of that up there.
is there a otc supplement for a dog with a heart murmer
One with high omega 3 fatty acids and coenzyme Q10 may help, like this product: https://www.1800petmeds.com/natural+dog+company+multivitamin+supplement+chews-prod12837.html
Hi, my 12 year old lab probably has congestive heart failure. What can I do to keep him comfortable?
Your veterinarian is definitely the best one to ask because it depends on the severity, his/her symptoms, bloodwork, x-rays, etc. Here is a link to our article about congestive heart failure with various treatment options (both over-the-counter and prescription) under the treatment tab: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/congestive-heart-failure
My dog is 20, I fear he is having worsening heart failure, but he seems more to be in pain, can I give novox with enalapril? The vet is closed.
I would advise against doing this until you contact your veterinarian that has access to his last bloodwork: I would want to be sure his kidney and liver function are good before doing that.
Anything i can do for my 12 year old shitzu female afraid she is having congestive heart issues
Yes, there are many potential treatment options for dogs with congestive heart problems - much of the same medications human take - most will require a prescription from your veterinarian. Here is a direct link to our page detailing treatment options for dogs with CHF: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/congestive-heart-failure-treatment-dog-c.html
My pet Missy passed. She had a heart murur range 4 after taken vetmedin stop eating and vomiting within 2months she dead. Vetmedin kill my dog
I'm so sorry to hear that about Missy! Since Vetmedin has been out for many years now, it seems fairly safe so I am more suspicious that the underlying heart failure might have been the cause, but I would need to know a lot more about her to really guess (her weight, what her bloodwork looked like prior to starting, specifically her kidneys, etc.) so speak directly with the veterinarian that prescribed the Vetmedin for the best advice.
Is Enapryl needed on a long term basis or just for short term. I am trying to u sweat and if I should get the auto shipping for it every month.
It really depends on the dog, but usually it will be given for the long term rather than short term.
Can i do an online consult?
In veterinary medicine, a veterinarian that has met your pet face-to-face must approve any prescription medications.