Congestive Heart Failure

[mollysmum]

My 12 yo Bichon Frise was diagnosed with CHF about a month ago and was put on 3 different types of meds.  Her symptoms all but disappeared, it was a miracle.  The past few days she has started coughing again, and it seems to be getting more frequent.  Her resting respiratory rate is good, that doesn't seem to have changed.  She is still eating and drinking normally.  Should I be concerned about the increased coughing?

[gillyjay]

Hi hope you got sorted with your baby bichon!!! Good age 12 if you read the comment I posted shan earlier you will read about our boy who was also a bichon!!!! Get the vet to check out his kidneys ect he needs his bloods doing again.. our boy put on a brave face to try and hard it from us but in the end his heart was giving up!!!! We love him unconditionally!  So please I hope you went back to the vet..... keep intouch and god bless xxx

[gillyjay]

That is so so sad shan888 our hearts go out to you god bless... we to went through the same emotions with our boy gilly who was nearly 13 everything you just said was near enough the same our boy had chronic kidney failure which affected his liver then heart,, it was the look he gave me and I knew the time was right! This was February this year and we are still crying and heartbroken! ! But we have to think of our babies suffering an not ourselfs.... we to light candle an have him with us next to his picture an feathers the angel sends!!! Keep the memories flowing an our babies will be in our hearts always...... xxx

[Shan888]

How is your dog now? I hope you had a better result than I did with my Maltese x 'Buddy' For about 6 months he had a dry cough. It didn't seem to bother him as was only a couple of times a day. He had a cyst on the side of his face that I was more worried about, took him to the vet and they said it was not life threatening. Then one morning, Buddy started coughing repeatedly, then would stop and again 30 mins later. By 5 pm that afternoon, I phoned the emergency vet and described the symptom.. He was off his food, very weak and continually coughing. His chest was rattley It was a Sunday afternoon. The vet said it didn't sound like an emergency so take him to local vet next morning 1st thing. By 11pm I was so worried I phoned back the emergency vet and said I was taking him in as he seemed to be deteriorating. The vet sedated him, gave him something for fluid and antibiotics in case he had a chest infection. I stayed awake with him all night propping him up to keep the fluid draining from his lungs. The local vet opens 9am so at 8.30 am I went to get ready to take him. I heard a noise and my very weak boy who could barely hold himself up all night, had jumped off the couch onto the lounge floor. I walked out and he just stared at me then at the door. I opened the door and he slowly walked out into the garden. He looked around at me, then my son and walked down to the back of the garden. I thought, thank god, he's getting better. I walked down and picked him up and drove to the vets 5 mins away. When I lifted him out of the car he was gasping for breath and his body limp. I feel he was dying the moment I passed him over to the vet. He looked back at me and wouldn't take his eyes off me. The vet took him quickly to check him whilst I went out to my car, I was crying my heart out as I knew he wasn't going to make it. And when I thought back later, he had a last burst of energy to walk down to the back garden, I now know he knew he was going to die and was looking for a comfortable place to lie. He is now buried in my beautiful garden and he has a very special place that I can see and remember every day. At night I light a candle next to his grave. He was a very special little dog to me. we were inseperable and had a special bond like I had never before experiences with an animal It was the sadest thing and I still miss him dearly. That was almost 3 months ago and i'm still grieving. I guess the moral of the story is, if you dog has a dry cough, take him to the vet immediately. It turned out Buddy had heart disease and I had no idea.

[BluCrystal]

Yes, you should.  Please have her re-evaluated by your vet as soon as you can.  Blessings to you and your furbaby - Blu