Cincy Has Dialated Cardiomyopathy -Update 2/16/08

[chocolatepuppy]

Continued prayers for Cincy.

[Cinder & Smoke]

HI, God ~

THANKS fur helpin our Buddy Miz Cincy to feel not so bad!

Will You keep an *eye* on her - so she stays Well & Happy?

We'll all be prayin fur dat - as will her Mom & Dad & GranMaw & GranPaw & Aunt & Sadie & Spot
and US & allua PTers & the PT FurKids & the Dawg Park Gang ... is dat enuff?
Oh - and all her Therapy "clients" are rootin for her, too.

She's a purdy Popular Girl - we'd like ta have her Healthy & Happy fur a Long Tyme!

THANKS, God!

/s/ the Prayer Pups

[ramanth]

Lots of continued prayers for Cincy!!

[kimlovescats]

I'm glad to hear that Cincy's cough is better! I hope she continues to improve!

[Jakesmom]

I'm not sure I completely understood the reason for stopping meds (or why/how she was dx with DCM originally), so this is just info in case you need it.

ACE inhibitors cause cough in humans with some regularity. Sometimes it helps to change to another ACE inhibitor, not always. If the patient needs the afterload reduction (the benefit of ACE on the ailing heart), there are other meds that block the angiotensin receptor (for people, not sure if they have been used in dogs, but then again, lots of things "migrate...".

The diuretic response to lasix (furosemide) is fairly predictable--ie, if you give it twice a day, you should be able to figure out when after she gets a dose she'll need to urinate (in people, usually an hour or two).

In any case, good luck with Cincy, and we hope she doesn't need further treatment.

jake's mom

[Cincy'sMom]

I don't know that Cincy's diagnosis was offical...her chest cavity was
X-rayed, but no ultrasound or other testing was done. It was observed she had an enlarged heart, and mild fluid in her lungs. She was put on the 2 medications, and another X-ray was taken a month later. The heart size was the same, and there was increased fluid in the lungs.

She was taken off the medication becuase she is not showing any clinical symptoms, other then a mild cough after drinking large amounts of water, or sometimes first thing int he morning. I am not sure I would even call it a true cough, it sounds more like she she is "ha-rumphing"...like a horse snorting I guess is the closest comparison I can make. She is as active as ever, eating fine, etc. Our vet, and another I have consulted with both agree that treating the dog is a better approach then treating the X-ray. So for now, we are not pumping her full of meds for a condition she may not have. We go back Feburary 16 for another check up.

One thing I thought of last week, that I have not talked to the vet about, is that before the first X-ray, she had been on Benedryl for a few days. I did not give her anymore after her appointment, while she was onthe other meds, so it had been a month since she had any allergy medicine before the second X-ray. Perhaps the heart is a condition she has also had, and the fluid is truly related to her allergies? (She has dust allergies that she gets bi-weekly shots for. They are always worst in the winter).

[cyber-sibes]

Still praying for your girl, glad to hear she seems to be doing better.

[Cincy'sMom]

All three dogs went to the vet today, but rather then our regular vet a new guy was there. He still did not hear much of anything in Cincy either heart or lungs, although he suggested putting her back on the Enalapirl. We haven't really decided to do that yet, but may be something to consider, just to help the blood flow, since she does have the large heart. He suggested we talk to our regular vet and deicde what we should do.

He also though thought he heard a mild heart murmur in Spot, and thinks we should considering have an X-ray done on him too.

Everything else checked out fine. Everybody got updated on vaccinations and weighed. Cincy is at 64.4 pounds (down from over 80 a few years ago!), Spot is at 59.8 and Sadie at 73.4.

It is so hard to know what to do! I don't want to miss something in either one, but they act so dang healthy, I don't want to start putting them through a bunch of tests or drug them up if they are fine.

[Cinder & Smoke]

All three dogs went to the vet today,
but rather then our regular vet a new guy was there...

He suggested we talk to our regular vet and deicde what we should do.

Don't ya just *HATE* That when the White Coats pull the ole *swicher-roo*
without telling you - before you arrive for the appointment!?

Hopefully the two Vets WILL consult with each other - maybe some good will come of it.

NICE GOIN on the weight loss, Cincy ... you ought to look great in your Bikini now!

[ramanth]

Glad the vet checks turned out fine. I'd definitely speak to your vet and see what he thinks.

[chocolatepuppy]

Good to hear the vet visit went well. Your regular vet may help you make the decision to put Cincy back on meds or not. Good job on the weight Cincy!

[4 Dog Mother]

Dr. Freeman, our vet, says too, treat the patient, not just the test results. Which is why some of the meds got changed from what Columbus told us. And I think that is true for yours, although I might try to get some information on what the side effects that you can't see (meaning does it damamge anything over a long use) are.

As always your pups are in their grandmom's heart and prayers!