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.
I have just been through an utterly traumatic few days that resulted in having to part with my large breed and we are utterly devastated at having to say goodbye bye out of nowhere at the mere age of 7.5 and how quickly the suspected heart failure came on.
Noticed he was moaning and groaning a bit lying by down on a Friday evening after being off his food food for a day or so , emergency vet trip on the Saturday and by Monday when we were hoping to get him seen by a cardiologist (none were available across Scotland at the weekend) his kidneys had shut down from the heart working overtime – and/or possibly from the medication to try and control his heart rate (ranged between 200 and 299 that whole weekend) and to reduce free fluid that we were told could affect his kidneys.
Scan picked up fluid in the abdomen and chest and even though that was controlled and even decreased, it seems everything was too much for his body to hold on and by the Monday he was producing no urine and suffering.
He had been for a yearly check up six weeks before and as part of that prescribed thyroid medication as he was gaining weight for no reason and tests found his thyroid levels were out of whack but despite all this no issues with his heart were found during that time though I wish I had insisted on imaging to check there wasn’t something else besides the thyroid – we also put his excessive drinking down to the thyroid medication
We are living with almost a mild form of PTSD from going from a happy dog that had returned to being alert and exercise happy post thyroid meds to a horrendous shutting down over the court of just two days
Dear Allie,
My heart aches for you with the loss of your beloved boy. I understand your shock and confusion at how quickly things progressed. While we may never understand the details of what happened, I am certain your boy knew how much he was loved and that your presence was a comfort. I hope with time the grief will fade, and your heart can begin to heal. May his memory be with you and continue to be a blessing in your life.
My daughters 14 yr old dog/ family was diagnosed with last stages of Heart failure 2 weeks ago, over last 4 days, she’s gone down hill very quickly. Bleeding with bowel motions.. She’s taking her to vet tomorrow morning. I’ve been trying to gently get thru to my daughter, it’s time 😭😭. ….. I’ll go with her tomorrow for support. heart breaking!
Dear Jacquie,
My heart goes to you and your daughter as you try to navigate this emotional situation. Praying for clarity and comfort. Bless you all. ♥
just heartbreaking 💔 😢
My uptime Chewy was diagnosed about a year ago with CHF. We had a vet visit about 5 months ago because he began passing out. The vet didn’t think that Chewy would make it through the night. Chewy is still here, but he is passing out more and having what appears to be seizures more frequently. I’m wondering if it is time to put him down. Any excitement whatsoever, he goes out. I just don’t want him to be in any pain(and me being oblivious to I it). Any thoughts would be helpful
Dear Rhonda,
My heart goes out to you as you face this difficult situation with your senior pup. From what you describe, it sounds like Chewy is struggling and his health has declined significantly over the past few months. Without examining him myself, it is hard to make specific conclusions. But I do think it is better to let go one day too early than one day too late and allow unnecessary suffering. I will attach links to other articles with more information on how to navigate this emotional path. Praying for clarity and peace.
1. Using a Quality of Life Scale for Dogs
2. How Will You Know When It’s Time to Euthanize Your Dog? 5 Caring, Heartfelt Messages
3. Preparing for Your Dog’s Euthanasia: 10 Thoughts for Peace
I lost my boy Watson last May to CHF; a week before his 4th birthday. He was a Chesapeake Retriever and my working dog (sniffer). Our dogs are all rescues my company adopts and we didn’t have any knowledge of an issue with his heart even with a medical check done on him. One day I took him to the park, and he was a two ball fetch boy, where I would launch one and he would run it back and drop it while running for the next and that day that he grabbed the ball and didn’t come back instantly I knew something was wrong. He started a cough that day to which I went to a vet and they mentioned the heart murmur that set off the start of a chain of events and a week later I took him to the emergency room. He only had 3 days before he was supposed to see a Cardiologist and he didn’t make it home with me that night. I don’t think I’ve ever cried as hard as I did when his heart stopped on my lap that night. I wanted to keep him going but it was advised otherwise due to fluid build up and with their diagnosis he would live 2 months further with a heavy medication and low quality of life. I never knew what a soul dog truly was until he was gone. RIP Watson.
Dear Matt,
My heart aches for you with your loss of Watson. He sounds like an amazing pup and I can only imagine how much you miss him. I am certain he knew how much he was loved and that your presence was a comfort in those final moments. Wishing you peace and healing for your heart. May Watson’s memory be with you always. ♥
I have had my chihuahua mix, Paisley, for 12 years. She’s a rescue and has always been skittish and submissive. She weighed 7 lbs when I got her and was afraid to get caught squeaking toys. Her healthiest weight was 13 lbs and she hasn’t been scared about playing and squeaking toys in over a decade. She’s still shy and scared of most things, but will always put herself between me and whatever random object or person she decides might be a threat, even if she’s shaking. She’s 13 or 14 now and has always had a heart murmur. After several fainting episodes around Christmas (her getting too excited and celebrating harder than her heart could handle) she was diagnosed with CHF. She’s on 3 meds for her heart and an antacid for her tummy that got upset from the meds. Her bloodwork is good.
Shes always been a little picky about food, but over the past few weeks she has eventually refused to eat every food/topper she used to love. All she excitedly eats anymore is chicken breast. She sleeps all day and gets up multiple times a night moving from bed to floor to outside and back in over and over. She still coughs occasionally but her respiratory rate isn’t elevated and she still loves to greet us at the door, getting to go on car rides or walks, sitting outside in the sun to smell, and burrowing into blanket piles.
She weighs 10.5 lbs now and I can feel her ribs, spine, hips. I feel awful saying this, but I hope her time comes in the next few months. She loves the summer and is constantly cold, even now in early summer heat that she used to thrive in. She can come to work with me and loves to do so, but she’s having major bladder incontinence issues from furosemide and releases urine just about every time she dozes off, which is most of the day. We have potty pqd stations for her all over.
I’m getting married in early December and it’s my greatest fear right now that she’ll live cold and shivering through fall to our wedding. I will leave her with my parents who she loves for my 3 day honeymoon, and I’m terrified she will die in her sleep, suffocate before they can get her to a vet, or make it to the loud, scary ER vet and be put to sleep without me, thinking I abandoned her, with her last memories of me being rushed and stressed right before a huge event.
I feel selfish for worrying about this and torn because I want to spend as much time with her as possible but she is wasting away. Her breathing isn’t a major issue with her meds working and she still has more good days I think than bad.
Dear Bryn,
I am sorry you are in this difficult situation with Paisley. From what you describe, it does sound like her health is declining and you may be facing an emotional decision about her quality of life before too much longer. I understand the burden that comes with worrying about the “what ifs”. My best advice is to have a plan for her final days and make sure your parents are aware of the details. You can go ahead and contact a vet that offer’s in home euthanasia and hospice services and have them ready should you or your parents need to contact them. We can work together as a team to ensure Paisley remains happy and comfortable no matter the situation. I will attach links to other articles with more information that should help as you navigate this unknown path. Wishing you and your sweet girl all the best. Bless you both. ♥
1. Dog Hospice Care Can Bring Peace and Dignity to Your Dog’s Final Days
2. Using a Quality of Life Scale for Dogs
3. How Will You Know When It’s Time to Euthanize Your Dog? 5 Caring, Heartfelt Messages
4. In-Home Dog Euthanasia: Heartfelt Answers to 12 FAQs
5. Preparing for Your Dog’s Euthanasia: 10 Thoughts for Peace
I lost my boy a couple days back, he was 11 (Caesar – GSD) and I’ve been struggling with this.
After visits to the vet, we knew we were fighting with time – He had some days where things were great and others not so much. Despite this, he was able to go up the stairs every night to sleep in his room with my parents. On his last night, something told me to sleep downstairs with him. At around 1am, no matter what I said/did, he was adamant about going up. He was so confident… I thought he was strong enough to do it.
We made it all the way up the stairs, and on the last step, he needed some help. Sitting in the main hallway, he started showing signs of discomfort. He curled up next to my leg as if asking for a hug and I held him – feeling him slowly getting weaker. I ran to wake up my parents and maybe 2 minutes, later he had his last breath.
I know he was fragile but this is something I’ll never have the answer for:
1. Did he know it was time, and wanted to go up to see his parents one last time? or
2. Did I walk him to his last day, without him knowing what was coming next
I thank god that his suffering was minimal, and his family was around him, hugging him till the last second. I just hope I did right by him and he knows I tried my best.
I wont ever know the answer to my question and it’s okay. But if you’re listening Caesar – just know that I love you, I miss you, and I’m sorry.
Dear Vinit,
My heart aches for you with your loss of Caesar. From what you described, I do think he was trying to get to his place of comfort by going up stairs. What a blessing you were right by his side and with him until his final breath. I am certain he knew how much he was loved and that your presence was calming for him. May his memory stay with you always as you continue life’s journey.
Yes, my Princess Onyx. She was 15 years old Pure Breed Chiguagua and I was not aware that she was having heart issues. I took her to the vet on Friday they said all was well then Monday I needed to put her down in the hospital because throughout the weekend she was just lightly gasping & wheezing then by Monday it was worse & that was when she was diagnosed with CHF. She was suffering & my worse nightmare happened putting my Princess to sleep. Now I have my Prince Knuckles that was just diagnosed with CHF also & praying as it was caught that meds can help & prolong his life
Dear Maria,
I am so sorry for your loss of Onyx. I understand your concern for Knuckles and hope he can remain stable and continue enjoying life. Praying for healing for your heart and many happy days ahead with your sweet boy. ♥
My Khaleesi passed away yesterday from CHF. The hardest part was that she was drowning inside herself, she couldn’t breathe. I noticed her breathing was getting a little bit more difficult and I had run out of the furosemide. I was waiting on the shipment. She went for a day and a half without it and I feel so guilty. her medication had finally got there and I put a pill in her mouth thinking that would do it. But her breathing was so bad I rest her to the emergency Vet. It wasn’t that close. I saw her suffering and struggling to breathe in my lap. I felt so helpless. And I felt so terrible for letting her get into respiratory failure and to suffer like that. going to haunt me forever.. He lost all bodily fluids and went limp just a block away from the emergency veterinarian. My heart is shattered. Those two days of not having her diuretic, do you think that was it? She was on vetmedin and furosemide since the end of January. I thought she was doing well. But I keep thinking that I should have done something else while she was out of her medication. I can’t stand that she was suffering so much to the point where she couldn’t breathe and died that way. I didn’t want her to suffer at all. The echocardiogram they said it was an enlarged left side, this was last Friday and no fluid in her. how could 2 days of missing her med cause her to build up the fluid so much so that she died? I’m broken.
Dear Michele,
My heart aches for you with your loss of Khaleesi. I am so sorry her final moments were not what you had hoped them to be but feel certain your presence was a comfort. While the lack of medication may have allowed some fluid to build up, I do not think it was the cause of her passing. This was likely a progression of disease that could not have been prevented even with the right medications available. I know you are grieving her absence, but please don’t let guilt weigh heavily on you. You took good care of your girl, and she knew how much you loved her. May her memory stay with you always and continue to be a blessing in your life. ♥
My little guy Sebastian was diagnosed with CHF 20 months ago. He was doing well until November when his cardiologist told me it was worse and he was at a higher risk. He was put on a diuretic, and his vetmedin was upped to 3 times a day. I asked her how long and she couldn’t or didn’t want to say. I asked 4 to 6 months and she said very likely. I couldn’t tell if Sebastian was retaining fluid and called his regular vet for an appointment. She told me she there was only a small amount of fluid in his lungs and that the CHF had now advanced to the right side of his heart and that it would continue to get worse. She could not believe how well he was doing as when she rang the doorbell he went running to the door to greet her and was still looking to play. Sebastian was doing fine up until last Sunday morning. He was sleeping comfortably when I got up to give him his first round of meds. Approximately 15 minutes later I here a noise and go and check on him. He was trashing around and I picked him up. I noticed he had urinated on himself. I placed him on my bed in a position that was comfortable and could breath. I called my neighbor who was a nurse. We both agreed this wasn’t good and I decided this was it. Her husband drove us over to the emergency veterinarian hospital. Sebastian was always very stoic and wouldn’t give anything away and I knew for him to be in this level of distress it was not good and it was time to say goodbye and let him rest. It all happened so quickly and I didn’t hesitate as I knew his time was coming and had been saying my goodbye to him for weeks. It was easy to let him go because his level of distress was extremely high and I would never wanted him to suffer in any way. Upon returning home I noticed he had also pooped in his bed which only confirmed for me that it was indeed his time. Little did I know the easy part was behind me. I cannot put into words just how heart broken and devastated I was and continue to be. Sebastian was the longest living baby I’ve had at 15.5 years old. He was with me since he was 4 months old. The house is so quiet and feel huge without him (even when he slept I heard his little, and big snores in another room). I still cannot wrap my hear around how a ten pound dog could make a 2,200 square foot house feel so full and lived in! This happened on March 23, 2025 and I picked up his ashes yesterday. His remains are home now which makes me feel slightly better as he is where he belongs. It is so true that when they go they take a piece of your heart with them. I adopted Sebastian 6 weeks after my Kota crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge and he helped me get over her loss.
Dear Cathy,
My heart aches for you with your loss of Sebastian. It is clear he was a huge part of your life and dearly loved. I am glad you were able to get him to the emergency vet quickly and offer him a peaceful passing. I am certain he knew how much he was loved and that your presence was a comfort. I understand the weight of grief, especially during these first few months as you adjust to a new way of life. Praying for strength and healing for your heart. May Sebastian’s memory be with you always. ♥
Grieving the Loss of a Dog After Euthanasia (& Finding Peace)
Sadly I sit here today with my husband who just lost his younger brother last Friday. Now our Kirbie with his CHF. I know in my heart of hearts time with him is limited now very shallow breaths sleeping all day in his bed not barking just intermittent coughing. On vermitin and water pill for last couple years. He will be 15 this October. My heart is telling me different from my head. The decision is clear we just need to make it as hard as it will be. Kind Regards The Pages of Wheatfield, NY
Dear Arlene,
I am so sorry for the loss of your husband’s brother and now for the difficult situation you are facing with your senior pup. Praying for clarity and comfort as you navigate the emotional days ahead. Bless you and Kirbie. ♥
All of these stories make me so sad to read. I am obviously here for answers too. Our 9 y.o. red cattledog had a burst of excitement and fell over dead on Thursday, I wasnt home. I have such guilt that I missed the signs of heart issues and that maybe I could’ve extended his life for a couple of years on a medication. He always had a low stamina for a cattledog, since he was a puppy. He was still eating and being normal. We thought his random bouts of heavy breathing was allergy related, it was so Infrequent and hadn’t happened in months. But he would snore loudly and many months ago, I thought his paw looked larger but I had no idea about any of that until now. we didnt know which dog was throwing up months ago. He was drooling more but we were gonna have his teeth cleaned again. He wouldve hated all of the appointments and medications so I know that wouldve been difficult for him. I hate that we pushed him on walks the past 2 months, he was so tough. Thanks for any info you can provide, as there’s a huge hole in my heart, I dont think I will ever forgive myself.
Dear Kathryn,
I am so sorry you lost your boy in such a tragic way. It is normal to ponder all the “what ifs” while grieving but please don’t let guilt weigh you down. Often the signs and symptoms can be vague, and it is hard to determine if there is a true cause for concern. I hope as time passes you can find peace and your heart can begin to heal. May his memory be with you always. ♥
Our lunabelle was diagnosed with a heart murmur quite a few years ago but no symptoms. About a year and a half ago things started going downhill… lots of bills and mess to try, bloodwork, x-rays, etc… her heart was 3x the size it was supposed to be and the vet saw mineralization on her thyroid. Next x-rays showed spots on her lungs… we declined further treatment. I had already spent about 3k to get where we were so we decided to let her lead and give her the medications we could afford. It’s been almost 2yrs on pimobendin and furosemide. The coughing and gagging have gotten so bad lately that we had to up her furosemide to 6 tablets a day!!! (She’s only 18lbs). We tapered back and are holding steady at 4 a day but I can already hear the crackling coming back. What’s really hard is that she is SO happy. She wags her tail, she wants to go for a walk yet it’s cold outside and she’s inside panting… this forum of comments has been very helpful in reassuring my decision to say goodbye in the next week or so. I don’t want her to suffer and she seems to struggle to breathe, especially during her coughing fits which are now over a dozen a day lasting between 2-10 mins each. The texture of her coat has changed (its not smooth and shiny anymore). Shes leaking like a sieve; every room pr place she rests has to get a pee pad and extra blankets. Her legs slide out from her when she’s sitting and I’ve woken up 2x in the last week to find her teeth chattering (loudly). Thank you to Dr. Buzby for creating a safe space to express the frustration of the disease and thanks to all for sharing your journeys… it does help!
Diana B.
Dear Diana,
I am so sorry Lunabelle is not doing well, and you are facing this emotional decision about her quality of life. I am glad you found this forum to be a safe space and appreciate you being willing to share your story with us. While saying goodbye is never easy, I am glad you can offer your sweet girl peace and freedom from her struggles. Praying for your strength and comfort. Bless you both. ♥
I just lost my baby boy Noah a little over a month ago due to heart disease. Two years ago I came home from a trip and he had collapsed 3 times in 24 hours from excited and even stopped breathing 2/3 of those times. I rushed him to am emergency hospital and was told he had an enlarged heart and needed to see a cardiologist. He saw one a couple days later and was diagnosed with enlarged heart, mitral valve disease stage D, and CHF. He was put on a couple medications at first and had to see the doctor every couple months. For the first couple months he did good but then he started to have CHF spells. Everytime he had a spell he would have a medication added and if needed be then the doses would be increased. I saw one cardiologist for over a year and wasn’t getting any where so I saw another for another opinion. This doctor was more thorough and honest about the situation. September of late year I was told Noah had maybe 6 months to live. I was heart broken and asked if there was anything we could do. I had three options but one of them his disease was to advanced and the other we didn’t have the time to proceed. So we did the last option of decompression to the heart. We went over 10 hours to have this done. this was to put a hole in the heart to help with blood flow on both sides of the heart. This procedure was suppose to help CHF and give him more time. The procedure happened in October of last year. It worked for a little over a month. Noah then started to get sick and have some issues. He saw a new cardiologist since we moved and they said he was not in CHF. They did remind me the only way to cure Noah was with a certain type of surgery that he didn’t have the time for. He was sent home and a little over a week later he started to get really sick and show signs of heart issues with his breathing. He was to the hospital where is was confirmed he was in CHF. He had to be hospitalized and triaged immediately. The doctors didn’t know if Noah would be able to get through this episode but I didn’t give up. Early the next morning I got the call I was dreading. No treatment was working and he was getting worse with his breathing and he was drowning in fluid. I went to visit Noah and saw how much pain and suffering he was in. I decided then to let him go and not continue to let him suffer.
He death was the hardest thing I had to deal with. I blamed myself because I could have saved him if I had been told about a procedure thay could have given him a normal life. I didn’t want to let my baby go but I also wasn’t going to be selfish and pet him suffer. I struggled everyday to make sure he got the medication he needed and that he was top priority. My baby was only 9 when he died which is to young. I blame myself for his passing as I did not take evey step I needed to save him from this disease!
Dear Kristin,
I am so sorry for your tragic loss of Noah. I can only imagine how much you miss him, but please don’t let guilt weigh heavily on you. You made the best decisions you could with the information you had at the time. Many people forgo treatment for their dogs and choose palliative care which is a great option. I often like to focus on quality of time and not quantity. I am certain your pup lived a wonderful life by your side and knew how much he was loved. Wishing you comfort and healing for your heart as you continue life’s journey. ♥