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Atrial Fibrillation

S

Sam

Member
Hi, our Sam has been diagnosed with this awful condition as well as a leaking heart valve, we are all devastated. He is 8 next month and has been given approx. 1 year to live. Has anyone else been diagnosed with this condition? Our vet has been fantastic but it would be a great support to hear from anyone else with the same condition

Thank you

Vanessa, Philip & Sarah
 
Many here will tell you that vet estimates can be way off -- so much depends on the individual dog and their general fitness level. It would be a good idea to make sure Sam is lean and not an ounce overweight as any extra weight at all will lessen his time as his heart has to work considerably harder if overweight. You can read about good supplements for dogs with heart conditions too in past posts in this section and the health section, as well as in the Health Library section.

Has he been put on any medication? I am not sure how they treat fibrillation in dogs. I have ( human!) family members with atrial fibrillation and it is managed quite well by medication.

If you know his breeder, I would send the full health diagnosis to him/her -- any breeder should be informed of any health developments in their dogs as good breeders will find this very important in making breeding decisions in their lines, while more irresponsible breeders should always I believe be told of health issues in their breeding lines to raise awareness and ideally increase their concern and responsibility.

I am sorry you have had this diagnosis as it is always upsetting to learn of any problems. Hopefully Sam will go many years beyond the vet estimate. :flwr:
 
Sorry to hear this news but hopefully it's something that can be managed.

Is it a regular vet who gave the diagnosis? If so, I would advise that you ask for a referral to a cardiologist. They would be able to give you a much better idea of the severity of Sam's condition and possible treatments.

If you let us know where you live, people may have recommendations for cardiologists in your area.
 
Hi Guys,

Thank you for your posts. Sam medications are Vetmedin & Digoxin. Sam was diagnosed by a cardiologist following a same day referral from our vet on Thursday, who we have been attending since Sam was 4 months old. His treatment by our vet has been fantastic which is also a great support for us too. I will have a look back through previous posts as suggested for food supplements and also contact the breeder as suggested. Once again thanks for your replies and will keep you updated on Sam.

Vanessa x
 
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