Other's Experience w/ Congestive Heart Failure / pre-CHF...

[Wylie's Mom]

Thanks so much everyone for the good thoughts, and for sharing your experiences...it actually has made me feel much better about the prognosis. Given how athletic, active, and lively Wylie is...I was shocked to even hear there could be a heart issue; but hopefully we've caught it early enough where it can be managed well with meds.

Cathy -- I totally forgot to ask what Grade it was, argh!!! He has to go in for a dental in 2 weeks, so I'll try to remember to ask at that time.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Oh, Ann, I am just seeing this and am grieved to know that little Wylie is suffering from all these scary things. Poor, sweet little one! Isn't it unfair and a shame when these magical little creatures who seem to defy mortality in so many ways come face to face with reality, especially after a whole lifetime of giving nothing but joy and pleasure, making our lives better in every way. I'm so sorry that you all are facing these problems with little Wylie and I'll be praying mightily that you find answers to ease and help him all that is possible, with a miracle or two thrown in for good measure. We know you'll have nothing less than the best vetting, love and care for him. Tibbe and I are pulling for him and know he's going to be running your life for many years to come. Hugs to sweet little Wylie man!

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Judy they sell puppies that they purchase from Heaven only knows where because they don't disclose it (I asked and the answer was vague...not a surprise given it is nothing more than a pet store. I am personally horrified that it is allowed here.) I had a neighbor once who told me she sold litters of puppies to them...of course I don't know that to be a fact. I have heard some stories over the years. BUT they don't rescue to my knowledge...it is a money making operation.
I went there one time and saw the puppies and walked out..I would never go there again for any reason whatsoever.

When I was using Dr Garner years ago, I did not use the boarding facility, the grooming facility, or the boutique....I just used the vet hospital area, where there are no puppies for sale! I used that vet because I was looking for a vet that had a hospital that was fashioned after human hospitals, and his facility more than fit the bill. He had operating suites, he had specialists, he had anesthesiologists, and he had a wonderful recovery program where a vet tech worked with a 2 to 1 post op recovery system....no animal was ever put into a crate still out from anestheasia. The thing I really appreciated was the fact he used Ivac infusion pumps on every IV infusion to prevent overloading pups with fluid....and I had just had a vet that worked for the Houston Zoo, infuse almost 500cc of IV fluid into my little 4# female, drowning her.....I would have thought that vet would have cvertainly known what he was doing.

....so I was on a mission to find a vet that worked more like a human doctor/hospital/ICU, than a "dog doctor". Dr Garner certainly fit that bill and while I have no idea what goes on at the other end of the strip center where his clinic/hospital is located, which he does also own, he managed to keep my little girl alive with a ruptured cordea (positive diagnosis from extensive testing) for an additional 10 years, in a status of good quality of life. She was not tearing up and down the fence, communicating with next door dogs, but she was happy and assumed the life of a retired princess!

As far as selling puppies, I dont buy from pet stores, and I had heard they helped sell dogs/puppies that came from the "dog pound" in the area....I know there are pet stores and boutiques that legally sell pets, I dont approve so I just dont buy from them....Again, I was not interested in that area....and then when Dr.Garner started traveling all the time and my needs were no longer being met in the vet area, I left.

Dr.Garner and his hospital was the FIRST set up of its kind, in the Houston area. There was no Gulf Coast VS at that time, or even the one close to me, Bay Area Vets.....fortunately, this quality of animal care has become much more available, in response to demand of knowledgable pet owners.....I am going to check out that new "state of the art" emergency clinic at 518 and 288 area, so in the event I am not able to get my vet in an emergency in the middle of the night, I have a Plan B.

[yorkiemom76]

Sorry to hear this. My 13 1/2 year old girl, Haley, also has this. I took her to the vet about a year ago for a cough and my vet did blood work and x rays. The x rays showed a mildly enlarged heart and she thought she could hear a faint heart murmur. She put her on a trial of lasix which didn't really seem to help. Then she switched her to Enalapril. There was some improvement but she was still coughing so now she takes Enalapril and Lasix. I took her for a recheck a couple of months ago and she could definitely hear the heart murmur this time so it is getting worse and she still coughs although not as much as she was before the meds. With all that being said, without the occasional cough (especially when she's playing or gets excited), you would never know there is anything wrong with her. She runs and plays like a puppy.... I have to make her slow down sometimes. I work in a vet clinic and I know that the fluid can be drained periodically if need be. We had a patient that lived for about a year after they started doing that...he would come in about once every 1 or 2 weeks to have it done. Hopefully that's a long way off for both of our babies though.

[magicgenie]

Many years ago I had a Maltese named Daisy who was diagnosed at around 8 years old with a "significant" heart murmur as part of her exam following an accident in which she was struck by a car. I don't know why this murmur was never pointed out to me before, but physical symptoms seemed to manifest after that accident. She lived to 15 years old taking Enalopril and Lasix. The last 6 months or so of her life I saw a big deterioration, but until then she seemed to be enjoying her life, going up and down stairs and playing with our Yorkies.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Thanks so much everyone for the good thoughts, and for sharing your experiences...it actually has made me feel much better about the prognosis. Given how athletic, active, and lively Wylie is...I was shocked to even hear there could be a heart issue; but hopefully we've caught it early enough where it can be managed well with meds.

Cathy -- I totally forgot to ask what Grade it was, argh!!! He has to go in for a dental in 2 weeks, so I'll try to remember to ask at that time.

When it is our pups we don't think like that....it's a whole different ball game. I am a mess when one of mine is ill.

[Ellie May]

No!!!

[Wylie's Mom]

Thanks so much to everyone who posted, it really helps to hear these experiences....and it makes me feel really hopeful about it all.

Cathy - I was looking at his paperwork and she actually did record the murmur as a Grade 4. Any thoughts on that?

[gemy]

Ann I am so sorry to hear about Wylie, I only have good thoughts to offer you both.

[joyce evans]

Ann, I will be keeping you and little Wylie in my thoughts and prayers! Hugs!!!! Joyce

[MauiGirl]

Sending you and Wylie some good thoughts today.

It is worrisome to find out he has another health issue, but great to know that despite his other issues, that his treatments are working and he acts as if he's just fine. It sounds like the heart problem also has treatments that help many live a long life, and that is what I hope for Mr. Wylie.

[107barney]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Thanks so much to everyone who posted, it really helps to hear these experiences....and it makes me feel really hopeful about it all.

Cathy - I was looking at his paperwork and she actually did record the murmur as a Grade 4. Any thoughts on that?

I would consult with an ACVIM boarded vet cardiologist and have an echo done. Barney is a grade 2-3 and has been misdiagnosed (via xray) twice as having an enlarged heart but his heart is not enlarged. The cardiologist told me sees that all the time with small breeds due to shadowing on 2-dimensional films.. He's not on any heart meds for the degenerative valve disease (tricuspid and mitral valves). I'm supposed to follow up annually which I don't but he's got a checkup this week so we will see if he's worsened.

[gemy]

I think 107 Barneys Cathys' is a great idea. I really think a cardiologist is in order to do an echo. Here in Toronto it is about $500 or so dollars.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by 107barney

I would consult with an ACVIM boarded vet cardiologist and have an echo done. Barney is a grade 2-3 and has been misdiagnosed (via xray) twice as having an enlarged heart but his heart is not enlarged. The cardiologist told me sees that all the time with small breeds due to shadowing on 2-dimensional films.. He's not on any heart meds for the degenerative valve disease (tricuspid and mitral valves). I'm supposed to follow up annually which I don't but he's got a checkup this week so we will see if he's worsened.

I agree with having an echo done. When I was in my 20s, my endocrinologist diagnosed me with CHF. Went to a cardiologist the next day and had an echo done which showed no problems.

[kjc]

Praying for Wylie and you... My 2nd Yorkie took that drug for quite a few years before she passed... Good thing though, she did not pass from CHF. She ended up having inoperable bone cancer in her jaw, making it very hard for her to eat, so I choose to have her put to sleep.