We have been on a roller coaster this week. Sorry this is so long.
Coco's heart is enlarged and the mitral valve is diseased. Last Friday her breathing became laboured and her heart rate had increased. The vet agreed something was going on, he was not sure but prescribed her a diuretic (frusemide) just in case there was any build up of fluid on her lungs even though he could not hear anything.
Saturday, I stayed home just in case, her behaviour was odd and she insisted on sleeping and resting on the stair case which is very odd!. I took her back to the vet, he went to take her temperature and realised she had a sever problem with her anal gland. Coco was sedated and they flushed it, she was given antibiotics and pain killers.
Sunday, Coco was floppy and refused to eat and drink, I took her to the emergency vet who was next to useless (another story) eventually the vet gave her an injection of vetergesic a safer pain killer to give to a dog with heart problems.
Monday, I stayed home from work and fed and watered Coco with a syringe, we had two visits to the vet with further vetergesic injections.
Tuesday, I stayed home, Coco was very floppy apparently this is because of the vetergesic. Coco stayed on the stair case, today she was crying under her breath, I was still feeding her with a syringe and spent all of my time with her, the vet re-examined her and decided her anal gland was still infected. Coco was sedated again, (I stayed with her this time) they flushed and packed the gland with antibiotics. I took her home and stayed up with her all night.
Wednesday, there was still not much improvement. Cocos resting heart rate through all of this was between 90 and 160! It was difficult to get her resting respiritory rate because her heart beat was making her whole body move, it was approximately 40. Before I went to bed I listened to her heart and lungs (with a stethoscope) I thought I heard crackling, I phoned the emergency vet and took her but they could not hear anything.
Thursday, I took Coco into Stone Lion at Wimbledon to see Dr. Rusbridge. I felt Coco was suffering too much. I asked Dr. Rusbridge to assess her pain and to see if Coco should be given her wings. Dr. Rusbridge felt Coco could possibly make a recovery with medication. At this stage Coco was also assessed by a Cardiologist who confirmed she had fluid on her lungs and was in heart failure.
Coco was given treatment and a plan. I left Stone Lion and was lucky enough to get an appointment with her cardiologist who has managed Coco's heart condition up to now. Coco had a heart scan, her heart had continued to enlarge but there was no further damage to the mitral valve. The cardiologist believed the pain and stress had pushed her into heart failure.
Coco's trauma with her anal glands triggered off sm pain, a pancreatic pain attack and caused her to go into heart failure.
I have also realised, the reason Coco has been sleeping on the stair case and on the floor by a wall in our bedroom (instead of all the lovely comfy things), to stop herself rolling onto her side. Coco has been sleeping on her tummy and could not breathe properly if she was on her side.
Coco is now on all the heart medication you would expect plus Lyrica (pregabalin) instead of Gabapentin.
This morning is the first time she has eaten without assistance, the last time she ate on her own was last Saturday.
Coco was 7.2 kgms at the start of this episode and is now only 6.3kgms. I have also learnt even though food is important, fluids are critical.
Molly Dougall and Dotty have had a history of anal gland issues which have settled down. When Coco's were checked they have never ever been an issue!
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