Heart Disease in Dogs

[Geila]

Turns out the Lap of Love doesn't offer hospice right now due to covid. All they can offer is advice (no meds) and euthanasia. So I made an appt. with the expensive hospital nearby. Do you guys see any reason why I should have them do the ultrasound and/or x-rays? It would be $1200-1400. I'm worried that they will pressure me to do them. The appt is in a few hours.

She had a great morning and I keep telling myself that the time to do all this, even the exam, is now, when she's feeling good rather than waiting till it's an emergency and she's feeling terrible.

[Teacher Terry]

They can diagnose CHF by listening to the heart and then prescribe medication that makes it easier to breathe, etc.

[iris lilies]

They can diagnose CHF by listening to the heart and then prescribe medication that makes it easier to breathe, etc.

q
But isn’t that what she’s asking? Spend $1400 to diagnose? Why?

edited toadd: sorry,
i see what you mean, maybe CHS can be diagnosed with some certaintyby stethescope.

Can
the vet tell her exactly how long this dog has to live with medication that’s making her easier to breathe? No.


For me, I’m not going to do it. And $1400 is pretty easy for me to drop.

And then, I will also offer, unhelpfully, that my vet would do chest x-rays for not anywhere near that cost. I don’t remember how much Teddy’s chest x-rays were if it was over $200 I would be surprised.

[Geila]

The $1400 is to find out how far along it is, I'm guessing. A regular exam is $65. My regular vet didn't do anything other than listen to her chest, but he also didn't tell me what to look out for, how far along she is, at what point she's in pain, etc. Her bloodwork was normal. All he said was if her resting rate is under 30 she is ok, which it is, but she still has all these other issues. I don't think he even has the machines to do xrays, which is probably why he didn't offer it. If the xray and ultrasound are not necessary at this stage, I don't want to do it. It will be hard on her and the ultrasound is not done by them, they have to schedule someone to come in and do it so she has to be there all day. An xray with 2 shots is $450. HCOL. My impression was that they would need at least 2 shots - the receptionist kept saying that it would all depend on the what vet found, but I worry that I won't be able to think straight when it's all happening in the moment, hence all the mental prep. If I do 1 xray that would be $225, so not terrible and hopefully they could do it when we're there.

When I called my regular vet yesterday about her not eating and then throwing up 4 times the next day, trouble breathing, etc.. I was told by his assistant that he doesn't have any openings for another 2 weeks. So, too much and too little is what it feels like.

[Geila]

IL - what would you do in my situation? Don't worry about being blunt. I want your opinion.

[Geila]

And Lucy's vision is deteriorating too. She now has to feel her way with her nose when she drinks water, even outside where its bright. I have to start accommodations for her on that.

[iris lilies]

I don’t worry about a dog’s vision deteriorating. They will cope with that.


But you are describing multiple signs of discomfort —vomiting, pain when you pick her up.
OK, where again did the idea of a heart problem come from? Is that why you asked the question?

I just checked with DH on my memory of what took place with our French bulldog. Our vet listened to her heart, and heard something that caused him to take her to the back room to do ?xray ? or ?. Diagnosis was severe congestive heart failure.

There’s something wrong with Lucy, but you’re going have to spend money to get it diagnosed. I guess it all depends on how you were viewing this dog. I probably would have viewed her as a hospice dog. In my house she would be a hospice dog who was technically owned by Bulldog Rescue, and our Rescue head would not spend money to do further diagnosIs on a 12-year-old bulldog. Of course little dogs can live to be 17.

I do kind of, anymore, decide in my mind about the dogs. An example was my eldest Frenchie. She came into our house at age 12, She had two bouts of pneumonia each a year apart. I told our vet the next time she gets pneumonia we’re not gonna treat it we’re putting her down. Well that little brat, bless her heart, she lived with a snotty nose for another two years. She was a tough little beast. At that point I decided she was a hospice dog. And the last six months of her life she had occasional bloody stools until they became more frequent. She was still eating like a pig, but that’s bulldogs. When her bloody stools became frequent and extreme, I knew it was time to put her down because clearly Her internal organs were shot. It was the end of the line. And I didn’t do any diagnostics for it.

For me $1400 is easy Money, but it’s really not the $1400 that I don’t want to spend, it is the personal resources Like time to do doctors appointments and follow ups and etc. For a dog who is at least 12 years old and could be much older I do think this is the end of the line for her.

You provided a nice place for her to land and such a happy time in the last few weeks of her life, that is really really a good thing.

[Tradd]

Gelia, so sorry you’re having to deal with this. Poor Lucy.

[Anne Lee]

Well, this brings back memories. I was still active on this forum when I asked about putting down my dog Happy. It turns out he had a growth near his heart and exhibited many of the same symptoms your pup is.

Rereading that post made me cry but I would do it all over again.

[Teacher Terry]

My vet diagnosed by listening to her heart and prescribed medications. No expensive tests.