Heart Problems
I have a 12 ½ year old female cocker spaniel that was diagnosed with congestive heart failure around November of 2017 and she has been on Vetmedin 5mg, 1 and ½ tablets every day since then. I was told that she would eventually start coughing because of fluid buildup in her lungs and was given Lasix to use "if needed". The coughing started as best I can remember about 8 or 10 months ago and has gotten progressively worse. She is now daily taking Lasix 25mg 2 X day, a Rx cough tablet that I don’t know the name of 3 to 4 times a day and then Enalapril 5mg 2 X day for blood pressure. I honestly cannot tell that any of this medication is helping.
One thing I found very strange is that she would at first only cough in the house, but if I put her on a leash and took her for a walk, no coughing, and until recently no one would know she was even sick. She still doesn’t cough much when out walking, but the coughing has gotten worse in the house plus I am starting to find clear fluid on the hard wood and title floors which does not have an odor, so I am pretty sure it is not urine. Sometimes it is just drops but every now and then it is a puddle like urine would be.
When she first wakes up, the coughing is a very loud hacking noise and then later it turns into a puffing cough about every second or two and then sometimes will subside to nothing for a while. Sometimes when she lies down, her whole body will jerk or react to the coughing spasms. Sometimes, not too often she will make a whimpering noise while coughing. She seems to be getting enough oxygen, her Vet said that a sign of low oxygen would be a dark tongue and mouth which I haven’t noticed.
I know at some point I am going to have to make the decision I don’t want to make. I guess what I need to know is: 1. Are these coughing spasms causing her pain because that is the last thing I want to do. I am sure it has to be stressful. 2. Is there some other medication that I might suggest to her Dr. to try that might give her some relief? 3. Or should I just go on and get it over with?
She also has been plagued with dry eye for her entire life, I put Optimmune and GenTeal Severe gel in her eyes for this. Plus she has cherry eye that I use to be able to massage back in place, and it would be ok for several months at a time, but now even the Vet can’t get it to stay in place. The Vet says she can’t operate on the cherry eye because the anesthesia would, because of her heart, kill her. The cherry eye doesn’t seem to bother her.
I am guessing that there is someone who has gone through this with their pup and if so, I will greatly value your suggestions.
Thank you,
George Speir
One thing I found very strange is that she would at first only cough in the house, but if I put her on a leash and took her for a walk, no coughing, and until recently no one would know she was even sick. She still doesn’t cough much when out walking, but the coughing has gotten worse in the house plus I am starting to find clear fluid on the hard wood and title floors which does not have an odor, so I am pretty sure it is not urine. Sometimes it is just drops but every now and then it is a puddle like urine would be.
When she first wakes up, the coughing is a very loud hacking noise and then later it turns into a puffing cough about every second or two and then sometimes will subside to nothing for a while. Sometimes when she lies down, her whole body will jerk or react to the coughing spasms. Sometimes, not too often she will make a whimpering noise while coughing. She seems to be getting enough oxygen, her Vet said that a sign of low oxygen would be a dark tongue and mouth which I haven’t noticed.
I know at some point I am going to have to make the decision I don’t want to make. I guess what I need to know is: 1. Are these coughing spasms causing her pain because that is the last thing I want to do. I am sure it has to be stressful. 2. Is there some other medication that I might suggest to her Dr. to try that might give her some relief? 3. Or should I just go on and get it over with?
She also has been plagued with dry eye for her entire life, I put Optimmune and GenTeal Severe gel in her eyes for this. Plus she has cherry eye that I use to be able to massage back in place, and it would be ok for several months at a time, but now even the Vet can’t get it to stay in place. The Vet says she can’t operate on the cherry eye because the anesthesia would, because of her heart, kill her. The cherry eye doesn’t seem to bother her.
I am guessing that there is someone who has gone through this with their pup and if so, I will greatly value your suggestions.
Thank you,
George Speir
