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Remember me? Moviedust with Cedar, Willow, Holly, and Bella

Moviedust

Well-known member
I'm hoping some folks who've been around Cavaliertalk for 5+ years might remember me. I'm Cindy, and I have four cavaliers. I joined when Cedar was a puppy (2004/05) and so the group saw me through her first few months and the following years as I adopted three more cavaliers, two of whom were puppy mill rescues. I haven't been around the group since 2009/2010 or so. Life was pretty stable with our four dogs, and we all even adjusted well when my daughter arrived in 2012. The dogs are getting older now, though. Cedar and Willow are 9.5, Holly is 8.5, and Bella is almost 8. We've had a few health crises this year, and today Bella was diagnosed with MVD, with a stage 2-3 murmur, heart enlargement, and a cough. Because of my time here, I am familiar with the breed health issues and I anticipated a diagnosis like this at some point. Still, I haven't cared for a dog with MVD yet, and I know we'll be dealing with more health issues in the coming months/years. I thought it might be time to seek out the community that was important to bringing my dogs to me; perhaps I can find support here as I learn to let them go.

I hope to reconnect with others who might still be around, but I also look forward to getting to know some new folks, too.
 
Hi Cindy

Can't remember how long I've been on CT, so not sure I know you! I've had 2 Cavaliers die of MVD and one of my present two, Aled, is in heart failure - like Bella, he's 7 years old, which seems to be the classic age for Cavaliers to start getting heart problems. A 2-3 murmur isn't too bad - I imagine the vet will put Bella on a diuretic to get rid of the fluid on her lungs, and the resulting easier breathing could help her enlarged heart. One of the simple things you can do to help (if you don't do it already) is to raise Bella's water and food dishes, as it will be uncomfortable for her to lower her head too far to eat and drink. Let her walk only as far and as fast as she can manage; if she gets really exercise intolerant, a buggy can enable her to continue to go out for walks with the other dogs, see the world and get lots of fuss!

If you copy your post onto the SM and MVD section of the forum, I'm sure you will get much more help and support - sadly, too many of us are dealing with Cavaliers with MVD.

:hug:

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
Thanks, Kate, for the reply! I'll post in the SM and MVD section; I am a teacher (U.S. state university), so the semester craziness just finished, and I can, hopefully, post more now!

Thanks for the tip about raising the water/food dish. I haven't done that, but it sounds like an easy adjustment. Bella is a puppy mill rescue (a foster fail for me), and so she's always suffered with extremely high anxiety. When we first got her, she couldn't go for walks because she would too easily be overwhelmed. She's very comfortable and happy at home with us -- she adores my 2.5 yr old daughter --and if she's with me (she still freezes at times when walked by someone else) she does pretty well on short walks, but it's not her favorite thing to do. So I'd say she's been "exercise intolerant" most of her life. I'm sure her heart probably could have used a bit more of it over the years.

Thanks for reaching out!

Cindy
 
Hi Cindy, and welcome back! :D It does seem so strange, doesn't it, to be writing bout all of our older cavaliers now as so many first join the board with young dogs. You are right, there is a plethora of information and archived discussion threads on MVD and heart issues and caring for dogs at all stages. As Kate says at the moment you have a fairly low grade murmur though I know grade isn't always directly associated with symptoms.

I have found MVD is so incredibly variable in each individual dog. While there is a general pattern for onset and for treatment, some really seem to stabilise for years while others will progress more quickly. Some advance gradually, some in fits and starts with long periods of stability.

I do really believe in having dogs fit and active to start with as then they are already ahead with a stronger heart than might otherwise be the case. I like to supplement with fish oils at 1000mg daily or so, plus have done CoQ10 at 30mg daily -- all before they have heart issues. I know there's evidence CoQ10 may not do anything, but the 30mg level is fairly low. I will say my Leo (who passed away in late Sept) surprised my cardiologist by remaining stable with a fairly advanced stage of MVD for three years. He was diagnosed around age 7 and held at a grade 3-4 for about three years. When he did finally decline it was rapidly over three months just as he turned 11, and given the choice of outcomes, I felt this was a blessing as only 9 months earlier he'd been happily doing hikes of many miles. He eventually was off all walks for the last three months of his life. But I tell his story just to show that despite a very enlarged heart, advanced murmur, etc some cavaliers can continue with normal levels of activity for a long time. :)

That said, I also know that dogs will not always indicate when they are really going beyond what they can do. I've seen so many dogs -- including Leo at the end -- continue to try and do what was their normal routine and of course most dogs will want to do whatever thei owner and other dogs are doing. I only realised Leo had taken a serious turn when we were on a long hike and we'd stopped to rest Tansy, who is smaller than the others and has a heavier coat (it was summer) and I realised Leo, who had been trotting along seemingly as normal, looked very tired. I carried him in a backpack the remainder of the way and he was so exhausted we thought we would lose him. It was a real eye opening lesson. I think even the most experienced owners can miss signs of exhaustion in some more stoic dogs (ad you'd be surprised sometimes at which are the stoic ones!) so the best approach I think is a mix of owner knowledge and observation, and regular consults with vet/cardio to know where a dog stands and what is appropriate.

I hope you have many long years together yet with all your dogs. :)
 
Thanks, Karlin. I'm sorry to hear about Leo. We've had some close calls this passed year (Holly was hospitalized for 3 days and almost lost her), but we haven't lost one yet. It's weighing on me as they get older. It is something all dog owners know will happen, but knowing and feeling are certainly not the same.

I appreciate the fact that the boards are still here, after all these years. Thank you for keeping it going! I'm sure a great deal has transpired on the boards let alone your own personal life over the last 5 years or so. I see that you've added a few more names to your signature list. I look forward to catching up!
 
Hi Cindy, I remember you :) I am not on here as much now, just haven't got the time I used to! But like you was on here first when Gus was 3 and Pippin was 1 and now Gus is 13 and just had a six month check today, full clean bill of health apart from arthritis. Pippin has MVD and has early heart failure but is doing very well on meds and will be 11 next month although we have had a few scary moments. I was a failed fosterer for DJ whom I got from Karlin when she ran Irish Cavalier rescue. he was 3 and 1/2 then. he is 10 and 1/2 now! He has a grade 3 murmur but no symptoms yet and is on no medication. SO... I have three old men who amazingly were only very young dogs when I joined, and that seems like only yesterday!

Great to pop in and see you posted again x
 
I've got a crowd of dogs now, and all the cavaliers are oldies! :lol: How time flies for us all...
 
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