Joined
·
36 Posts
Hello, new to this forum
I do not know what to think now, we thought our little Mitsy had conjestive heart failure but turns out that her main problem right now is her right lung.
I would like your input as what you think
We have an 11 year old (in november) female chihuahua that's been the perfect picture of health all of her life other than a slightly colapsed trachea due to her previous owner (of 6 months time) using a colar.
In the last year, she's developped coughing in the morning, or evening, restlessness. We went to our vet and he told us she had a heart murmur (which we knew of but it was not severe until just recently). We did an ultrasound at the local general vet practice and xrays and the vet put our Mitsy on vetmedin and lasix. The lasix helped the coughing but her breathing rate has dramatically increased in the last month. enough for us to feel alarmed. The vet increased the lasix, no more coughing but yet, she still struggles for air. she has lost appetite and last night she kept her head up in the air. We went to emerg and lasix shot was given and we then drove her to a vet hospital in Ottawa. She was on oxygen. She saw the cardiologist and he did chest xrays, echocardiogram, blood pressure, bloodwork and urinalysis. His diadnosis today was: Severe mitral regurgitation at risk for congestive heart failure. Right lung consolidation, possibly bronchopneumonia or mucus entrapment.
The cardiologist also looked at the original xrays taken one year ago from our vet and is very uncomfortable with Mitsy being on Lasix, he says she isn't into congestive heart failure. Her valve is diseasy, there is a severe murmur but not congestive heart failure. I wish we had gone to him in the first place. He says Mitsy does have severe heart disease, very leaky valve but did not see fluid around her heart but did see mucous in her lungs. So he says she is not in heart failure yet.
Now, I was wondering why if Mitsy was on lasix, the cough would go away, but yet, she was still breathing really fast and sometimes hard.
Also, she has NO trouble sleeping on her side or her stomach, that's never been an issue. Her coughing is not the weezing type, more like a dry ackkkk gag type that stops when done. She does cough after excitement and running or hot humid weather (we control that now).
Meds for Mitsy (8 lbs) now:
Fortekor ACE inhibitor
Norvasc calcium channel blocker for high blood pressure
spiroton diuretic
vemedin
theo bronchodilator
clavamox antibiotics
flovent
salbutamol
After giving meds last night for the first time, a couple hours passed then she started panting heavyly and that lasted about 1 hour or so. Her heart rate is also high at around 180 and so is her breathing rate but we hope that goes down with the medication she is on now.
Reading about the meds, the inhalor and the Theo can cause exhitment and shakyness as well as rapid heart rate. Nervous about giving her meds again tonight. This morning went well, other than just trembling, no heavy panting. The evening meds are more, they are a once a day dose. Anyone has idea??
I do not know what to think now, we thought our little Mitsy had conjestive heart failure but turns out that her main problem right now is her right lung.
I would like your input as what you think
We have an 11 year old (in november) female chihuahua that's been the perfect picture of health all of her life other than a slightly colapsed trachea due to her previous owner (of 6 months time) using a colar.
In the last year, she's developped coughing in the morning, or evening, restlessness. We went to our vet and he told us she had a heart murmur (which we knew of but it was not severe until just recently). We did an ultrasound at the local general vet practice and xrays and the vet put our Mitsy on vetmedin and lasix. The lasix helped the coughing but her breathing rate has dramatically increased in the last month. enough for us to feel alarmed. The vet increased the lasix, no more coughing but yet, she still struggles for air. she has lost appetite and last night she kept her head up in the air. We went to emerg and lasix shot was given and we then drove her to a vet hospital in Ottawa. She was on oxygen. She saw the cardiologist and he did chest xrays, echocardiogram, blood pressure, bloodwork and urinalysis. His diadnosis today was: Severe mitral regurgitation at risk for congestive heart failure. Right lung consolidation, possibly bronchopneumonia or mucus entrapment.
The cardiologist also looked at the original xrays taken one year ago from our vet and is very uncomfortable with Mitsy being on Lasix, he says she isn't into congestive heart failure. Her valve is diseasy, there is a severe murmur but not congestive heart failure. I wish we had gone to him in the first place. He says Mitsy does have severe heart disease, very leaky valve but did not see fluid around her heart but did see mucous in her lungs. So he says she is not in heart failure yet.
Now, I was wondering why if Mitsy was on lasix, the cough would go away, but yet, she was still breathing really fast and sometimes hard.
Also, she has NO trouble sleeping on her side or her stomach, that's never been an issue. Her coughing is not the weezing type, more like a dry ackkkk gag type that stops when done. She does cough after excitement and running or hot humid weather (we control that now).
Meds for Mitsy (8 lbs) now:
Fortekor ACE inhibitor
Norvasc calcium channel blocker for high blood pressure
spiroton diuretic
vemedin
theo bronchodilator
clavamox antibiotics
flovent
salbutamol
After giving meds last night for the first time, a couple hours passed then she started panting heavyly and that lasted about 1 hour or so. Her heart rate is also high at around 180 and so is her breathing rate but we hope that goes down with the medication she is on now.
Reading about the meds, the inhalor and the Theo can cause exhitment and shakyness as well as rapid heart rate. Nervous about giving her meds again tonight. This morning went well, other than just trembling, no heavy panting. The evening meds are more, they are a once a day dose. Anyone has idea??