Congestive Heart Failure

[Findley]

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Would you not consider fluid tablets they do help, with your boy coughing. If you can shift the fluid it will be less strain on his heart. Vedmedin worked well with my boy but he had Dialated Cardiomyopathy. he was not a whippet. I let him do what he wanted run, jump etc. Good luck with your lad, I hope his treatment helps. Thinking of you both.

 

[Whippets Rule]

Would you not consider fluid tablets they do help, with your boy coughing. If you can shift the fluid it will be less strain on his heart. Vedmedin worked well with my boy but he had Dialated Cardiomyopathy. he was not a whippet. I let him do what he wanted run, jump etc. Good luck with your lad, I hope his treatment helps. Thinking of you both.

hi he hasn't coughed since starting the Vetmedin but no I won't consider fluid tablets, I would have him pts rather than give him diuretics as I don't feel he will have a good enough quality of life..once he is having difficulties from fluid you are then just losing the fight and it is probably time to call it a day and let him go before his life becomes unbearable.

 

[TillynPip]

Sorry to read that Badger's not too good. Hope he has some improvement on his medication.

 

[Whippets Rule]

just a little update.....

Badger went back to the vets last night......he was supposed to be going in to have surgery next week to remove a lump from inside his eyelid but the vet has said he won't be able to have the op probably not at all..he would not survive the anaesthetic.....we are basically left waiting to see which will get him first, his eye or his heart.

I told the vet yesterday we won't give him diuretics and he agreed that was the right decision. Badger is happy and bright in himself, having perked up a bit the last 24hrs and he has two weeks of strong antibiotics for his upset tummy but the vet did agree with me when I said I thought perhaps his upset tummy was due to his heart not getting blood where it's needed( i've done a lot of research :b )

Badger doesn't have a pot belly or any visible sign that his body is building up fluid...we have to watch for that and keep an eye on his breathing and if it gets really fast or he gets fluidy then we call it a day.

so now we wait and see how long he has left.........i think the most telling thing was the fact that the vet only wanted to give me another two weeks of heart drugs but I made him give me three...guess we have a timescale now but i'd like to remain in denial for a while

 

[Suerose]

:huggles: :huggles: :huggles: Thinking of you at this difficult time. Hope you can enjoy the time you have left and that it all comes to a gentle conclusion :huggles: :huggles: :huggles:

 

[Janimal]

just a little update.....
Badger went back to the vets last night......he was supposed to be going in to have surgery next week to remove a lump from inside his eyelid but the vet has said he won't be able to have the op probably not at all..he would not survive the anaesthetic.....we are basically left waiting to see which will get him first, his eye or his heart.

I told the vet yesterday we won't give him diuretics and he agreed that was the right decision. Badger is happy and bright in himself, having perked up a bit the last 24hrs and he has two weeks of strong antibiotics for his upset tummy but the vet did agree with me when I said I thought perhaps his upset tummy was due to his heart not getting blood where it's needed( i've done a lot of research :b )

Badger doesn't have a pot belly or any visible sign that his body is building up fluid...we have to watch for that and keep an eye on his breathing and if it gets really fast or he gets fluidy then we call it a day.

so now we wait and see how long he has left.........i think the most telling thing was the fact that the vet only wanted to give me another two weeks of heart drugs but I made him give me three...guess we have a timescale now but i'd like to remain in denial for a while

I know the feeling, Chip was like this in his last weeks......just go with your heart

and I hope you have a lot longer left with Badger than you think.. :huggles: :huggles: :huggles: Im so glad hes much more perky though.

 

[eve]

I can quite understand that you do not want Badger on diuretics, just quality of life for however long he has left.

This might help.

I have been trying to increase little Daisys fluid intake to help improve her bowel and kidney function as she has quite serious health issues regarding both. I have found that boiled mashed Turnip is a fantastic natural diuretic. I add 1 tablespoon to her morning and lunchtime feeds and encourage her to drink more by giving a bowl of water coloured with goats milk after each meal. It is working a treat. The turnip is a source of natural soluble fibre and does not aggravate her IBS.

I hope this may be of help if you want to have the benefits of using diuretic without the unpleasant side effects of chemical toxins.

 

[littlenell]

Im really sorry that Badger isnt feeling any better. Its so sad when you know you havnt much time left. :huggles: gentle hugs for Badger and a bigger one for you. Im thinking of you.

 

[Whippets Rule]

Im really sorry that Badger isnt feeling any better. Its so sad when you know you havnt much time left. :huggles: gentle hugs for Badger and a bigger one for you. Im thinking of you.

Thank you...I try not to think about the end if I'm honest, if I think about him leaving me I just cry...I seem to have turned into a very emotional creature overnight :b :lol: .....it's incredibly hard to deal with...tomorrow it will be one year since our beautiful whippet Woody died and we still talk about him now and remember all the funny habits he had. We are very aware that Badger still misses him dreadfully too.

I guess nothing prepares you for losing them no matter how hard you try.

 

[wilfred]

I'm really, really sorry; don't know what to say except I'm thinking of you.

Gill

x

 

[Janimal]

You are so right in saying Nothing ever prepares you ........

You just have to think our lives would definitely be so much worse off if we had never had them at all.....and think of all those happy moments shared with them..

Enjoy every moment you have with Badger. :huggles: :huggles:

 

[jinnyfizz]

Live each day and give Badger all the time you have - just for him.

 

I think of you both every day and hope for as much happy time together as you can possibly have. Hugs xxxx

 

[Esty]

I sincerely feel for you at this really difficult time. It must feel like your whole life is on hold. I can totally understand you being an emotional wreck, as I find it heart rendingly sad just to read about his situation. Hope his meds give him the best quality of life for as long as possible. Very best wishes :luck: :huggles:

 

[FifeJillandIan]

Badger is very lucky to have someone who cares so very much about him ... I hope you have many more special, happy moments together in the time you have left to add to the years of joy he has given you. I'm thinking of you both :huggles:

 

[eve]

Thinking of Badger :huggles: Hope he is doing OK

 

[Whippets Rule]

Thinking of Badger :huggles: Hope he is doing OK

Thank you...my beautiful boy had a really good afternoon yesterday...I took him round the corner from my house to a playing field...thought he might like fifteen minutes of fresh air, having been very poorly and cooped up indoors.....let him off his lead and started to walk slowly across the field.......suddenly I heard thundering feet and he shot past me like a dog half his age,in hot pursuit of some seagulls (w00t) (w00t) .......however yesterday evening I think it caught up with him a bit and he started hiding up again and was a bit restless.....

he wouldn't eat his breakfast this morning but he's just eaten a big tea......sometimes you can look at him and think he's fine...other times he seems really bad....i noticed earlier that when he stands still his head bobs with each heartbeat so I know we won't have long but if he wants to chase seagulls we'll just let him be the judge of that.

thanks for asking after him..it's nice to know people care.....i think members of my family think i'm odd but he means absolutely everything to me.....there may be other whippets but there'll never be another Badger and i will remember him for as long as i live.........he is my first whippet...although we lost Woody last year, he was younger than Badger..so Badger was my introduction to the breed and he has been such a perfect perfect boy ( ok discounting the lady he bit on the leg and the dustman he bit on the bum (w00t) but I don't blame him, we all have our likes and dislikes)....he's just the loveliest fawn pointy thing you could ever meet...we call him the big mouse )

 

[Lal]

What a difficult time for you, but I think you are right to let Badger be the judge of what he feels up to doing. If he feels like having a run about then he is clearly happy and that is the main thing. Thinking of you x

 

[TillynPip]

Badger is gorgeous and we all have our favourites, whether we admit it or not. I adore my three but there is one that will always have a special place in my heart. :wub: I hope Badger has many more days chasing the seagulls and you have many more just to enjoy having him. :huggles:

 

[Whippets Rule]

Just thought I'd give you a little update on Badger.

He has good days/bad days and the odd excellent day.

Last night he randomly attacked our old lurcher Bryn.....no harm done but Bryn has poor eyesight and we think Badger thought he was staring at him.....Badger was one angry little man but it was something and nothing, just oldies getting grumpy old man syndrome!!

Went to the vets this morning with my rabbits for their jabs and asked if I could get some more vetmedin and I got four weeks worth this time....the vet is a friend of mine and he said he trusts my judgement that if there is a problem I'll take Badger straight in but since he's doing ok for now, I just keep on with the tablets and see how we go....any changes then obviously he goes in but i know my dog extremely well and am looking for signs of problems all the time.

Badger in himself seems a happy boy....like I say obviously has grumpy moments...but is bright and lively enough. I'm not foolish and i do know this is all only short term but he's still here now and I certainly wasn't expecting him to be but so far the Vetmedin has made a marked difference for him and all the while that's happening then we keep going. He does seem to have found sufficient energy to fix Bryn but also we were harrassed by an escaped labrador the other day and Badger wanted to murder him too and was quite feisty( Badger is muzzled when out). Local cats still get the worst of Badgers swear words though...he may walk slowly but he can still shout and snarl quite fast (w00t) .

We've been to the park a few times and Badger still runs after the ball and bites my bum and steals the flinger which is all normal behaviour for him...he just can't keep up the pace for more than a minute but the will to skip and play is very much still there.

anyway thanks very much for all your interest and I'll keep you posted as to how he gets on. xx

 

[Dr B]

I'm glad he is doing OK at the moment. Make the most of your time together.