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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsDoggy has heart murmur and enlarged heart...
Moochie is a 12 yr old chihuahua/jack russell mix. Just wondering if anyone has experience with this. Took xrays and no fluid in lungs, which is good! It's a strong murmur, a 4 on scale of 1-6. She is sleeping more, gets tuckered out easy. So hard to see your baby age
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)Myrina
(12,296 posts)He was (then) a 10 year old Australian Cattle Dog - always exercised, ate fairly well but had several surgeries over the years which probably weakened his heart/valves.
The vet initially diagnosed it as a 3 and recommended all manner of meds/diuretics etc, which I declined. 6 months later, with the consult of Purdue U Vet School, he had surgery to remove a (unrelated) mass in his mouth. They almost lost him, but thank Goddess and science, he came back to me.
He was just at the vet on Monday for a checkup - now a grand old 13 year old - and the murmur hasn't gotten any worse.
He does sleep alot, seems out of breath most of the time & it looks to me like his rib cage is changing shape to accomodate his enlarged heart which is pushing on his lungs. Instead of the 3 mile walks & hikes we used to take, now every once in awhile I'll take him to the stream or woods to just let him wander for a little while, he also still loves to swim and come in the car with me on errands.
I know it may seem cruel to some here but I've wrestled with saying goodbye many, many times during the past year and I honestly believe that when he's ready to leave me, he will let me know. Today is not that day.
Love your baby to pieces and trust that you know what's best, despite all the medicinal/mechanical shit they will try to talk you into.
PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)My vet wanted to do over $800 of tests. I found a new vet that took some scans and bloodwork for half that price. I'm in SoCal, so vets are outrageous with their prices. The new one said I may want to consult a cardiologist, but they start at $500! Nope, no way. Once Moochie's quality of life goes down hill, I will not let her suffer. I hope it's not for a while though. She still loves car rides, so we try to take her on one every evening
Thanks for responding!
Dash87
(3,220 posts)my baby. Luckily and hopefully yours will have many more years left.
My baby has bad neurological problems, and is not long for this world. It was sad to come to this realization, but his spirit must be set free soon. That's the way it is.
He was the product of bad breeding. Careless, is what it was. However, I'm honored to have known him and gave him the best life I could. I'm proud of that.
PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)Mine was a stray that I adopted at 5 yrs. old. I've spoiled her
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)Myrina
(12,296 posts)Lots of Furr-parents in there to share stories/pics/ideas etc with.
Jenoch
(7,720 posts)his grand-daughter's (my niece) 13 year old chihuahua. He too had a bad heart valve. That was interesting because 6 months before my dad got the dog (niece was moving and couldn't take him with) my dad had a heart valve replaced. Artie, the chihuahua would cough a lot in the evenings which was a symptom of the leaking heart valve. He lived a couple more years. Good luck with your little dog.
Oh, both the dog and my father got the bad heart valve from endocarditis, which is an infection in the blood stream. Artie got his from an infected tooth. My dad got it from a procedure at the urologist's office.
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)He survived until he was about 12 years old. He had a very bad cough one day, and I left work early that day to take him to the vet. When I got home, I found him dead. I think that the strain of the coughing weakened his heart and the vet agreed with me.