Congestive Heart Failure

[TTT]

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You need to do what is right for you and Badger (and I'm very sorry about your rat who needs pts too ).
I have to say - the first of our 2 dogs who had congestive heart failure was a beautiful German Shepherd, Sam, who we'd rescued; he was put on diuretics but went downhill fast. It was another 10 years later when our rescue Irish Setter Poppy became ill with the same awful condition and though she went on medication, had Xrays etc etc, we put her to sleep before things got too tough for her.

This was because I couldn't bear to see her suffer and be like poor old Sam was; but I felt bad a couple of weeks later, wondering if I had been too hasty; well I was talking to my vet when I'd taken another dog in for boosters or something and we were talking about Poppy and how I worried that I had taken her to be pts and could she have gone on for a while longer? To which my vet said, "I would rather put an animal to sleep a month early, than a day too late" which did make me feel better; like all of us on here, I've loved all my dogs over the 30 years, and just want to do whatever is best for them.

And we all know our own dogs and what makes them tick. All the best with whatever happens.

Gill

Thank you.

Our old boxer dog Watson had leukaemia and we put him to sleep before the vet wanted us to, he wanted us to wait until he went off his food..we did it when the sparkle left his eyes but before he was near off his food....never regretted that decision.

Woody was put to sleep three days too late ( mostly due to not knowing what was actually wrong with him)and I'll regret it until the day I die because he was in awful pain at times during those last couple of days.

It will never happen again.

What an awful dilema to be in but in the end, no one knows your dogs like you do, and you know yourself when to do the right thing for them :luck:

 

[littlenell]

How sad. I think youre doing the very best for him and i would do exactly the same. Still it breaks your heart :huggles:

 

[JAX]

How very cruel nature is , so very sorry to hear about Badger . Im sure you will do whats best for himat the right time Heidi

thinking of you both

Jackie

 

[Esty]

Thinking of you and Badger - hope the meds give you some more quality time together and that he doesn't have any pain :luck: :luck:

 

[littlenell]

:unsure: just thinking about you and Badger and wondering how he is doing today?

 

[TillynPip]

I am so sad to read this. Take each day as it comes and enjoy the time that you have left with your boy. Thinking of you all.

 

[~Annie~]

Only just seen this ... here's hoping the meds do their work well and you have many more happy times together :huggles:

 

[Whippets Rule]

:unsure: just thinking about you and Badger and wondering how he is doing today?

Hi thanks for asking.....yesterday he seemed a lot happier and even had a little wrestle with Bill the beagle and took a walk for thirty minutes with me and James.

today he seems ok but he did have a bit of a cough at lunch time and I have to admit because of that i haven't walked him today......he started his Vetmedin the night before last and according to my NOAH compendium( I love that book) it takes about seven days to make a difference.....we are going to take him to the secret field we go to occasionally and let him and Bryn our other oldie have a little skip about tomorrow.

I am worried about exactly how long we have and how this will all work out but there is nothing I can do to prevent the inevitable and a part of me wants to just let him run and play and be himself and if something happens then atleast he would have been happy to the end......the vets want him rested and I will comply until the drugs kick in...then I'm just going to let Badger tell me if he wants to play or take a walk or run etc.

 

[Whippets Rule]

just thought I'd add these..taken last year bit fuzzy but isn't he lovely :wub: :wub:

Badger...

ps on the first of October he is having a small op to remove a growth from a meibomian gland in his eyelid because it is rubbing on his eye,not having a lot of luck just now poor lad..

 

[FifeJillandIan]

just thought I'd add these..taken last year bit fuzzy but isn't he lovely :wub: :wub:
Badger...

He certainly is lovely ... a gorgeous chap :wub:

 

[wilfred]

He's a beautiful lad; very very handsome. I hope he and Bryn enjoy their outing to the secret field tomorrow

 

[Janimal]

What gorgeous pictures of him... :wub: Give him a big hug from us here bless him... :huggles:

 

[TillynPip]

What a lovely old gentleman Badger is. I shall keep my fingers crossed for his eye op but let us know how he goes on.

I don't mean to be trite asking this but where did you get his beautiful bed from?

 

[eve]

How is Badger doing on his medication?

I do hope there is some improvement :wub:

 

[Whippets Rule]

How is Badger doing on his medication?I do hope there is some improvement :wub:

Hi, we had an awful day yesterday and Badger kept trying to hide..he tried to squeeze himself behind the bathroom sink and he vomitted in the morning and just seemed very unhappy and unsettled...he was sort of restless all the time but he didn't want to go for a walk because I tried and he just kept stopping...was really sad to see and we thought perhaps he was trying to tell us something.

He ate half his breakfast this morning and isn't restless at all so far today( hopefully this won't change), he has had a walk for an hour although we stopped a lot and we took it really slowly but he did seem fine and willing to walk and have a good sniff about...he shouted at a cat and waved at it with his front legs (w00t) and now he's sleeping it off.....

he's had his second Vetmedin tablet for today and I have to feed him in an hour now that he's taken it.....the tablets should have now kicked in so we should be seeing some improvement as the manufacturer reckons eight days is when the tablets should be effective and that's tomorrow!!

I'll be honest and say we are just taking it a day at a time and trying not to get our hopes up too much...

thank you for asking x

 

[whippetmad]

How is Badger doing on his medication?I do hope there is some improvement :wub:

Hi, we had an awful day yesterday and Badger kept trying to hide..he tried to squeeze himself behind the bathroom sink and he vomitted in the morning and just seemed very unhappy and unsettled...he was sort of restless all the time but he didn't want to go for a walk because I tried and he just kept stopping...was really sad to see and we thought perhaps he was trying to tell us something.

He ate half his breakfast this morning and isn't restless at all so far today( hopefully this won't change), he has had a walk for an hour although we stopped a lot and we took it really slowly but he did seem fine and willing to walk and have a good sniff about...he shouted at a cat and waved at it with his front legs (w00t) and now he's sleeping it off.....

he's had his second Vetmedin tablet for today and I have to feed him in an hour now that he's taken it.....the tablets should have now kicked in so we should be seeing some improvement as the manufacturer reckons eight days is when the tablets should be effective and that's tomorrow!!

I'll be honest and say we are just taking it a day at a time and trying not to get our hopes up too much...

thank you for asking x

Just seen this.......All the best with Badger :luck: :huggles: :huggles: :huggles:

 

[Suerose]

How is Badger doing on his medication?I do hope there is some improvement :wub:

Hi, we had an awful day yesterday and Badger kept trying to hide..he tried to squeeze himself behind the bathroom sink and he vomitted in the morning and just seemed very unhappy and unsettled...he was sort of restless all the time but he didn't want to go for a walk because I tried and he just kept stopping...was really sad to see and we thought perhaps he was trying to tell us something.

Just a thought - if he is being sick and seems really restless and uncomfortable consider the possibility of pancreatitis. How you described Badger's behaviour reminded me of when Taff got it very soon before he passed, and it took the vet a while to catch on.

Do hope you see an improvement soon, it must be a heart wrenching time for you. :huggles:

 

[Whippets Rule]

How is Badger doing on his medication?I do hope there is some improvement :wub:

Hi, we had an awful day yesterday and Badger kept trying to hide..he tried to squeeze himself behind the bathroom sink and he vomitted in the morning and just seemed very unhappy and unsettled...he was sort of restless all the time but he didn't want to go for a walk because I tried and he just kept stopping...was really sad to see and we thought perhaps he was trying to tell us something.

Just a thought - if he is being sick and seems really restless and uncomfortable consider the possibility of pancreatitis. How you described Badger's behaviour reminded me of when Taff got it very soon before he passed, and it took the vet a while to catch on.

Do hope you see an improvement soon, it must be a heart wrenching time for you. :huggles:

Hi thanks, yeah I had already considered pancreatitis but we already have a dog with it and he's not showing the same symptoms, besides Badger has had full bloods done and there is no indication from the bloods to show lipase or amylase being out of the normal range, they were dead centre.

 

[Whippets Rule]

How is Badger doing on his medication?I do hope there is some improvement :wub:

Hi, we had an awful day yesterday and Badger kept trying to hide..he tried to squeeze himself behind the bathroom sink and he vomitted in the morning and just seemed very unhappy and unsettled...he was sort of restless all the time but he didn't want to go for a walk because I tried and he just kept stopping...was really sad to see and we thought perhaps he was trying to tell us something.

Just a thought - if he is being sick and seems really restless and uncomfortable consider the possibility of pancreatitis. How you described Badger's behaviour reminded me of when Taff got it very soon before he passed, and it took the vet a while to catch on.

Do hope you see an improvement soon, it must be a heart wrenching time for you. :huggles:

Hi thanks, yeah I had already considered pancreatitis but we already have a dog with it and he's not showing the same symptoms, besides Badger has had full bloods done and there is no indication from the bloods to show lipase or amylase being out of the normal range, they were dead centre.

sorry meant to say.. I think the vomitting is a reaction to the Vetmedin, apparently it is rare for side effects to occur and they are vomitting and or loss of appetite and Badger has had both.....I have found he doesn't vomit if i give the tablet in a small amount of food ie a spoonful.

I gave him some Metacam earlier and he is definitely happier today.

 

[Suerose]

How is Badger doing on his medication?I do hope there is some improvement :wub:

Hi, we had an awful day yesterday and Badger kept trying to hide..he tried to squeeze himself behind the bathroom sink and he vomitted in the morning and just seemed very unhappy and unsettled...he was sort of restless all the time but he didn't want to go for a walk because I tried and he just kept stopping...was really sad to see and we thought perhaps he was trying to tell us something.

Just a thought - if he is being sick and seems really restless and uncomfortable consider the possibility of pancreatitis. How you described Badger's behaviour reminded me of when Taff got it very soon before he passed, and it took the vet a while to catch on.

Do hope you see an improvement soon, it must be a heart wrenching time for you. :huggles:

Hi thanks, yeah I had already considered pancreatitis but we already have a dog with it and he's not showing the same symptoms, besides Badger has had full bloods done and there is no indication from the bloods to show lipase or amylase being out of the normal range, they were dead centre.

sorry meant to say.. I think the vomitting is a reaction to the Vetmedin, apparently it is rare for side effects to occur and they are vomitting and or loss of appetite and Badger has had both.....I have found he doesn't vomit if i give the tablet in a small amount of food ie a spoonful.

I gave him some Metacam earlier and he is definitely happier today.

That's good, he certainly doesn't need any more problems :luck: