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I dont like it!

sarahg

Well-known member
My lady is going to be 10yrs on christmas day, over the last few months i have noticed changes in her. She is really slowing down, she struggles to get on the sofa and really just cant be bothered to do much. I have noticed that she seems to be drinking a lot more water than usual to and then when she has finished she coughs like she has something in her throat or is going to be sick! any ideas why that would happen? i am taking her to the vets next week for a check up to be on the safe side. I dont want her to get old :cry:
 
Hi Sarah,
I just think is it old age, but make sure to write everything down to tell the vet - especially the drinking.... Darren and I were talking about last night and I told them all to stay young and not grow old - don't know what I would do if I lost one of my babies.. :(
 
Hi Sarah:

I've noticed a number of changes in my Sophie too since winter - she's only 8, but came to me last summer after living her life as a breeder for many years. Now she just gets to sit on my bed, daily walks, and more treats than she needs, but hey, what's the fun in being retired if you can't get fat & sassy!

I love her as much as if she'd been with us forever, but compared to my other 8 yr. old cavalier girl, Sophie sure seems older. I guess having so many kids does that to a lady - luckily now 'tho she's happy living as a queen.

I'll be keeping you both in my thoughts for the vet visit next week. icon_heartthrob

Sheri Ramirez
 
These are some possible symptoms of congestive heart failure (eg more advanced stages of MVD). Please get her to a vet right away; and also I'd recommend a cardiologist. This would be the age at which almost 100% of cavaliers will have at the very least, a heart murmur. If this is what is causing these symptoms, you have a good chance to give her a longer life and greater comfort by taking action right away.

Please also read this excellent article on CHF and MVD especially in the older cavalier:

http://www.cavaliertalk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=561

Let us know what your vet says. Vets are not always good at hearing murmurs or knowing how to manage MVD and CGF in comparison to a cardiologist which is why you might ask for a referral.
 
HI thank you all for your replies. Thank you Karlin i wil do as you suggest. Lady has had a heart murmer since she was a puppy, we have never had any problems with it so far, she has always been fit and healthy execpt when she got pyometra which led to blood poising that was touch and go for 2 days wheather she would come home. Richard my vet is execellent so the sooner i get her to him the better. i will keep in touch. I also read from that article about keeping them thin thin thin! Lady is a little overwieght so i shall be sorting that out as well. Thank you all

Sarah xx
 
HI thank you all for your replies. Thank you Karlin i wil do as you suggest. Lady has had a heart murmer since she was a puppy, we have never had any problems with it so far, she has always been fit and healthy execpt when she got pyometra which led to blood poising that was touch and go for 2 days wheather she would come home. Richard my vet is execellent so the sooner i get her to him the better. i will keep in touch. I also read from that article about keeping them thin thin thin! Lady is a little overwieght so i shall be sorting that out as well. Thank you all

Sarah xx
 
Wish us luck please everyone, i am taking Lady to the vets at 3.10pm, she starting screaming yesterday for no apparent reason i also noticed a bulging at the side of her belly. I am so scared.

Sarah xx
 
Sarah,
Hang in there, my thoughts will be with you and Lady all day today. Be brave, she will need you to comfort her - no matter what the outcome. Please let us know what you find out - we are all here for you!

JaneB
 
Hi

Just got back from the vets, he seems to think she has kidney diesease i wont find out untill tomorow afternoon when the blood test results come back :cry: fingers crossed please everyone.

Sarah xx
 
sarahg said:
Hi

Just got back from the vets, he seems to think she has kidney diesease i wont find out untill tomorow afternoon when the blood test results come back :cry: fingers crossed please everyone.

Sarah xx

Sarah, please let us know what you find out tomorrow. Did the vet mention what exactly the long term effects of kidney disease? Can it be treated or cured or is this something that can't be treated? Wishing you all the best!
Kat
 
Hi

Just got the blood results from the vets her kidneys are ok, she does not have diabetes, liver disease undetectable. She is going in for a chest xray on tuesday at 9am. I am still very concerned, i am going to read up thouroughly on heart murmers as this is why she is having the chest xray.

Sarah xx
 
Good luck Sarah and {{{{Lady}}}}. My Maxx is 6 1/2 aqnd sometimes I look at him when he's asleep and cry :roll: He's got SM and every day we have together is precious. You will both be in our thoughts icon_heartthrob
 
Hi

Just got Lady back from the vets, her chest xray shows CHF. I have got to go back tomorrow to collect two lots of tablets which i cant remember the names of! He was giving me so much information and drawing me diagrams that i coudn"t take it all in, i wish i took someone else with me. I shall write everything down that i need to ask for tomorrow. I dont know much about CHF, Karlin i have read the link you gave me which was very helpful thank you. Any advice would be apreciated thank you.

Sarah xx
 
I will pray for Lady and you. How awful I dont know what CHF is either.
Good Luch and God Bless!!

Gillian :cry:
 
Hi just spoke to the head nurse at the vets as my vet was unavalible, Ladys heart murmer is 4 out of 6, they are going to give her Pimobendan and an Ace inhibiter not sure which one yet, does anyone know of any side affects these drugs may have? going to do a search in a minute to see what i can find out. Poor Lady she is just lying there all the time my heart breaks to see her like this, will the drugs help?

Sarah xx
 
Thanks for updating us Sarah.

Really the grade of the murmur isn't so important as the clinical signs - I've known of dogs with a grade 6 showing no signs at all - and Peaches had a 3 and very bad symptoms :cry:

The Pimobendan {Vetmedin} make take a few weeks to start working - sometimes a couple of months. The only side effects Peaches had were from the diuretics - {weeing and drinking more plus more frequently} - and from the digitalis {Dioxin} - this made her nauseous {she was licking her lips a lot with this} and put her off her food

This is the website for one of the ACE inhibitors:

http://www.heartydog.co.uk/index.shtml

It is quite clear and easy to understand

Lady should feel better on the tablets, they will take some of the strain off her heart, so she should feel like doing a bit more.
 
Sarah, my thoughts and prayers are with you guys. I know it's hard to see her getting older and facing these problems. Positive thoughts being sent you way that she starts feeling better on the meds! :cry:
 
Hi thanks Kat for your kind words, and thank you Nicki for your advice you have made me feel there is hope for Lady.

Sarah xx
 
I know of many dogs who do very well for a very very long time once they are on medication and this begins to help relieve the heart condition. I'm not sure about side effects but most of these heart medications are very widely used on humans and animals and very well tolerated by both. :) I hope she does very well.

The diagrams your vet was drawing were probably to illustrate how her heart valve works -- and what begins to happen in congestive heart failure.

The group Nicki mentions would be a really good place to learn more and talk with other people whose cavaliers are being treated for MVD/CHF. They could probably tell you about drug side effects for example.
 
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