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One of our dogs is around thirteen years old. He sees his vet regularly but about six months ago I noticed he was coughing a little bit almost every day. I brought him in to see his doc and it turns out he is in the early stages of heart disease. We're keeping him comfortable with a diuretic and we've adjusted his diet.
We had another dog who died last year from heart disease but since he had had a heart murmur all his life, we knew to be on the lookout for coughing so we caught it early.
I'm posting this for owners who haven't had any experience with heart disease in dogs. The coughing comes from a build up of fluid in their lungs so if you notice this happening, get it checked out. Our dog who died last year lived another three years or so after being diagnosed and with medication he was able to have a great quality of life.
One of our dogs is around thirteen years old. He sees his vet regularly but about six months ago I noticed he was coughing a little bit almost every day. I brought him in to see his doc and it turns out he is in the early stages of heart disease. We're keeping him comfortable with a diuretic and we've adjusted his diet.
We had another dog who died last year from heart disease but since he had had a heart murmur all his life, we knew to be on the lookout for coughing so we caught it early.
I'm posting this for owners who haven't had any experience with heart disease in dogs. The coughing comes from a build up of fluid in their lungs so if you notice this happening, get it checked out. Our dog who died last year lived another three years or so after being diagnosed and with medication he was able to have a great quality of life.
How was the diagnosis confirmed? Bloodwork? Ultrasound?
How was the diagnosis confirmed? Bloodwork? Ultrasound?
My dog was diagnosed with mitral valve disease at 9 years old. First they noticed a worsening heart murmur and it was confirmed with X-rays and an ultrasound. She’s on heart medication. A previous dog didn’t display any early signs and by the time she was diagnosed and put on meds she only lived 8 months. Unfortunately it’s more common in small dogs.
How was the diagnosis confirmed? Bloodwork? Ultrasound?
Great question and I'm almost afraid to post my response because I don't want to scare anyone off because of possible costs.
First of all, the tests I had done are because I spare no expense when it comes to our dogs but it can be done in a less expensive way. We had x-rays done which showed an enlarged heart and some shading that could be fluid. Our vet (who is far more cost conscious than I am!) then prescribed a diuretic to see if that would lessen the coughing. The difference was amazing and so through an X-ray, an Rx and paying close attention to his symptoms, the diagnosis was made.
Having been through it before with another dog, we knew what to look for. The coughing would usually occur after some exertion which in our old guy's case was as simple as running into the house from our backyard.
Great question and I'm almost afraid to post my response because I don't want to scare anyone off because of possible costs.
First of all, the tests I had done are because I spare no expense when it comes to our dogs but it can be done in a less expensive way. We had x-rays done which showed an enlarged heart and some shading that could be fluid. Our vet (who is far more cost conscious than I am!) then prescribed a diuretic to see if that would lessen the coughing. The difference was amazing and so through an X-ray, an Rx and paying close attention to his symptoms, the diagnosis was made.
Having been through it before with another dog, we knew what to look for. The coughing would usually occur after some exertion which in our old guy's case was as simple as running into the house from our backyard.
Thanks. I also spare no expense but like to be prepared, especially if the vet wants to order blood work instead of imaging (or in addition to). Some vets are just not conscientious about money or, worse, putting animals through unnecessary tests. I feel like it's a constant battle.
It cost me 1500 for the 2 tests to obtain the diagnosis. My old vet didn’t need follow up testing but I have heard people saying that vets now want yearly testing. There’s really no reason and it’s a waste of money so I don’t intend to do it. It’s a progressive disease and while the medication will slow it down nothing will stop it.
It cost me 1500 for the 2 tests to obtain the diagnosis. My old vet didn’t need follow up testing but I have heard people saying that vets now want yearly testing. There’s really no reason and it’s a waste of money so I don’t intend to do it. It’s a progressive disease and while the medication will slow it down nothing will stop it.
I just went through this with my cat, Elvis (RIP), who had chronic kidney disease. I was taking him to two vets, a pcp and a specialist/ER. Support personnel at both places regularly asked if I wanted to check his levels because “the doctor recommends it.” I remembering looking at one tech and replying, “Why? Are you going to tell me to do something different?” I was giving him daily fluids, potassium, pain meds, an appetite stimulant and anti-nausea medication, which the doctor had already referred to as “palliative care.” I then politely explained to the tech that I would rather spend my financial resources on palliative meds than tests that would tell me what we already knew.
I did finally get his levels checked the last week of his life and, of course, I was charged twice for blood work: once at the pcp, then at the ER, just so that they could tell me that his levels were elevated; that he was end-stage; and that there was nothing they could do.
I never take our vet for granted. She is always concerned about expenses even though she knows we would spare no expense. Here's a great example:
I was going to Vet #1 every month for Adequan shots for our boy's arthritis. It was $45 every month and administered by the vet tech. I was unhappy about the way another one of our dog's euthanasia was handled so I found a new vet.
I now go to Vet #2 and she charges $17 for the same amount of Adequan every month. When I questioned her about the price being so much lower than Vet #1 she said she charges the amount that it costs her office for the shot. She said that many patients would skip the shot if she charged more and it was more important to her that the dogs get the shot than having a profit on this recurring charge. She is a keeper and our dogs are so fortunate to have her caring for them. I trust her and that's priceless.
Our 13 yr old shih tzu has had a heart murmur for several years now. His cough has worsened in the past year. The vet says he's not in heart failure and the cough is just from the heart murmur. Keep an eye on his breathing. If it starts to slow, bring him in?
What do you all think? Should I get a second opinion? Ask for a diuretic or some meds?
OP, what is your dog's current diet vs the previous one?
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