Infection And Heart Failure In Whippet

[kipb]

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Our lovely 5 year old boy kipling the whippet is ever so poorly. he had a really bad cough and dropped weight so fast, all his ribs poked through within a day, no tummy left, and unable to walk far or sit / stand without effort. he had seemed lazy for a few days before but because we had him neutered a few weeks back we thought he was still a bit quiet. he went to the vets who kept him in for a couple of days and sent him back saying they didn't know what was wrong. he was on antibiotic and pain relief. after a day or two at home he wasn't better so we took him to the PDSA. they said he had heart failure and wouldn't live beyond 6-12 months. we got him back after a day, he'd been on a drip, and he had heart pills and antibiotics. He didn't seem better apart from a couple of mornings where our hopes were raised. Then he got really poorly. We took him back to a second vet at the PDSA who said he has an infection which is attacking his internal organs. He's now on other antibiotics and the same heart pills. He started them on Tuesday and started looking a tiny bit perkier after a day. Today he has his head raised on a couple of occassions and looks a bit rosier. can anyone help?

 

[peppermint lady]

poor boy, sorry i cant help but i hope he is better soon :thumbsup:

 

[nina]

Poor baby, wishing him lots of luck for a full recovery :luck:

Is there anyway you could possibly get another opinion? If he was insured you could get a referal to one of the vet colleges where a heart specialist could see him :thumbsup:

The thing that is bugging me is that if he has heart failure, why were no problems picked up on when he was castrated a few weeks before, surely every animal is tested & heart checked before they are given an anaesthetic ( i know mine always are) & if his heart is that bad that it is failing i'm surprised he survived the anaesthetic at all :- "

Without wishing to sound negative regarding such organisations as the PDSA & RSPCA, i think they have such a high turnover of patients that you do not always get the correct care & expertise.

I have only ever had to deal with one of these organisations once many many years ago when i was still at school & my first pet whippet became ill & i took her to one of these places where they said they could find nothing wrong with her. After taking her back 4 days running they told my mum & i we were just being paranoid.

She died that night from Septacaemia, she was just 6 years old.

I just think that maybe another opinion from a different vet may prove beneficial, but good look & fingers crossed for you all. :luck:

 

[Seraphina]

I would deffinitely take him to another vet, preferably one that treats lot of racing greyhounds. If you do not know how to find one, post query here on k9 in one of the racing sections.

As Nina said, if there was a problem with his heart that should have been noticed when he was castrated, if there was a problem and they did not pick it up that is negligent.

In people there are infections which can be dangerous to people with heart murmours, for instance tooth abcess, and antibiotic has to be given before the bad tooth is dealt with. :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[Joanna]

I am wondering if he has pericarditis, myocarditis or endocarditis (all infections of the heart muscle and surrounding tissue). It could show up as an enlarged heart on x-ray? As you have varying diagnosis, I would certainly go and seek a second opinion from a trusted and experienced vet. Ask around your friends and see if they can recommend some-one. I have two vets at my practice who I try to see as I trust them, others I have lost a little faith in.

I hope you get some joy with your little dog :luck:

 

[kipb]

Our lovely 5 year old boy kipling the whippet is ever so poorly. he had a really bad cough and dropped weight so fast, all his ribs poked through within a day, no tummy left, and unable to walk far or sit / stand without effort. he had seemed lazy for a few days before but because we had him neutered a few weeks back we thought he was still a bit quiet. he went to the vets who kept him in for a couple of days and sent him back saying they didn't know what was wrong. he was on antibiotic and pain relief. after a day or two at home he wasn't better so we took him to the PDSA. they said he had heart failure and wouldn't live beyond 6-12 months. we got him back after a day, he'd been on a drip, and he had heart pills and antibiotics. He didn't seem better apart from a couple of mornings where our hopes were raised. Then he got really poorly. We took him back to a second vet at the PDSA who said he has an infection which is attacking his internal organs. He's now on other antibiotics and the same heart pills. He started them on Tuesday and started looking a tiny bit perkier after a day. Today he has his head raised on a couple of occassions and looks a bit rosier. can anyone help?

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[nicky12]

I would deffinitely take him to another vet, preferably one that treats lot of racing greyhounds.  If you do not know how to find one, post query here on k9 in one of the racing sections.
As Nina said, if there was a problem with his heart that should have been noticed when he was castrated, if there was a problem and they did not pick it up that is negligent.

In people there are infections which can be dangerous to people with heart murmours, for instance tooth abcess, and antibiotic has to be given before the bad tooth is dealt with. :luck:   :luck:   :luck:

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poor baby hope hope hes feeling better soon :huggles: :luck:

seraphina that is very true my son has a cistolic(spelling ) heart murmer one of the vales to narrow and if he has any dental work done even just having a tooth out he needs antibotics :thumbsup:

 

[kipb]

We were told we had to make a decision whether or not to put Kipling down. The heart pills weren't working, the different types of antibiotics weren't helping. Endless searches on the internet were just compounding our confusion. He was so hot to touch. He couldn't move his neck, get up, sit down, shake, wag his tail. Walking meant his back legs were almost locked tight together so he had to hop up any stairs. He was breathless, his heart racing. A couple of afternoons his third eye was down, and he looked like he was beaten but for the rest of the time we could see he was keeping up the fight.

We explained to the vet (the 3rd one we had seen) that we couldn't take the decision to put him to sleep without knowing what was wrong with him and as long as he didn't seem to slip from being uncomfortable to being in pain. We asked him to consult with a specialist to review the case notes, as this had been going on for 4 weeks we hoped there would be enough stuff going on for a specialist to pick up the scent.

Rather than heart failure and infection leading to organ failure as originally thought, the specialist suggested it is Polyarthritis which has turned his immune system to attack his organs. Within 1 day of steroids, Kipling responded. After 5 days, he is putting on weight (it's hard to describe just how thin he has got, it's been heartbreakingly awful to see). Whilst swapping one illness for another is like robbing peter to pay paul, we're happy that he's up and about, he is wagging his tail, and has been for a couple of very short walks.

He is our fighter, only time will tell if we can manage him on steroids, but every day is another day with Kipling, and for that we're thankful.

Thank you for your support. I hope this post helps people in a similar position, but hope that it never happens to your loved ones. The moral of the story is get more than 2 opinions, and in the old days apparently good vets gave antibiotics and steroids if they weren't sure what was wrong with a dog but days of legal threats have led to vets avoiding the relative risk of steroids. if all else fails, give them a shot.

we're raising a glass to him :cheers: :cheers:

 

[Juley]

So pleased to hear he is feeling a bit better. Fingers crossed for him. :luck:

 

[nina]

Way to go Kipling :cheers:

Keep up the fight little man :thumbsup:

Lots of luck to you all for a happy outcome :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[beaker]

so glad you have finally got an answer and that Kipling is doing well now he is getting what he needed :thumbsup:

if he is on steroids long term then maybe masta could offer some advice on coping with a dog on steroids as i know Kass was on them for a good long while after her illness :thumbsup:

:luck: :luck: :luck: good luck with kipling, fingers crossed he is fast heading back to good health :cheers:

becka

 

[littlenell]

Im really glad Kipling is feeling better. :luck:

Tina

 

[Strike Whippets]

Hi .....Glad that you've finally got Kipling's illness correctly diagnosed ......At least now he can get better and stronger ......I have a Whippet on permanent steroids and it doesn't take long to learn to manage them :thumbsup: .......Just remember to always give the steroids after food ........It won't take long for Kipling to body up again, but Horlicks powder added to food is brilliant ........I give Miya a Vit E capsule and Fenugreek powder daily to help her immune system due to the steroids suppressing it ....... :luck: :luck: and I hope Kiplings 100% very soon .... Hannah

 

[Trish]

glad to hear this news on kipling,ive got a kiplin and hes a fighter and strong as a ox,so keep up the fight boy :wub: :thumbsup:

 

[HopeRosie]

He was so hot to touch. He couldn't move his neck, get up, sit down, shake, wag his tail. Walking meant his back legs were almost locked tight together so he had to hop up any stairs. He was breathless, his heart racing.

Having got a dog with heart failure (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) this didnt really sound like how my dog is, so it doesnt surprise me that its turned out to not be heart failure. Even though Cavvies are prone to mitral valve disease eventually, (just one of the causes of heart failure) it does come on rather slowly with a heart murmur first which progresses. Even an infection in the heart would cause a heart murmur as well. A heart murmur would have been picked up at the time of castration as they are graded from 1 - 6, at 6 you can feel the murmur with your hand against their chest and its at that point they are said to be in failure.

At least Kipling is on the right meds now - and you can look onwards and upwards :huggles: to Kipling

 

[urchin]

Glad you persisted kipb - I have a cat on permanent steroids and he's 14 now! He'll never be a tubby boy :lol: in fact a new neighbour came to have a 'chat' with me last week about the neglect he was obviously suffering :- " . ..... but he's a happy boy - lives his life every bit as fully as his brother. he is prone to infections, but never had anything that the vet and i couldn't deal with between us.

good luck with kiplin :luck: hope he manages as well on his meds as Gingko does