enlarged heart

[maggie1]

HI I TOOK MY YORKIE MAGGIE TO THE VET SHE KEPT COUGHING ALL THE TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS KENNEL COUGH TURNS OUT IT WAS A ENLARGED HEART HE HAVE HER MEDICATION AND COUGH MEDICATION COULD ANY ONE PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT THIS CONDITION CAN THEY STILL LIVE HEALTHY LIVES HE SAID I CAUGHT IT IN TIME TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE EVERY THING I HAVE READ SAYS ITS NOT GOOD PLUS SHE IS COUGHING MORE THIS ALL HAPPENED AFTER SHE HAD A LITTER OF PUPPIES THANKS KIM

[Patti]

My yorkie Zorro had an enlarged heart and lived to be 13 years old. Didi you get a second opinion from a specilaist? I would advise it. Good luck.

[LuvMySissy]

I have no advice to offer, but I just wanted you to know that we'll be thinking about your little baby and hoping she will live a long, happy and healthy life with you.

[YORKIE7]

Im very sorry to hear this,and i unfortunatley don't know anything about enlarged hearts,i just wanted to send well wishes to you and maggie

[SnowWa]

Kim - I work in Cardiology - and an enlarged heart can, indeed, be a very serous condition. And, it can be caused by many many different things.

But - an enlarged heart can also be a temporary condition brought on by an illness or other problem and can return to normal.

I suspect that since your vet said that you "caught it in time" and your pup will live a "healthy life" -- that that is exactly what he means.

I wouldn't worry about it. Your vet may want to check your pup again in six months or so - or, he may not even feel this is necessary. You can still take her back in a few months and have her checked again - just so you feel better.

I wouldn't be considering a specialist at all. In the first place, there are only something like 70 vets who specialize in cardiology in the US anyway - and secondly, you certainly don't need to do anything further unless your pup continues to have what your vet considers a serious heart condition.

Again - don't worry! Your pup will probably soon be back to normal - with no problem at all.

PS--- Several years ago - my sister's doctor told her that she had a slightly enlarged heart, but not to worry about it -- so she hasn't! (And - since then - she has had tests that no longer show any enlargement at all.)

Good luck! Carol Jean

[cheryl000]

I'm sorry that she has an enlarged heart. Maybe it could be from the stress put on from her first litter? How big is she? It's just a guess. I would listen to the vet, it sounds like she'll be fine. I don't think there's much you can do besides that.
But if I were you I would get her fixed since she's not at optimum health. I would try to let her live the most peaceful life possible. I'm glad that she has a great owner that cares so much about her.

[Tenderhearted]

Originally Posted by SnowWa

Kim - I work in Cardiology - and an enlarged heart can, indeed, be a very serous condition. And, it can be caused by many many different things.

But - an enlarged heart can also be a temporary condition brought on by an illness or other problem and can return to normal.

I suspect that since your vet said that you "caught it in time" and your pup will live a "healthy life" -- that that is exactly what he means.

I wouldn't worry about it. Your vet may want to check your pup again in six months or so - or, he may not even feel this is necessary. You can still take her back in a few months and have her checked again - just so you feel better.

I wouldn't be considering a specialist at all. In the first place, there are only something like 70 vets who specialize in cardiology in the US anyway - and secondly, you certainly don't need to do anything further unless your pup continues to have what your vet considers a serious heart condition.

Again - don't worry! Your pup will probably soon be back to normal - with no problem at all.

PS--- Several years ago - my sister's doctor told her that she had a slightly enlarged heart, but not to worry about it -- so she hasn't! (And - since then - she has had tests that no longer show any enlargement at all.)

Good luck! Carol Jean

My Yorkie, Anna, was just tested (x-ray and bloodwork). The x-ray showed an enlarged heart and my doctor is suggesting a no-salt diet and medication. Both heat and anxiety bring on an attack of tongue hanging out, bulging eyes, and shortly after, stiff legs where she can't stand up. She doesn't seem to be able to breathe, and it takes going to our "quiet place" in the house, laying down with her, speaking softly and gently touching her to get her to calm down. After the last attack, she suffered for a couple of hours and slept the rest of the day. As long as she isn't hot or anxious, she seems to be okay. I'm really worried. I'm not so sure Anna's in the "wait and she'll get better" group. I'd love to think so. I really need to hear from some other owners on this site!!!

[Lizzie07]

In Jan 2008, my then 13 yr old IG was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I had taken her to my vet for coughing too. Diane, my vet, did an xray and blood work. Blood work was fine, but the heart was enlarged. Opal started taking vetmedin, 1.25mg 2X a day. I asked Diane, who is also a pretty good friend of mine if I should take Opal to a specialists and she didn't think so.

Opal usually gets an annual dental every Jan, but Diane did not want to do one because her heart was so enlarged and was afraid to put Opal under. I have aggressively maintained Opal's teeth with Petzlife, but her breath was still bad. It was killing me to know she had heart problems and bad teeth. I was afraid she had a fistula, which she did.

I took her to an internist in March. He completely evaluated Opal and did a echocardiogram, ultrasound and xrays. And bloodwork. Bloodwork was not perfect, but not bad for a dog who will soon be 15. However, she had mitral valve prolapse, a mass in her abdomen and a mass cell tumor on her side. I felt like the floor fell out from under my feet when I heard all this. She also had a little fluid in her lungs and a few irregular heartbeats.

Jory kept Opal on the vetmedin and also put her on enalipril 2.5 mg 2x/day, digoxin 1/4th of a .125mcg tablet 2x/day, and lasix 6.25mg 2x/day. The mass cell tumor was malignant and she did have an oral fistula. The goal was to strengthen and stablize her heart enough to do a dental, quickly. The tumor was removed under a local and was grade 2, which at her age, we decided not to do anything else as the avg life span is greater than what Opal's will probably be.

It took about six weeks, but she was able to have a dental and she really did need it. She had several teeth pulled and the fistula was repaired. She is doing well in that regard. Jory said they really watched the heart monitor and Opal didn't have a single irregular beat, they were very pleased.

So, Opal has been doing really well, until two weeks ago to the day. She refused her breakfast, and when I tried to get her to take her pills in food, she refused that too. I gave her the pills and noticed her breathing seemed labored. I called the vet and too her right in. Opal was in respiratory distress from fluid in her lungs and her pulse ox was in the 80's, very dangerous. She was put on oxygen and given lasix IV. They kept her overnight in order to keep her in the oxygen cage and I wasn't able to bring her home until the next afternoon by which time her pulse ox was 97%. Much better. Her lasix was also increased to 1.25mg 3X/day. She goes back next week for another evaluation. Also, I was told that if her respirations were more than 30/min when she was sleeping, to get her in asap or to an emergency vet.

I can't tell you how many times I have checked Opal's respirations since getting her home and so far, so good.

That is my experience. From all this, I would recommend a specialist. I don't feel I am paying that much more than I would pay my regular vet. The big difference is Jory has more diagnostic equipment than Diane and more experience with these types of cases. He's more cutting edge, in a way. He is also the vet Diane recommended I take my lymphoma dog to for treatment.

Oh, I should say that Opal rarely coughs now.

[Tenderhearted]

Kristan,

Thank you for sharing this information. I am happy to hear Opal is doing so well. It is very encouraging. I will ask my vet about the vetmedin for Anna.

We are living in Mexico right now, and our vet does not have all the things the US does to help Anna. There aren't any specialists here either. I love her very much, but it has reached a point where going to the US just for her isn't an option. I'm hoping for the best.

Thank you again for sharing!
Tenderhearted

[gemy]

Originally Posted by maggie1

HI I TOOK MY YORKIE MAGGIE TO THE VET SHE KEPT COUGHING ALL THE TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS KENNEL COUGH TURNS OUT IT WAS A ENLARGED HEART HE HAVE HER MEDICATION AND COUGH MEDICATION COULD ANY ONE PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT THIS CONDITION CAN THEY STILL LIVE HEALTHY LIVES HE SAID I CAUGHT IT IN TIME TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE EVERY THING I HAVE READ SAYS ITS NOT GOOD PLUS SHE IS COUGHING MORE THIS ALL HAPPENED AFTER SHE HAD A LITTER OF PUPPIES THANKS KIM

Well I think you suspect and if not, do NOT breed your girl again. You did not mention how old she is. 2-3-4 yrs old, is very young to have a heart condition - it could be genetic. So potentially genetic heart defect, breeding with the stresses and strains on the heart, nope not a good thing.

there are many causes of heart enlargement, but for some reason her heart has enlarged. The diet and exercise should be monitored. No overweight Mama over the long term as this stresses the heart. Look at reduced fat foods, insure you exercise her regularly.

[manolos mom]

Originally Posted by gemy

Well I think you suspect and if not, do NOT breed your girl again. You did not mention how old she is. 2-3-4 yrs old, is very young to have a heart condition - it could be genetic. So potentially genetic heart defect, breeding with the stresses and strains on the heart, nope not a good thing.

there are many causes of heart enlargement, but for some reason her heart has enlarged. The diet and exercise should be monitored. No overweight Mama over the long term as this stresses the heart. Look at reduced fat foods, insure you exercise her regularly.

[Lizzie07]

You're welcome. I am kinda embarrassed I regurgitated so much information about Opal, but the only person I really told was her breeder. I think I just needed to get it off my chest, in a way. I really love Opal and I know how you must feel about Anna. I hope your vet can use some of the information for Anna.

Good luck with Anna, please keep me updated on her progress. I hope you have Anna with you for many more years.

[lisaly]

Originally Posted by Lizzie07

You're welcome. I am kinda embarrassed I regurgitated so much information about Opal, but the only person I really told was her breeder. I think I just needed to get it off my chest, in a way. I really love Opal and I know how you must feel about Anna. I hope your vet can use some of the information for Anna.

Good luck with Anna, please keep me updated on her progress. I hope you have Anna with you for many more years.

You provided excellent information about Opal. I can tell how much you both love your babies. My little girl Ashley was diagnosed with an enlarged heart when she was ten years old. The results of her echocardiogram were surprisingly well, considering that she had the heart condition. Her veterinarian, Dr. Jui Jia (Jay) Wen, felt that the cause of the heart enlargement was due to Ashley's trachea issues. He prescribed a very mild dose of enalipril for her heart. Dr. Wen is a brilliant, compassionate man who is also an excellent diagnostician. I trust him completely. He is conservative about medicine, particularly Western medicine because of all of the side effects of medications. He is better known for his holistic treatments, and he has had amazing results. People travel from far away to see him, and at times, he is a last hope doctor to treat animals that other vets could not help. Over the many years that I went there with my three Yorkies, I talked to people and kept hearing miraculous stories of their dogs recovering from illnesses that their other veterinarians could not treat. Many of the people had been told to put their dog to sleep and Dr Wen helped them. We tried Ashley on some herbs, but she was very difficult to give herbs to. She’s not great taking any pills, but the herbs were smelly and large, and Ashley somehow managed to pretend to take the pill, hide them in her mouth, and then slide them out of the side of her mouth. Ashley was good at it; one of my other dogs, Kiwi, was the master at it. Dr. Wen would not allow her to have any booster or rabies shots anymore, and he would no longer put her under anesthesia unless it was absolutely necessary. Ashley had had dentals done at least once a year prior to this, and I was concerned about her not being able to have them anymore. I listened to her doctor because I always felt he acted in her best interests. I made sure to take Ashley for daily walks to help keep her active and build up her heart and lungs. At first I carried her far more than she walked, because I was trying to protect her. I only walked in the morning and the evening when it was hot out. I was very careful about not having her outside when it was too hot out. Yorkies are low to the ground, and the heat reflecting off of the ground makes it risky for their hearts. I made sure that she had moist heat in our home. Over the years Ashley needed to have a few surgeries. She had surgery for an anal tumor, which was a risky operation for her, but it was necessary. She needed surgery for infected teeth that needed to be pulled. Prior to that surgery, the x-rays of Ashley's heart revealed that it was almost normal, and that it was only slightly enlarged. Her heart had gotten much better! She was fourteen when we got that great news. We built up Ashley's walking to the point that she was walking at least two miles a day. If I would have let her, Ashley would have walked more. Her heart and lungs got very strong. The heart got enlarged again in time, probably also relating to her trachea becoming more problematic, and it started to press on her spinal chord. At that point, we gave her herbs that her doctor developed and they brought the size of heart back down. Every time Ashley had x-rays done, her veterinarian would sit with me to review the results of the x-rays and to compare them to the other x-rays that he had taken of her I saw it with my own eyes that the size of the heart got much better. At the age of sixteen, Ashley needed another dental due to an infection, and she made it through surgery and anesthesia again, but we would not have been able to have that surgery if we couldn’t get the heart smaller so that it was not pressing on the spinal column. Ashley died two months ago on June 5th. She would have been 17 years old on July 5th. We definitely had to be more careful with her and more conservative in her treatment, but she lived a mostly healthy and very happy life for almost 17 years. With good vetting and a devoted Mom and Dad, they can have an excellent quality of life. I wish all of you many, many years of health, love, and happiness with your babies.

Below is a link about holistic medicine and herbs. It is very heartwarming to see. I’m certainly not pushing them, but I know so many dogs that were able to be helped by Dr. Wen, the “Miracle Vet.” The clip is about 5 minutes on MSNBC with Susan Rappaport, and there is also a small article. I think the biggest thing I love about Dr. Wen besides his compassion and his dedication to helping animals is that he never gives up hope. You don’t have to go to this doctor to learn from what is being said here.
TODAYShow.com - The 'Miracle' Vet

[Lizzie07]

Lisa, I'm truly sorry to hear of Ashley's passing. It sounds as though she had a great life with you. I pray I have Opal seventeen years.

Oddly, my regular vet has prescribed Heart Qi Tonic that is a Chinese herb product. I have given it since Opal was first diagnosed. Dr Wen sounds like a great vet.

[lisaly]

Originally Posted by Lizzie07

Lisa, I'm truly sorry to hear of Ashley's passing. It sounds as though she had a great life with you. I pray I have Opal seventeen years.

Oddly, my regular vet has prescribed Heart Qi Tonic that is a Chinese herb product. I have given it since Opal was first diagnosed. Dr Wen sounds like a great vet.

Thank you so much for your kind words. Ashley was truly a gift to us, and we were so lucky to have our precious angel with us for so long. I truly hope that Opal continues to get better after her last episode. I know how scary congestive heart failure is. I experienced the same thing that you experienced with Opal two weeks ago with Ashley's sister Kiwi six years ago. We were able to bring her out of congestive heart failure with lasix and enalipril, but unfortunately the enalipril started to harm her kidneys. She was on it for only a few days when we discovered it. I had to bring her in to her veterinarian every day for a few weeks to give her fluids to flush out her kidneys. Fortunately, the ride to her doctor was only half an hour for me and they took her as soon as I came in. Dr. Wen examined her heart and lungs every day, gave her a vitamin B-12 shot,(I think it was that), and gave her sub-Q fluids all for $18.00 a day. Basically, he only charged me for the fluids and not the shot or exam. We had to wait until she got stronger, and then we were going to start her on herbs for her heart. We ended up losing her before we could start the herbs. I still believe we would have been able to help her if she hadn't had the reaction to the enalipril. With the reaction to the medicine and the congestive heart failure, she lost two pounds which was a huge amount for a small dog. She came out of the congestive heart failure, but her body was weakened, and she caught a simple eye infection that she wasn't able to fight off. Ashley had the enlarged heart and had no problems with enalipril. She never went into congestive heart failure, so I was very lucky with her. I will be praying for you and Opal. I hope you have much love, happiness, and health with her for a long time. I wish the same for Kim and Maggie and Tenderhearted and Annie. I'm pulling for all of you.