Any veterinarians out there?! Canine heart question

[diamondfan]

My dog was in the kennel and we were emailed that a case of kennel cough occurred.

My dog had a bordetella vaccine but I was told they can still get it, and while it might lessen the severity it does not always prevent it.

She seemed fine, but then I noticed a bit of a cough, like she had a hairball, and when she would run around the yard she would make this funny sound like a wheeze.

Took her in, they felt kennel cough was likely due to the situation. Her exam was good, no arrythymia, no murmur, heart rate nice and low, no fever. They drew blood which I will have back Monday. Then the vet mentioned maybe doing a chest x ray. No fluid in lungs which is good, but she did find her heart SLIGHTLY enlarged. Not only one chamber, but a bit overall. On this scale she mentioned the heart should be a 9-11 in size and Maya's was a 12. She is a retriever breed and about 70 pounds. Vet put her on doxycycline for the cough. I am sending the x rays to my vet in California, who will also have a canine radiologist check it as she said sometimes the results are over read.

At home she eats well, is active, no labored breathing, pink gums. I am doing an echo cardiogram on her on Thursday. She comes from a championship line with no history of issues.

But nonetheless I am freaking out. She is only two and a half and has always been in good health.

 

[Linda W]

Caroline, I hope she will be OK. I am glad you are sending her records to your vet in California here.

Please keep us posted and I am sending prayers your way.

Love,
linda

 

[diamondfan]

Thanks. I have Penn Veterinary in the City, Barbaro went to their New Bolton center and they are top vets. I will go there if need be, my vet is good but might not be as specialized. Penn is a top facility with excellent specialists.

 

[Linda W]

Good. That is what we do for our doggies, give them the best care. I am sure Maya will be fine.

My girlfriends dog is sick, some sort of parasite that the vet she, has can''t get rid of. I keep suggesting to her to come up here and go to UC Davis Animal Hospital where our Mazie had her surgery, but she said no. I hope her dog will be OK.


Linda

 

[Kaleigh]

Penn is tops as you know. I''m sure Miss Maya will be fine. Kennel cough is one reason why I don''t board my doggies. They got it too often. I can give you the name of my pet sitter, she''s a doll. I have used her for the past 10 years or so, she''s so good with them. Plus she will collect your mail and stock your fridge if need be. Kennel cough was something that scared me, so after Casper got it, I felt better about him staying at home. He''s old now, 16 yikes. Since we have 2 dogs and a bird, it makes sense for us having a trusted person come to our house and care for them. I was given this person by one of my best friends, she''s got excellent references.


I hope all goes well for Miss Maya. She''s such a love!!! I know you are worried, sending a prayer and a hug to you!!!

If I can be of any help, let me know!!!

 

[Skippy123]

I hope everything goes well for Maya, huge hug and prayers outgoing to your sweet dog and to you. Keep us posted.

 

[diamondfan]

Thanks guys. The heart thing has me worried, not gonna lie. Her symptoms overall are not indicative of an issue NOW, and maybe it means nothing, but nonetheless I am terrified. She gets an echo and ekg on Thursday, should have labs back today. I overnighted her x rays to my cousin, who, Linda, btw, trained at UC Davis. She breeds Chessies as well as being a vet, and she will check it and then she will also have a radiologist read them too. Just cannot stop worrying about her. She is still young and I love her so much, I hope it is nothing.

 

[Linda W]

Caroline,

It sounds like you are giving her the best care possible and that is the important thing. I know you are worried, but I am sure she will be fine.

UC Davis is the best, I am glad she trained there. We loved that hospital. They took such great care of Mazie.

Ongoing prayers to sweet Maya and a big hug to you my friend.

Linda

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/15/2008 10:38:02 PM
Author:diamondfan
My dog was in the kennel and we were emailed that a case of kennel cough occurred.

My dog had a bordetella vaccine but I was told they can still get it, and while it might lessen the severity it does not always prevent it.

She seemed fine, but then I noticed a bit of a cough, like she had a hairball, and when she would run around the yard she would make this funny sound like a wheeze.

Took her in, they felt kennel cough was likely due to the situation. Her exam was good, no arrythymia, no murmur, heart rate nice and low, no fever. They drew blood which I will have back Monday. Then the vet mentioned maybe doing a chest x ray. No fluid in lungs which is good, but she did find her heart SLIGHTLY enlarged. Not only one chamber, but a bit overall. On this scale she mentioned the heart should be a 9-11 in size and Maya's was a 12. She is a retriever breed and about 70 pounds. Vet put her on doxycycline for the cough. I am sending the x rays to my vet in California, who will also have a canine radiologist check it as she said sometimes the results are over read.

At home she eats well, is active, no labored breathing, pink gums. I am doing an echo cardiogram on her on Thursday. She comes from a championship line with no history of issues.

But nonetheless I am freaking out. She is only two and a half and has always been in good health.

DF, it could well be kennel cough Miss Maya has, as to the heart, I am sure she will be fine also, I know how much she means to you, and it is so hard not to worry! I have had dogs with kennel cough before, and she should be fine in a few days from that. I will keep sweet Maya in my thoughts and prayers, bless her!!

 

[diamondfan]

Thanks...

Her labs were normal. And her exam was normal too, so the vet thinks maybe she just has a slightly bigger heart than normal (she IS a lovely girl so that makes sense!) and that it is NOT necessarily indicative of disease. She says the echo and ekg will give us our answers. I am praying it is just totally a non issue.

The kennel cough is tough, it can take a while to go away. I did not think she had it, had not treated her, and then I really started noticing the cough and decided to deal with it. She is on antibiotics for ten days and we should know more soon.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

If I had to bet my last dollar, I''d gladly bet it on kennel cough--I think the vaccine only prevents something like 9 strands? And there are literally dozens of strands of it. Our vet said he''s often considered foregoing the KC vaccine altogether because it''s so ineffective. The problem is that you need the vaccine for boarding, for doggy daycare or for any other dog service.

As for the heart issue, I seriously wouldn''t be concerned, especially since it''s just BARELY over the "normal" range. It sounds like the chambers are all uniform and it''s not so large that it would be putting pressure on his windpipe, nor does it sound like it''s enlarged because of fluid buildup. It sounds like he''s in good shape

Heck, Secretariat''s heart was nearly 3 times as large as a normal Thoroughbred''s heart and look where that got him You might just have a very athletic dog!

 

[diamondfan]

Thanks, NEL.

I keep telling myself that it is just slightly enlarged, and she is pure bred so I think her health history is very well looked at. My cousin is a vet and the breeder of Maya...so she knows a lot about Maya''s health history.

The kennel cough occurred at the kennel back in late March early April, and I DID notice a bit of coughing, but til I got the email from the kennel I really did not think much about it. Her lungs have no fluid, all her blood work was fine, and she is eating and active. Her heart sounds were good and the vet though she looked great so I am just very hopeful that it means nothing and her heart on echo is totally normal!

 

[Skippy123]

How is Miss Maya DF? I hope your beautiful dog is doing better.

 

[diamondfan]

THANKS TO ALL~

She is FINE! Yeah, thought I was going to lose it. Her echo and ekg were totally normal, no sign of disease. She is a bit chunky but very healthy overall. Might have allergies or some reflux and we will try pepcid and claritin to see if they help but thankfully she is great.

The vet told me she is a very special animal, esp. for a Chessie, as they can be tough. She is so loving and docile and sweet my vet wanted to have me take her to nursing homes and other facilities for pet therapy. She is such a love and I think it will be wonderful for my kids to help me with this. Now that the big kids are at camp I hope she loses a bit of weight, I think they overdo the biscuits with her!!!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/20/2008 10:44:56 PM
Author: diamondfan
THANKS TO ALL~

She is FINE! Yeah, thought I was going to lose it. Her echo and ekg were totally normal, no sign of disease. She is a bit chunky but very healthy overall. Might have allergies or some reflux and we will try pepcid and claritin to see if they help but thankfully she is great.

The vet told me she is a very special animal, esp. for a Chessie, as they can be tough. She is so loving and docile and sweet my vet wanted to have me take her to nursing homes and other facilities for pet therapy. She is such a love and I think it will be wonderful for my kids to help me with this. Now that the big kids are at camp I hope she loses a bit of weight, I think they overdo the biscuits with her!!!

Glad she is better. Hope the what she had doesn''t come back! Great news!!! That would be super sweet if she would help as a therapy dog!

 

[amy_dub]

i went through this same problem with my dog. He was a severely beaten and abused English Setter that came to our home after being rescued by a family friend. He was picked up a a field trial only moments from being killed by his "owner" because he was too stubborn to hunt. But that is a totally different story that will get me fired up and on my soap box.

After spending a few hours on a saturday at Bark in the Park (a yearly party for dogs and their owners at a local park) Eli wouldn''t walk or even hold up his head on Sunday. We were terrified and rushed him to the pet ER. $500 and 2 x-rays later, it was determined his spine was completely fused together due to arthritis, most likely from the beatings he sustained at the hands of his previous owner. He was given a shot for pain that completely knocked him out and allowed his body to rest. After further testings and ekgs it was determined his heart was enlarged and we were advised to take him to a cardiologist at UT Vet school. My parents had just divorced and money was tight.. we just couldn''t afford to pay for a cardiologist visit at the time. The dr gave us Rimadyl for his arthritis and within a few days Eli was back to himself. The vet said that the enlargement of his heart could have been due to the pain from the arthritis. So we monitored Eli''s every move and made sure not to let him engage in activities that would cause him to be in pain. We knew when he needed his medicine because he would walk really slowly and hold his head down. I began giving him glucosamine supplements and eventually took him completely off his rimadyl. It is very hard on the kidneys and i didn''t want to harm him. I later switched him to Innova Senior plus dog food which has substantial amouts of glucosamine and he never took his arthritis medicine again, and never had another arthritis episode again.

We also battled with the coughing like you mentioned. He also coughed, or as we called it "honked", every spring and fall since the day we brough him home at the age of 2-3. one vet said it was pollen related and said not to worry about it. Shortly after we went through the heart ordeal, the second vet through it was some type of infection and proscribed the doxycycline which did not change the coughing at all. It just made him run from me when he saw me coming with the pill wrapped in cheese (hoping to fool him into taking it). The coughing got worse, so we sough another vet. The 3rd vet said it could be related to his previous heart problems or allergies. He had quit eating and the 3rd vet though it was most likely allergy related which could have been what caused him to stop eating due to sore throat and his nose being stopped up. So Eli was given 2 teaspoons of Robitussian DM which helped some. He got his appetite back and eventually (like months later) stopped the coughing completely. He lost Eli in October around the age of 13. He was diagnosed with the heart condition around the age of 8 or 9 and he lived perfectly fine with it. i''m not saying you shouldn''t do anything about it, because lord knows if i had been able to afford it, Eli would have been at the cardiologist the next day, but I think it''s not something to get extremely worried over. At least in Eli''s case, the heart problem never affected his ability to live a happy life and he still watched the birds in my backyard until the night be passed peacefully in his sleep.

I hope that everything is fine and your sweet baby lives a long and healthy life.

 

[Dee*Jay]

DF, I'm glad to hear Maya is OK! I hate to board our monsters and now only do it as a last resort if our dog walker can stay over at the house for some reason.

There was a particularly nasty virus thing going around Chicago that they found was even being transmitted through the HVAC systems of high rises where the air circulates from one unit to another. Stuff like that scares the hell out of me!

Do you have any pics of Maya BTW? I would love to see her!

 

[AmberGretchen]

DF - so glad Maya is OK - fingers crossed that the antibiotics clear up the kennel cough (if that''s what it is) and there are no further symptoms.

She sounds like a sweetie - I''d love see pics, and how wonderful that you are considering taking her in to be a therapy dog. I know a lot of dogs who do that (and have helped with their training) and its so wonderful for the right dog and owner, and I think it would be an amazing experience for your kids as well

 

[diamondfan]

Working on photos.

She is my sweetest lovey. All my neighbors love her, she is simply a wonderful calm and happy dog.

I am thankful her echo and ekg were totally normal. She is done with the antibiotic and still making that noise. I am trying pepcid this week and will try claritin too. She has allergies for sure, and Chessies can have OCD, so I am wondering if the noise is at all a habit at this point. She runs around and is active and eating well, and it does not seem to bother her. She has gained a bit of weight though and her thyroid is normal so I am putting the little miss on a diet!

Amy, I am so sorry. Thankfully my cousin bred her, and has been breeding Chessies since 1985. I know her lineage and thankfully no one ever abused her. She has a wonderful temperament and is very mellow. My vet practice said they have never seen a Chessie so sweet and submissive, as they can be quite aggressive, females and males.

 

[Linda W]

Caroline,

I am so glad Maya is OK, what a relief!!!

Linda

 

[Skippy123]

Here is Beautiful Miss Maya!!!

 

[Skippy123]

What a beauty; look at that adorable face, sooooo sweet!!!!

 

[Skippy123]

Miss Maya, playing in the fall leaves. What a darling!

 

[diamondfan]

thank you Miss Skippy!!

 

[Skippy123]

Maya playing in the grass

 

[Miranda]

I''m so glad she''s better DiamondFan! Miss Maya sure is a beauty! Her coat is so silky and she looks like such a love!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/23/2008 11:18:34 PM
Author: diamondfan
thank you Miss Skippy!!

Sure anytime, she is beautiful DF!!!

What a sweet dog Miss Maya is!!!

 

[diamondfan]

Thanks Miranda!

She is on CAS options chewables for her immune system and coat, as well as Platinum Performance powder with all kinds of great ingredients (flax seed oil, etc) AND Grizzly Salmon oil all to keep her silky. As a water dog she has a coat with oils that help repel the water and keep them from getting cold, but luckily her coat is still soft not wiry. These supplements are great. She also does not smell, as some dogs with the oily coat do. I brush her with this special brush and I only bathe her monthly or if she is at the kennel. Grooming wise that is it. No clipping or anything. She is very low maintenance that way!

 

[Linda W]

Caroline,

She is beautiful. What a sweet and loving face she has. I just want to give her a big smooch.

Linda

 

[diamondfan]

Linda, I will smooch her on your behalf. She is a kissy dog, she will sit on you and kiss you, with her paws on either side of your head. Her tail is thumping the whole time.