Recognizing the signs of a dog dying of heart failure and knowing how to comfort a dog with congestive heart failure are important, especially if your dog has been diagnosed with heart disease. To help guide you on this journey, integrative veterinarian Dr. Julie Buzby invites her friend, end-of-life care veterinarian Dr. Dawnetta Woodruff to share some words of wisdom. Dr. Woodruff explains what to expect if your dog has congestive heart failure, how to care for your dog, and when it may be time to say goodbye.
When your beloved canine companion has been diagnosed with heart problems, the possibilities and uncertainties are often overwhelming. Your veterinarian may have given you a brief overview of heart failure. Or he or she may have gone over things in great detail. Either way, a new diagnosis of canine heart disease means that you have a lot of information to consider. And you likely have many questions.
Two of the biggest concerns are often, “How can I keep my dog comfortable through the final stages of congestive heart failure?” and “Will I be able to recognize the signs my dog is dying of heart failure and know when it is time to say goodbye?”
Understandably, you want your dog to be with you for as long as possible. But you also want to prioritize his or her comfort and quality of life. So what does this look like when your dog has congestive heart failure (CHF)?
Heart failure basics
To really grasp the complexities of these questions, we need to start with a basic understanding of heart failure. The canine heart is like the human heart—it has four chambers, a smaller right and left atrium and a larger right and left ventricle.
These chambers are made up of strong muscle that contracts in a specific rhythm to move blood throughout the body. As blood moves through the heart and into its associated blood vessels, there are heart valves in place to prevent blood “backflow” and to ensure blood is pushed forward to its next destination.
If the ability of the heart to pump blood to the lungs and body changes, the heart’s function decreases. And eventually the end result may be congestive heart failure (CHF). In other words, fluid accumulates in the body or lungs due to the heart’s inability to adequately do its job.
Sometimes heart failure is due to leaking of the valves, such as occurs in mitral valve disease in dogs. Other times, a condition such as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs weakens the heart muscle itself, leading to heart failure. Or potentially the dog could have heartworm disease in dogs, a congenital heart defect, or other heart problems.
Regardless of the cause, when the heart muscle can’t pump effectively, or when the valves do not prevent backflow, this disrupts proper blood flow through the heart and vessels. As a result, blood backs up in the vessels, pushing fluid out into the lungs or abdomen. At that point, the dog is in congestive heart failure in dogs. Depending on which side of the heart fails, heart failure can be left-sided, right-sided, or both.
Diagnosis of heart failure in dogs
If the vet catches heart disease in dogs early, there may be no outward signs of heart failure. The only clue may be that your vet hears a heart murmur in dogs during a physical exam. But in other situations, you may see more obvious symptoms such as coughing, trouble breathing, or being a lethargic dog.
In either case, your vet may recommend chest X-rays as a diagnostic starting point. X-rays are a good way to evaluate the size and shape of the heart and to look for fluid accumulation in the lungs (i.e. pulmonary edema).
Additionally, your vet may refer you to a veterinary specialist near you, such as a veterinary cardiologist for further diagnostics. This may include an echocardiogram (i.e. heart ultrasound). The echo lets the vet see inside the heart while it is beating to give a full picture of what is causing your dog’s heart disease. And it helps your dog’s medical team know what medications will be most beneficial.
Treatment and monitoring of heart failure
Once your vet has diagnosed your dog with one of the types of heart disease, it is important to give your dog his or her medications on time and not miss doses. The various heart medications help your dog’s heart beat stronger, decrease abnormal heart rhythms, or help keep fluid from accumulating in the lungs or body. Thus, it is critical to carefully follow your vet’s instructions regarding these medications.
Additionally, you should bring your dog back to the vet for regular checkups. That way he or she can track the progression of your dog’s heart disease and modify the treatment plan as needed.
How do you recognize worsening heart failure?
It is also important for you to be on the lookout for signs the heart failure is progressing, including:
- Exercise intolerance—Your dog may tire quickly on walks or have no interest in play. Or your dog may only be able to catch the ball a few times or often need to “catch his or her breath” during play sessions.
- Increased fatigue—Dogs with heart failure may sleep many more hours a day than they used to.
- Muscle wasting—You might notice your dog looking thin and losing lean muscle mass.
- Coughing—Initially, you might hear your dog coughing and gagging in times of activity or excitement. But he or she may progress to coughing even at rest.
- Elevated heart rate—Your dog may have a “pounding” heart that can be felt or even seen.
- Restlessness—Dogs with congestive heart failure can’t get comfortable in any one position. Or they may only sleep for a few minutes before moving.
- Panting—Even when at rest or when the ambient temperature isn’t overly warm, your dog may still be panting.
- Decreased appetite—Dogs with heart failure may not eat well or may need to pause while eating to catch their breath.
If your dog is is experiencing any of these signs of worsening heart failure, it is important to see your veterinarian or schedule a recheck with your cardiologist right away. He or she may add additional medications or adjust the medication dosages to try to get the heart failure under control again.
Consequences of fluid accumulation
As part of advanced heart failure, your sweet pup will have fluid that accumulates within their abdomen (in right-sided congestive heart failure), or within their lungs (in left-sided congestive heart failure). And you might notice your dog’s paws or legs look swollen from fluid building up there as well.
Regardless of where the fluid builds up, it is evidence that your dog’s heart failure is progressing from stable or “compensated” heart failure to unstable or “decompensated” heart failure. And it means your dog is becoming at risk for a respiratory crisis.
As a dog’s heart failure progresses to its end stages, he or she will have more and more difficulty breathing. Your dog’s gums might look either muddy brown or bluish-grey due to lack of oxygen. And you might notice your dog breathing fast, extending the neck and holding the head at an odd angle, using the belly muscles to breathe, or moving the whole body with each breath. These are signs of respiratory distress.
Air hunger
A dog who is in respiratory distress experiences “air hunger.” This is similar to the way a person feels when they have a severe asthma attack. The body can’t get enough oxygen, and trying to get enough oxygen causes a lot of physical and mental stress. Air hunger has been compared to “drowning from the inside.” As you can imagine, it is a very difficult thing to experience. And it can be very stressful to watch your cherished friend going through such a traumatic time.
Seek help ASAP if you suspect your dog is in advanced heart failure
Should your dog be showing these symptoms of respiratory distress, look “bug-eyed” or stressed while sitting still, or you are otherwise worried about your dog, you need to make an emergency vet visit right away. Additionally, if you notice your pup has a “pot-belled dog” appearance from fluid in the abdomen, it is important to seek care quickly.
How can you help comfort your dog with congestive heart failure?
A respiratory crisis can strike at any time. So it is important to understand how best to help your dog before and during a crisis.
Have an emergency plan
If your dog has CHF, it is important to have an emergency plan before a crisis hits. Know if your vet provides after-hours emergency services and where the nearest emergency room or urgent care is located. And review the signs of advanced congestive heart failure so you can recognize them.
If your vet gives you certain medications (such as furosemide) to administer during a crisis, know where they are so you can find them in an emergency situation. But also be prepared to get to the vet as fast as possible.
Know how to keep your dog comfortable on the way to the vet
When dogs are experiencing respiratory difficulty, you can do a few things in the car on the way to the vet or at home to help them be more comfortable.
- Prop their chin up on a pillow to help extend their neck. This may make it easier for them to get enough air
- Have a fan nearby to move air past their nose to increase comfort.
- Consider purchasing an emergency supply of pet oxygen that you can administer during a crisis (e.g. Pawprint Oxygen). This supply will not last long (typically 15-30min). But it may help you and your dog feel better on the way to the veterinary ER.
Understand what an emergency visit for CHF may entail
Once you arrive at the ER or veterinary clinic, the veterinary team will jump into action to stabilize your dog. When your dog is in an advanced heart failure crisis, he or she may need oxygen, IV medications, or even a chest tap (i.e. thoracocentesis) or an abdominal tap (i.e. abdominocentesis). And the vet may recommend hospitalizing your dog to further stabilize the heart failure before sending him or her home.
Promptly making an urgent care or an ER visit can potentially save your dog’s life when he or she is experiencing a respiratory emergency secondary to heart failure. Best case scenario, your dog responds well to the medications, and their heart can once again compensate. This gives him or her some “bonus time” to spend with you.
However, a stable patient who has recently been through an emergency situation may not stay stable for long. At some point, your dog’s disease will become so advanced that even the best medicine and the best medical team won’t be able to stop the respiratory crisis. The most challenging thing with heart failure is that we never know if the next crisis may be the one that doesn’t respond to therapy.
Take steps to reduce the chances of a respiratory crisis
Since a respiratory crisis is traumatic for all involved, dog parents may understandably also want to avoid it if possible. Sometimes, the signs of worsening heart disease are very subtle. And we may not notice them until the crisis is about to happen.
However, keeping a journal of your dog’s activity levels can help you to notice trends that could point to worsening heart failure. And monitoring your dogs resting respiratory rate (RRR) can also help you detect problems quickly. Typically, RRR for a normal dog should be 15-30 breaths per minute. For dogs with heart disease, an elevation in this number can be one of the first signs of respiratory compromise.
To monitor your dog’s RRR:
- Choose a time of day that you will consistently take the reading.
- Make sure your pup is truly resting, and hasn’t just had a lot of activity.
- Use a clock or a stopwatch to count how many times your dog breathes in 15 seconds (one rise and fall of the chest equals 1 breath).
- Multiply this number by four to get the RRR in breaths per minute (bpm).
You may want to use a blank calendar sheet, an excel spreadsheet, or even a shared Google Doc to track the RRR. That way everyone in the family can watch for trends and your vet can look at the data too.
If your dog’s RRR is gradually climbing, if it rises above 35-40 bpm, or if it makes a big jump (more than a 25% increase from the typical baseline value), report this to your veterinary care team. They may want to make medication adjustments or schedule a recheck based on your observations.
How long can a dog live with congestive heart failure?
Sometimes, with medical therapy and careful monitoring, a dog may live for several years with controlled (or compensated) heart disease. It may take a long time for the disease to progress. And the dog can have a good quality of life for much of that time.
However, in other situations, the heart disease changes rapidly within just a few days or months. The dog may go downhill quickly and have a much shorter window of time with a good quality of life.
For example, in a study of 54 dogs with advanced CHF due to mitral valve disease, the average time between onset of congestive heart failure symptoms and onset of advanced heart failure was 163 days. But it ranged from 10 to 743 days. And the average survival time was 281 days after the diagnosis of advanced heart failure. However, some dogs in the study were euthanized within a few days of being diagnosed with advanced heart failure. And others lived for about two more years.
Thinking through when to put down your dog with heart failure
This whole discussion about heart failure and the potential for a respiratory crisis may sound a bit daunting. And it is. After all, taking care of dogs with CHF is not an easy task. You must give them their medications on time and they may require a special diet. Plus, making sure they are stable requires a lot of diligence and a bit of luck. It can be exhausting for the patient, and sometimes caring for a sick pet becomes too much for you too.
You may be wondering how to know when it is time to put down a dog with congestive heart failure. Should you make that decision before they ever have a crisis? After the first crisis? Or should you allow them to pass with a medically unassisted death? There is no one right answer for every dog. In fact, if you have two dogs with heart failure, you may make a different decision for each of them.
Questions to help make the decision clearer
Asking yourself these questions can be helpful:
- Does your dog take medications well? Or does every medication dose cause stress for you and your pup?
- How severe was your dog’s heart failure when it was first diagnosed? How quickly has it progressed?
- Is your dog healthy other than his or her heart disease? Or does he or she have several other chronic health concerns?
- Does your schedule allow you to keep the medications on a good schedule? How long must your dog stay home alone with no human around?
The answer to all of these questions can help you to see the bigger picture. If your dog takes pills well, heart disease is their only ailment, and you work from home, you will likely be able to help your dog stay stable longer. But if pill time every day is stressful and causes breathing issues, your dog also has osteoarthritis in dogs and kidney failure in dogs, and you spend nine hours a day away from home, it may be kinder to make an earlier decision for euthanasia.
There is no “one right day” to make the decision. Rather there is a window of time where euthanasia is a very appropriate decision to make. In some cases, we need to make the decision earlier in the window, and in other cases, we can wait longer while still being kind to your dog.
Take air hunger into account
One thing to consider specifically with CHF in dogs is the topic of air hunger that was mentioned earlier. Some families prefer for their dog to pass naturally, if possible. When that is the family’s wishes, they are often hoping for their dog to peacefully pass away in his or her sleep.
This can sometimes happen. However, with congestive heart failure, an unmedicated passing is more likely to be painful and difficult for your dog. Air hunger is a very traumatic thing to experience. And at the natural end of CHF, a dog has air hunger to the point of dying while drowning in their own fluids. Dying in this way is distressing for your dog. And is also a difficult final memory for all who love him or her.
For this reason, many veterinarians will encourage families to make a decision sooner with CHF than with other diseases such as mobility problems or kidney failure. If your dog’s congestive heart failure is worsening, his or her breathing is becoming more labored, your dog is in a respiratory crisis that can’t be resolved with therapy, or you are seeing other signs of a dog dying from heart failure, the kindest thing may be to help him or her skip over the hardest parts that are still to come.
Words of comfort for saying goodbye
The decision to euthanize a dog with congestive heart failure never feels like something we are ready for. Our mind can logically come to terms with the decision as a kind and merciful option. However our hearts are not logical, and they will never feel ready.
Even still, when we watch our precious canine friend struggling, and we know that we cannot fix the disease, we come to a point where watching them continue on is harder than allowing them to be at peace. This is when we know we are as ready as we can ever be.
Dogs are very good at sensing a person’s intentions, and they are very intuitive. I believe if they could talk to us, that they would tell us they understand that we are making the decision to say goodbye on a good day, before every moment of joy is gone.
Have you lost a dog to congestive heart failure?
Please share his or her story below.
My sweet shih tzu Mr. Mojo was diagnosed with CHF just over a year ago after developing a wheezy cough and having to be kept overnight at the emergency vet. He’s had two more overnight stays since then to drain fluid around his heart and get supplementary oxygen. He’s now on 6 medications, most of them twice a day: enalapril, pimobendan, amlodopine, furosemide, theophylline, and a cough tablet. He does really well most of the time, but I know it’s just a matter of when.
Today he had his regular grooming appointment, and he seemed more stressed than usual after. His respiratory rate has been normal when I check lately (at least once a day), and he’s been drinking and eating well and taking his meds. This evening his resting respiratory rate was over 70 breaths a minute, and I headed to the emergency vet (8pm on a Friday). They were packed, but checked his vitals. Agreed his respiratory rate was abnormally high, but heart rate was good and gums were moist and pink. They recommended I take him to the other local emergency vet so he could be checked out. I called from the parking lot and they said he wouldn’t be seen for 3-4 hours if I brought him in. I called the reg emergency vet from their own parking lot and told them what the other vet’s office said, and they were no help. I had to just bring him back home and I’m watching him like a hawk. His breathing is still fast and labored though somewhat improved. He will not eat or accept his meds and I’m terrified he will die tonight and suffer in the process. I’m angry because I’ve broached the subject of euthanasia more than once (reluctantly, but I’d rather lose him sooner peacefully than later in agony). I’ve always been able to get help from the emergency vet and I don’t think it crossed my mind that he’d be suffering and turned away. I don’t know what to do and I just pray he doesn’t suffer even if I lose him tonight. He’s such a sweet, dear, good boy. My heart is breaking.
Dear Fran,
My heart aches for you as you face this impossible situation with your senior guy. I am so sorry you have been left to deal with this alone and I understand your worry and frustration. Without examining Mr. Mojo myself, it is hard to offer specific advice. But it is ok to let go before all joy is lost and the only thing that remains is pain. I wish you had received more support when bringing up this topic as I can only imagine how emotional it is to even consider saying goodbye even if it is the most loving choice for your pup. I hope the night went better than anticipated and you were able to find a clear path forward. Keeping you in my thoughts and praying for your strength and comfort. ♥
I find that reading so many of these stories and the what ifs brings me a little comfort because I see I’m not alone. This site with the stories have really helped me with my grieving process. My little baby Roxy was 11 and almost 12 in 3 weeks. She was the biggest part of our lives even when my husband and I had our 2 girls, lol. We would always say “be careful with your sister, she has bad legs” or your sister is getting old, please leave her alone” Although, when we would say this to them, Roxy would bark at us almost like saying leave them alone, I’m fine, lol. These are the great memories I will take with me. She was there for all the good and bad in my life and was more than my friend, my baby, she was my companion, my hero and she picked me up when I was at my worst with a few losses in my life. Then she got Lyme disease that was being managed constantly, then she got a meniscus tear on all 4 legs for running like a little maniac. We were ready to provide her with any care necessary including surgery on all 4 but thank God she did not have to endure that, they said it was holding on by a thread so just rest and pills. She recovered but was never the same as far as jumping or running like she used to be but she was with us and pain free and happy. Then came the bad news of CHF, she had her first episode in December 2023, we hospitalized her and we picked her up next day after getting oxygen treatment and she got better, in April of 2024, had another mild episode which was being closely monitored and we changed meds but in July she had another heart failure and had to hospitalize her again for more oxygen and she got out ok but in early October, we noticed she wasn’t herself but she was eating, drinking so we made an appt with her cardiologist which wasn’t for 2-3 weeks down the road, I wanted to have her checked again because I was always paranoid it could be something bad but a week after that she stopped eating for about a day and I thought it was a tummy ache, she was very peculiar about her food, my picky eater I would call her. I took out chicken and made rice to cook the next day for her. She ended up throwing up the very little she ate the prior day twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. I never had a chance to make the chicken. She was with me all day since i work from home and i saw 2 seizures back-to-back which she would have from time to time due to her condition and we had an appointment coming up but then she had 2 other major ones and i called my husband panicking and he came home from work and we took her to the vet. She was 97 degrees, blue pale gums and she laid on me like she had never done before at a vets office, she was my anxious baby. She had lost a lot of weight in the past couple days and we decided to not have her suffer anymore. We believe her kidneys were shutting down because she also had a loose stool in the morning that was black. The what ifs had taken over my life for a few days. I still have what ifs in my head and it still bothers me, should i have done it now or waited? could i have hospitalized again? could more meds help? She was on 5 different ones , taking them twice a day. Did i make the right decision? i don’t have the answers and it kills me but i do thank all of you and Julie for all your kind stories and responses, This has really helped me.
Dear Jessie,
I am so sorry for your loss of Roxy. She sounds like an amazing pup, and it is clear she was a huge part of your lives. You did a great job caring for her and I am amazed she lived almost a year after her CHF diagnosis! I know you would have done anything to give her more time, but what a blessing you were able to offer her a peaceful passing and freed her from unnecessary suffering. I pray for your comfort and for healing for your heart. May Roxy’s memory live on and always bring a smile to your face.
Finn, our beautiful Irish Setter, was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy 2 years ago.
Our vet prescribed medication which kept him largely well for longer than anyone expected.
Finn began to lose weight and muscle around 4 months ago and life got a little slower and more difficult each day for him, but he had the strongest spirit and somehow kept gathering himself together,
When he wasn’t feeling good his coat would become dry and dull, but then would go back to being silky and glossy a few days later.
Finn developed a cough, and fluid built up in his abdomen which was so uncomfortable for him and difficult to control.
He had one last happy summer with our whole family, and our two little granddaughters who adored him, and he them – Finn was the most gentle soul imaginable.
We woke early last Saturday, after a night of discomfort for Finn, unable to know how to rest with his swollen tummy – but yet as always, he woke up happy to see us.
And that day we knew, I don’t know how, but we just knew that we had to say goodbye to our boy before he deteriorated further and there was no more happiness for him.
Our only wish was that he could leave gently and peacefully, and we were granted that.
The sun was shining as we drove to the vet surgery, the place was so quiet and Simona our vet was like an angel,.
I held our beautiful boy in my arms as he left this world.
Finn was so trusting, as if he knew that peace and rest were coming.
He made no sound, and our hearts quietly broke in two.
We did not find your site until after Finn had passed, we had no idea how this illness would progress, and it progressed exactly as described by you.
We made the hardest decision of our lives and your site has helped us to make sense of that decision
Thank you for the comfort it has brought.
Dear Anne,
My heart aches for you with your loss of Finn. It is clear he was dearly loved and lived a wonderful life surrounded by your family. I can only imagine how much you miss him but am so glad you were able to offer him a peaceful passing. Thank you for being willing to share your story with us. It brings comfort to others to know they are not alone when facing a similar situation. I hope with time your heart can begin to heal, and the grief will fade. May Finn’s memory live on and always be a blessing in your life. ♥
My Ralphy was a pound puppy adopted from animal control. They said he was a pekingese, the vet said he was a severely obese shih tzu. He’s been part of our family for 14 years. Last year he was diagnosed with arthritis in his hips. A few months ago he was diagnosed with CHF. He’s started fainting in the last couple of days and we think he had a seizure this morning. I hate making this decision but I’ve decided it’s time. I’m going to spoil the tar out of him this weekend and call to make our goodbye appointment on Monday.
Thank you for this article and thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. You all have helped me make the decision to help my Ralphy pass peacefully.
Dear Amanda,
My heart aches for you with your loss of Ralphy. I hope he enjoyed his weekend of fun and that you were able to make the most of your time together. Thank you for sharing your story with us. May his memory be with you always and wishing you brighter days ahead as you continue life’s journey.
My Chance had a few episodes of “a cough” & was slow on a few walks. I took him to the vet on a Monday, they kept him waiting for an appt. They did chest X-rays & bloodwork. They said he hadn’t coughed while there. Told me he had a little chest rattle (bronchitis). Thursday he had an episode & was very slow to walk. Difficulty breathing. I called the emergency vet. I told them what the vet had said, they said to give him Benadryl & see his vet on Monday. Saturday & Sunday he had trouble eating, walking, breathing & let out 2 blood curdling yelps.. He collapsed in the bedroom, I rushed him to the emergency vet, they did an X-ray & said he was in full blown CHF, they gave him oxygen long enough for me to say goodbye to him. I replay should have’s in my mind constantly, I hear those 2 yelps over & over in my mind, hear the vet say “he hasn’t coughed once while he was here”. I cry myself to sleep every night. It’s been almost 4 months. I don’t want to live without him.
Dear Laura,
My heart aches for you as you mourn the loss of Chance. I understand how your mind tends to go over all the “what ifs” while grieving, but please don’t let guilt weigh you down. You did everything you could for your boy and made the choice to offer him peace and rest and spare him from unnecessary suffering. I am certain Chance knew how much you loved him and that your presence was a comfort. I hope with time you heart can begin to heal. May his memory stay with you always and continue to be a blessing in your life. ♥
Our 9 month old Great Dane puppy was fine and then started to get weak in the hind legs one day so we got her into the vet. They did some tests and didn’t find anything neurological. They did find a heart murmur that was present. (Never had it all of her checkups or her spay)This was a Thursday. On the following Monday she was coming inside collapsed and was gone before anyone could do cpr. We play all the what ifs. Does this sound hereditary or just something was wrong? Her heart?
Dear Kim,
I am sorry for the unexpected and tragic loss of your Dane puppy. I can only imagine how devastating this must be especially when left with more questions than answers. Without having examined her myself, it is hard to make specific conclusions. Due to her young age, I would assume there was something congenital/genetic that contributed to her decline. It would be good to contact the breeder to let them know what happened. This way if any of the other puppies experience something similar the vet can push for a more thorough investigation. Try not to let the “what ifs” weigh heavily on your heart. May her memory stay with you always and continue to be a blessing in your life. ♥
I would like to know the side effects of not giving our dog the Vetmedin. He is in the final stages, hasn’t eaten for a week and not responding to the meds anymore. We will likely have to take him to our vets within a day or two.
We want him to be comfy and giving him the pills is not fun for any of us.
Thank you
Dear Wendy,
My heart aches for you as you spend these final days with your beloved boy. Without the vetmedin, the heart will likely have more trouble keeping the blood circulating which will cause the body’s tissues to have a lack of oxygen. You may not notice any difference at all since your boy is already in the end stage of his heart disease. You could potentially see more trouble breathing or signs of “air hunger”. If you are already planning to say goodbye in a day or two, I would stop the medication and focus on comfort care. I would have a plan in place in case you have to let go earlier than expected. Praying for your strength as you navigate this emotional path. Bless you and your sweet boy. ♥
I have an older Pomeranian. One day he was having issues with his hind legs. Took him to his vet and was given meds for neurological issues. During this appointment I Was told he has a murmur. Fast forward two weeks he’s throwing up bile. On a Friday I take him back him and was told he has CHF. (I’m devastated and am wondering why they didn’t give me meds for his heart at the first appt). At this 2nd appointment they give me meds in pill form I told them he wasn’t eating. Three days later (Monday) I take him back in. See another dr and explained he wasn’t eating and therefore couldn’t take the meds. He prescribed the liquid meds. The form of lasix was in office and the heart med had to be ordered. Took three days for the meds to arrive (express). This brings us to today. My lil guy ( Beast) is still not eating. I’ve been trying EVERYTHING. (He is still drinking water and going pee). The Dr told me to give him the meds 7 days. It’s only been 2 days. I am literally bawling my eyes out. I don’t know what to do for him. I am so lost.
Dear Pam,
My heart aches for you as you face this difficult situation with your senior pup. The reason your vet did not prescribe heart medications at the first visit it because there was no heart disease to treat at this point. A murmur doesn’t always equal heart disease and there are many dogs with murmurs that never develop CHF. Unfortunately, heart issues can sometimes progress rapidly with little to no warning. I am so sorry that despite everything you have tried your boy’s health has not improved. He may need a few days in the hospital to get things turned around and sometimes a dog’s body just doesn’t respond to treatment. I am still hoping for a miracle but more than anything I pray for your strength and comfort as you navigate this emotional path. Bless you and your sweet boy.
My heart aches for I have read each and every story on here. My precious GSD, sweet “INNA” had a short time here on earth. She was born with a murmur which we were told had cleared when I took her in for her second Vet appointment of her short life the Vet told me that she appeared to be overly scared, anxious, and nervous. I was treated as if I was not feeding her when I explained how much she ate. I honestly felt like I was being accused of not feeding her. I shared with the Vet her diet, amounts she was eating, and reassured she probably was just sick temporarily, I was given de-wormer “just in case she had heart-worms” which she did not. She has always been skinny. Seemed to have high breathing and heart rate. She was max 59lbs. She just turned 2 and we noticed over the last couple of weeks she began to decline more. This morning she collapsed on her feet so I took her a new, different, Vet ER, ran blood work on her, and did Radiography. Within minutes of me leaving the room they called me back in. It turns out, INNA’s heart did indeed have a defect or something going on since birth that really never did go away. Her heart slowly enlarged. The radiograph looked like it was nearly doubled in size before we sent her to heaven. She was very energetic and happy and because of her heart she wasn’t able to eat a lot unless it was exactly what she wanted and how she wanted it. I worked from home all her life and never left her side but for a few hours once a week. GSD’s are known to be picky, they are stubborn and can go on hunger strikes, and all of this combined can be quite confusing to navigate. I’m clearly still trying to process it. I just want everyone to know that Love is the answer. I hope this brings healing to someone else as well. To quote again what Mrs. Nanc Smith said before. “I believe dogs express God’s unconditional love like no other being He created, and so they were given the name Dog.” Thank you for letting me share my story of INNA
Dear Travis,
My heart aches for you with your loss of INNA. Even though her life was short, it is obvious she was dearly loved and well cared for. Thank you for being willing to share her story with us. It helps others to know they are not alone when facing a similar situation. Wishing you comfort and peace for your heart. Bless you.
I was blessed with finding my beautiful Chihauhau Tinkerbell (I called her Tinks) in 2012. In 2019 she was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Little did I know how much impact those two words would have on our lives. Our life became daily meds twice a day, trips to my local vet at least every 3 months (usually more often) and annual trips to a heart cardiologist 3 hours away. We did all of this faithfully for 4 1/2 years and then in March of 2024 the cardiologist informed me there wasn’t any need to bring her back. Her heart had crossed over into a size 6 which is the largest rating they have. Now it was just managing the meds. The meds increased from 4 different to 8 different ones all taken twice a day. But if it kept the CHF at bay, then fine by me. It worked from end of March until about the end of July then I started noticing other symptoms. The coughing had increased, she would stumble when she walked sometimes, she would sleep more, wouldn’t play as much and her gums would occasionally have a bluish – gray tinge to them. Then the worst one, the “air hunger”. She was my baby and I loved her more than I can ever say. It was just me and her for years and she truly was the Queen of my Heart, but I just couldn’t make her do any of it anymore. I just had to say good bye to my baby 17 days ago. I miss her every minute of every day and there will never be another Tinks, but after reading some of these stories I realize how lucky and blessed I was to have her for as long as I did after her initial diagnoses.
Dear Janet,
My heart aches for you with your loss of Tinks. She was a lucky girl to have you advocating for her and doing all you did to ensure she was comfortable and happy. I can only imagine how much you miss her but am certain she knew how much she was loved. Thank you for being willing to share your story with us. It helps others to know they are not alone when facing a similar situation. May Tinks’ memory be with you always. Bless you. ♥
My baby boy left us last week
He was 16 and the most beautiful boy in the world he wasn’t eating so was put on pimobenden liquid. A few hours later he was sick I took him to the emergency vet (paranoid mother here I did everything every day cos I love him so much) get to the vets where he’d been for not eating the day earlier. I thought allergic reaction but they did everything he was in an incubator and by the late afternoon wasn’t breathing on his own. My heart is shattered because they said he wouldn’t make the night and would probably pass if we drove him to the over night hospital. I’m so upset heartbroken and angry. Was it the heart failure or was it the reaction. I’ll never know and I’ll always be so upset that he was given that liquid I know it is probably coincidence but you can’t help thinking 😭it’s destroyed me losing him
Dear Mim,
My heart aches for you with the loss of your beloved boy. Without having played a personal role in his medical care, it is hard to make specific conclusions as to what happened and why. From what you describe, it does sound like he may have been in impending heart failure and the pimobendan was not able to help and his condition continued to deteriorate until he became critical. I don’t think the medication had anything to do with the worsening of his symptoms but rather just couldn’t do anything to improve them. I know you miss your pup terribly and would have done anything to give him more time. I hope the memories of all the good times you shared will offer some comfort. Praying for healing and peace for your heart.
Hello everyone-
I read this article and it gave me good bit of solace. Our case was on the exteme side of things but we noticed our almost 7 year old chihuahua getting a little more winded with normal activity. Within a few weeks of noticing this, it got progressivley worse.
It got to the point where I knew this was far from normal. We scheduled a visit with her Vet and was surprised when we were told she had a murmur.
We were told to get a a echo performed and we were luck to have one scheduled, all we had to do was wait exactly 6 days. Within that time, she got much worse.. In the next few days she had increased panting, intolerant to even going outside which she used to love, and finally hard breathing even when at rest.
After seeing this I took her to emergency where her heart murmur was then diagnosed at a very high level. She was having what this article here mentioned here “Air Hunger”, tilting her head up and breathing with her abdomen.
Within a few days the situation got critical and in that very ER, the prognosis was severe.
We lost our pup that night and I am still grieving the loss. I loved her incredibly and looked forward to many more years with her. Please get your dogs checked up on at even the slightest hint of a heart condition. Within 5 days my pup lost her battle and it is a gut wrenching feeling.
She had most of the symptoms listed here but within a period of a few days…. It got bad very fast and frankly I am still so very shocked by it all.
Cheers to Cammy the chihuahua, a truly wonderful dog who brought me years of happiness.
Dear Leo,
My heart aches for you with your recent loss of Cammy. I can only imagine how emotional this must have been with so little time to process what was happening. What a blessing you were able to be with her during her last days. I am sure your presence was a comfort. Thank you for being willing to share your experience with us as it helps others to know they are not alone. May Cammy’s memory stay with you always. Wishing you brighter days ahead. ♥