I have been reading your forum off and on, some of the information on Caveliers and MVD is about the best that can be found on the web. My 12 year old girl is a rat terrier/GSD mix:
Indy's heart murmur instantaneously went from a grade 2 to a grade 4 when she experienced a rupture tendinae, maybe about 8 months ago. Her regular vet said that Indy is the only living dog she has known with such a rupture (the others all died quickly after), though the cardiologist of course has much more experience. Her cardiologist put her on Enalapril.
Just curious if there are any other dogs out there with such a rupture, or owners that had dogs go through this. I know that down the road, we are either looking at CHF or pretty much instant death , but for now, Indy is happy and barky. Although not in CHF, she is losing muscle mass at a rate that's a bit concerning, and she cannot tolerate fish oil, which I understand is supposed to be the best thing for that condition.
I'm also concerned with exercise level, how much is too much, and any tips on managing the disease process in general, trying to make sure that I'm not missing anything. I've read everything that I could get my hands on about this. Indy has been on a homecooked diet for years, and on a variety of supplements. She tends to have low blood pressure with a very low heartrate, don't know if anyone else has experienced that.
Anyway, just thought I would come out of lurk mode and introduce myself
Indy's heart murmur instantaneously went from a grade 2 to a grade 4 when she experienced a rupture tendinae, maybe about 8 months ago. Her regular vet said that Indy is the only living dog she has known with such a rupture (the others all died quickly after), though the cardiologist of course has much more experience. Her cardiologist put her on Enalapril.
Just curious if there are any other dogs out there with such a rupture, or owners that had dogs go through this. I know that down the road, we are either looking at CHF or pretty much instant death , but for now, Indy is happy and barky. Although not in CHF, she is losing muscle mass at a rate that's a bit concerning, and she cannot tolerate fish oil, which I understand is supposed to be the best thing for that condition.
I'm also concerned with exercise level, how much is too much, and any tips on managing the disease process in general, trying to make sure that I'm not missing anything. I've read everything that I could get my hands on about this. Indy has been on a homecooked diet for years, and on a variety of supplements. She tends to have low blood pressure with a very low heartrate, don't know if anyone else has experienced that.
Anyway, just thought I would come out of lurk mode and introduce myself