Bella is sick...can anyone confirm it's MVD and maybe give me realistic expectations?

Hi everyone, I have not been on here for a while now and you may not remember me. I have 2 cavs, Harvey who is 3 and Bella who we took from an abusive owner 2.5 years ago. She was in a very bad way when we first got her but with lots of TLC, grooming and vet care she has been a wonderful addition to our family. We have never known how old she was as the owner hadn't a clue and had just overbred her. The vet estimated around 6-7 when we got her but said she could be younger. Anyway last week she couldn't breath properly and was straining for breath and was very rattly. We took her to the vets and they said she was so full of fluid that they couldn't hear her heart. She had water tablets for a few days and we took her back for tests. It's turned out to be her heart, a very leaky heart valve and so she just fills up with fluid... The vet said we could expect her to be gone within the year, as she now has pills to slow her heart rythm down to take the pressure off her a bit and gets a water tablet everyday to keep the fluid out of her body. Since then she has been back to her old self and we breathed a huge sigh of relief and accepted we wouldn't have her for very long and to just spoil her even more for this last year. However, this morning, she is again heaving for breath and her whole body is moving when she is breathing. My hubby (who's a cardionurse in a hospital) said that he didn't trust it and we will take her back to the vet tonight when he's home as it's the same thing that happened last time. What's upsetting me is:
* How can she gets worse again in a week? even when she is on medication?
* What can the vet possibly do now to help her if we take her in? So scared that this will be when we are told that she will need to go to sleep forever...
* Realistically what should we be prepared for?
* Is she in pain with this?
* Is there anything I can do to help her?

So sorry for the long post, I am 5 months pregnant with our first 'human' baby and I am just not dealing with this whole situtation very well and cannot stop crying at the prospect of our beautiful fur baby possibly leaving us. I just need to be prepared for what might be said today and would be very grateful for any wisdom from people who have good knowledge of this disease in cavaliers.

Thank you for reading & I hope to hear from you soon.. Emma xx

So sorry you are going through this, the vets may be able to up her medication to help her. :hug:
My Lady was the same she started to have problems, so she was on meds seemed to help for a few days then she went down hill very fast,

Emma, you really must put yourself and the human baby first and try not to worry. Please.

I am not a vet and I have no personal knowledge of MVD being as symptomatic as this is, but from what I have read and heard from others who have experience of it, yes, it does sound as though the medication should be changed, as clearly it is not working as it should.

There is only one way to find out and that is by taking Bella back to the vet, who can check her out, maybe do some tests and then tell you what is going on. It could of course be that the condition has advanced quicker than your vet anticipated, or perhaps, as I already said, the medication is not the right one for this dog. Only your vet can determine this by using his skill, diagnostic tools and experience.

One thing I do know is that worrying is no good for you and of course Bella may well sense your anxiety and aggravate her condition by being stressed out because you are. So like I said, relax as much as you can and go see the vet.

Meanwhile, you are in my thoughts and prayers and I hope you will keep in touch with us here and let us know what the vet says.

Emma, is there a cardiologist that you can take Bella to? I would think that a cardiologist would be better able to diagnose and manage her symptoms than a general vet. Or is there an emergency hospital with a cardiologist on staff that you could take her to this weekend? It sounds like she is in so much discomfort. Maybe a change in medication is needed or a combination of mediciations. It defintiely sounds like she needs to be seen by a specialist. A cardiologist would also be able to give you more realistic expectations of her prognosis. Then you can begin to plan more. I know it's hard to not be distressed. Just try not to think of the worst-case scenario until you have more definitive information. Rub your baby belly a lot and breathe. Please let us know what happens later today.

Hello Emma,

Realistically it sounds as if your little girl has a very serious heart condition.

I have a Japanese Chin, Tyson, who is at the same stage. He was not expected to live until Christmas, but with a cocktail of frusemide, fortekor, vetmedin and prilactone he is still with me.

His stomach becomes enourmously bloated sometimes, then it goes down. He coughs when he gets excited, but he is still eager for his walk and his food, he does not know how ill he is, & so he is still Mr Personality Plus.

Sometimes I want to stop him getting excited and play fighting with the others, especially as it ends in a coughing bout, but I have decided he will live life to the full while he can.

I know it cannot go on forever, so I am so very glad I have had this extra time to appreciate him and spoil him a little.

You have given Bella love and care and a happy life for the last two years. I do so hope it will be possible for you to gain a little more time for her, so that you can come to terms with the shock of what is going to happen, and like me with Tyson, spend a little time telling her how very precious she is.

Take care of yourself, don't let this drag you down.

My very best wishes

I am so sorry you are having to go through this and watch Bella gasping for breath. Having nursed many Cavaliers through heart disease I know how difficult it can be. Medication has come a long way over the last few years so maybe it is a question of your vet getting not only the type of medication right but also the dosage.
I so hope you get to spend more time with Bella, you are doing all you can for her.

Love
Nanette

I also would see if there is a cardiologist that you can bring your girl to see. They are very good at managing the medicines.

I am so very sorry that Bella is so ill, give her extra hugs and ear scritches from me, and do take care of yourself too :hug:

Hi Emma it must be so hard for you my heart feels for you we love our babies so much been throught same twice in my life not caverliers

Take Care x

Hi everyone, thank you for all of your replies. Well we went to the vet and to him it was a cut and dried decision when he saw her that she was again filling up with fluid not because of any further heart function deterioration but because the tablet dosage wasn't quite right. He amended these and gave her an extra water pill and today she is back to her old self again. He said it's a case of trial and error and as we know her best we will be able to tell when she's struggling a bit andneeds more water tablets and also when she has been good for a while when to ease off them again. Us monitoring that and him taking care of the heart medication will keep her in good health for a while as originally hoped for.

So it's good news - there is life in the old lady yet so we get to smother her with love for a bit longer which is a blessing, especially when she isn't in such distress anymore. I know this is by no means the end, it's just so uplifting to see her back to her old self again and not having trouble breathing... she's a tough cookie and we have still got her in our family for another while yet which is great and definately eases the stress levels for now..

Thanks again anyone.. Emma xx

Hi emma im so pleased for little bella bless her she's a strong little one. my boxer named emma had a enlarged heart she was 11 at the time. They told me she would pass any time but she went on human heart tablets and stayed with us until she was 13 very old for a boxer so they do suprize you.

Take care

Very relieved to see your post tonight. So glad Bellas feeling a bit better now. Take care.

Oh this really made me smile when I read your update on Bella- so pleased that she is comfortable again and that you can enjoy her again xx

Best wishes

Great news. Give her a kiss from me.

Hi everyone, I am back again with a Bella update. Unfortunately the tablets stopped helping Bella. Yesterday she was so out of breath and her tongue was blue. We took her to the vets and they gave her one last water injection to flush out the fluid from her body to make her more comfortable and told us very honestly that we needed to monitor her for 48 hours but that we had to make the decision for her. Last night she was in a terrible way and could't breath and was standing up to get breath and falling asleep standing up because she couldn't breathe down and falling over but then having to wake up again to breath. I spent the whole night with her and today she is just the same. She can lie down now but as soon as she moves she's gasping for breath.

I feel so desperately sad and beside myself because I know that tomorrow we are going to take her back to be put to sleep... Can't stop sobbing when I look at her and feel like we are going to be murdering her even though I know she has to go to sleep to give her some peace.

If anyone has any ideas to help me calm down and get through this last 24 hours please please let me know, just so so scared of losing her forever.

Thank you... Emma :'( xxxx

' just so so scared of losing her forever.'

Hi Emma

I don't think we ever do lose our precious Cavaliers. Each one of them changes us for the better as people - our capacity for loving increases and they give us so much pleasure; if you had not known Bella, you would not be the person you are now, so she will be part of you for ever, as will any future Cavalier to whom you pass on the love that Bella taught you. Our dogs can teach us so much, and you can return Bella's love by setting her free from her worn out body. Having had two Cavaliers with congestive heart failure, they tell you clearly when they need to go. And the tears I'm shedding now, and that you will shed, are the measure of the love between us and our Cavaliers.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

Emma, I'm so sorry you are going through this with Bella. I know how hard it is, I went through the same with my Rudee. I stayed up for three nights running and the vet did everything he possibly could for her. I , like you, cried and cried and said that I would not be able to take her to put her to sleep. She'd been with us for almost 13 years and I just couldn't bear the thought of being without her BUT when I looked into her eyes ,I knew that it was MY TURN to repay her for all that she had given to us through the years and she needed me to do this one thing for her. I scooped her up in her favourite duvet and I held her and sang to her as she went to sleep and even though I felt that my heart was going to physically burst from the pain, I am so glad that I was able to share that moment with her because it ties us together forever.

Please give Bella a kiss from me and know that you are not alone we are all here for you:hug:

Thank you both for your beautiful and kind words, you are so right I have so much to thank our little princess for she really has been a god send to us and tomorrow we will set her free, she needs us to do that for her.
Thank you again ladies I really really feel touched by your words and will remember them tomorrow.. xxx

Sadly I too have been through this {too many times } - it never gets any easier but is the last loving thing you can do for your precious companion.

We have to think about their quality of life - are they happy and comfortable?

Claire and Kate have written more eloquently than I can manage - I can only say that we are all thinking of you at this desparately sad time.

Try to rememnber the happy times - Bella would not want you to remember how she is now, I'm sure.

When we lost Rupert, he had been with us for 12 1/2 years, through several house moves and sadly the loss of a few of his Cavalier Companions - there had always been the three of us. I felt that I couldn't face life without him, even with the other Cavaliers here as a comfort.

However he was in pain and didn't want to eat {possibly his favourite thing in the world} and it wasn't fair to keep him going like that. It was a kindness to let him go with dignity. He was very peaceful, and although we were desparately sad at the time and still carry that sadness, we now remember the happy times and laugh at all the naughtly things he used to do!


You will be in our thoughts tomorrow - I know you will find the strength to go through with this - maybe you could ask your vet to come out to the house if that is easier for you?

Keep Bella's favourite treats to hand to keep her calm and give you something to concentrate upon - Rescue Remedy will help her too. I have always found that they "know" - they display an aura of peace which is their last gift to you.

I fed Monty pieces of cooked liver when he was put to sleep. My last memory is of his little face looking up to see if there was any more.

We owe them release when life becomes too difficult. It is not murder, it is the last act of love we can give them.

You will be in my thoughts tomorrow.

My heart is breaking for you.
I will be thinking of you tomorrow.