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Hi All
I thought I would post on here and let everyone know why I have not been on here a lot, about 3 weeks my fur baby “Maks” started coughing and I feel like I am on a roller coaster ride again with him.
For those of you who remember, 4 years ago or so he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and he was only suppose to be with us for up to 4 month! But he is still here and has had no problem until 3 weeks ago!His symptoms included dry coughing and gaging at the end of each cough, as if he was trying to get something up, heavy breathing and a rapid heart beat.
So we took him to the vet, his blood work came back normal, all it showed was a slight decline in magnesium levels and his x-ray looked fine except for a bit of congestion in his lungs. The vet told us that he also had a slight heart murmur.
Since he is prone to heart disease because he is a 10 and a half year old Doberman, we did a BNP test as well, his came back at 1300. The vet told me that Dobermans are rated from 750 to 1500 usually and once it is at 1800 them he definitely has heart disease. this test measures the enzimes in his heart and so it seems a bit high to me but all the vet told us is that from her educated guess he is on his way to developing heart disease.
Now I have been reading up on this condition night and day and it just seems really strange to me because he is not showing signs which are associated with heart disease.
He was put on anti-biotic’s for a week and they seem to have done nothing! So now he’s on diuretics, which he just started and I am really concerned about the side effects.
He was on a lot of prednisone 4 years ago and I really dislike giving him meds, probably because I personally don’t like them either.Anyway, his cough is NOT constant, it comes and goes, and now the cough seems to be different, there is slight gurgling at the end and he’s not really gaging anymore, it almost seems like it’s not a full cough.
His breathing has normalized and his heart rate has really slowed down.
I so wish he could talk! it would be so much easier.
So anyway, we’ll see how this weekend goes! But I was wondering if anyone on here is a vet or knows someone who is, maybe they can take a look at this post and his symptoms!
My vet seems to think it is for sure heart disease but before I take the next step and put him on a life time of medications I need to be certain that she is right because like I said before his symptoms just don’t seem to add up!Marzena
Sorry to hear about your fur baby. 🙁 I don’t know any vets, but my dog is considered to be “in heart failure”. It was 4 years ago I took her to the vet and he told me she had a slight murmur with a little fluid in her lungs but it was nothing to be concerned with at the time. He said to watch for signs she might be getting worse. She only had a slight cough once in awhile, but I thought it was her normal sinus congestion. Within a week after the first visit my dog struggled to breath and she became bloated. I took her to a different vet and she put my dog on a ekg of sorts and said my dog was in the final stage of heart failure. My dog is on 4 different pills now. Three are cheap because they’re for humans but there is one expensive one called, vetmedin. She wasn’t expected to live past a year but it’s been 4 years now and she’s still jumping around, though she tires quickly. The cough is still a problem but some days are worse than others. I don’t know if anything in my experience will help you, but I thought I’d share in case there might be something you could find useful info. Oh, and imo the vets (and human docs.) are way too happy about prescribing antibiotics and steroids when they’re not needed.
Honestly my first instinct if you’re feeling like your vet isn’t quite right, is to go get a second opinion (and don’t ask your vet to recommend someone) Wish you were in Colorado! I could send you to some of the best! I recommend researching vets online and making some calls! Always follow your gut-instinct too! If it just *feels* wrong.. don’t do it.
Just like my friends auto-mechanic that her family has gone to for *years* – Just because you feel like you should be loyal to them, doesn’t mean they truly know what they’re doing – It’s sad. But true. In the auto-mechanic aspect, he bought her a brand new transmission because he screwed it up beyond repair when he was working on something that had nothing to do with the transmission, and even after that her Check Engine light came on within a week because he screwed something else up (This all went down over the span of 2 months, he had her truck 90% of that time!)… I quite literally don’t know how he got it SO wrong, and can call himself a professional, but he did. – Vets quite sadly do the same thing sometimes! I’ve had a vet tell us our dog had cancer! With some research and a second opinion, it turned out to be a more-or-less doggy pimple (Which were able to get quite large).. I’ll save the ucky details on how we found this out in the long run, but wow! That was a relief to find out our dog didn’t have cancer… – We didn’t go back to that vet again. Couldn’t help but feel like they were trying to get more money from us than actually help us!
I have a long line of stories like this to tell, I’ve grown up with dogs, my family have shown dogs literally my entire life and my parents are (very responsible) breeders…Anywho, back on point! Go to another vet, or at least call around and see what they have to say… Second opinions are always the best route when something doesn’t seem quite right!
Now, my personal opinion about the cough, from what you have describe… Research Kennel Cough, and in the meantime, to help him feel a lil better, give him some of this:
Mix 2 tbsp of raw honey, 1 tsp of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of water. Give to your dog twice daily.
Yikes, that’s scary.
Please take what follows with a 5 lb bag of salt.
In humans, Magnesium is good for the nerves, and for the heart. Occasionally it can help with nervousness, low-energy, mental issues, and reduce PMS symptoms. It can also accelerate the erm… ‘output’ of digestion. In humans low on Magnesium, it gets drawn from other parts of the body to be used in the blood, so by the time it gets low in the blood, it’s pretty low.
In humans, not all forms are easily absorbed. Magnesium Citrate is one easily absorbed form, and there are a few others. (please keep in mind the digestive output that is a side effect of large doses)
I know nothing about Magnesium in dogs, or as a supplement for dogs. But considering in humans it’s good for the heart, and considering Max is testing low for Magnesium, it may prove a productive line of inquiry. (a regular vet could probably tell you about safety, but you may need someone into holistic animal medicine to give you the full story.)
Best of luck with your little guy.
Thanks for the comments…
Dragoneer….I’m am happy to hear your fur baby is better, and thank you for sharing your story! it’s nice to hear that your fur baby is still with you and feeling better!
Maplecarver…..As for Maks’s magnesium, the vet wasn’t at all concerned, because the difference was very small and she didn’t feel that it was a concern at all.
KP…..The raw honey recipe looks and sounds great but Maks will not touch honey at all!
We actually picked up a stethoscope today from our vet, she felt it was important for us to monitor his heart beats, so we tried today and he’s at 147 per minute which is not too bad I guess for a 10 year old Doberman.
We are still trying to figure this thing out with him!
Marzena
Hey everyone!
Just a quick update!
So we had to take Maks to the emergency today, he was fine this morning but by this afternoon, he was in a totally opposite state! He could not breath and he refused to move! He could not lie down without coughing and even sit for a minute! When he stumbled over to the front door we know, we had to take him!
I am a mess and can’t stop crying!
The emergency told us that he has Cognitive Heart Failure, and that he will not make it through the night!
They wanted to admit him for the night and keep him there, but we were not allowed to stay with him and so we did not agree to leave him there! I cannot leave my guy there and have him suffer or leave us alone without us there on some cold table!
They have him a huge dosage of diuretics and something to help his heart function called “Vetmedin”.
As per our request they contacted our vet, and she called us back at home but she is away for the weekend!
Finally he is able to rest a bit and sleep, he was on the verge of passing out because he was so exhausted. He was falling over!
I am not sure what tomorrow will bring but I cannot sleep tonight so I am sitting here watching him sleep and making sure he is breathing!Marzena
Oh no! I’m so sorry! Please stay strong for him and I’ll keep you both in my thoughts. It’s been a bad time for so many fur babies lately…. I hope things get better.
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IMO, bringing him home is a good call, whatever happens.
Your little guy is in my thoughts.
I’m so sorry!
I hope Maks is doing better and that the Vet can figure out what is wrong and hopefully fix it!Hugs!
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I hope and pray that his condition improves, but if it doesn’t, I think you made a very good choice in bringing him home. That way he’ll be with his family instead of with strangers.
Thank you! Maks seemed to be a tiny bit better today, his breathing has somewhat normalized and he ate a TINY bit! But majority of the day he rested after his exhausting day yesterday! I can’t imagine not being able to breath and gasping for air for that long!
We will be seeing our vet tomorrow (Monday) and see what are options are!
All I could think of last night when I stayed awake all night and watched him is the look in his eyes when he was gasping for air! But he came back home and was able to rest in comfort with his family! I know he’s strong, probably much stronger then I am but it breaks my heart to see him suffer.
I am hoping the medication will continue to work until tomorrow!Marzena
Hi Everyone
Just a quick update on Maks! He seems to be doing ok for now! Although I do have to pick up his medication again today and it will be about $300.00 because its only two of the three pills he’s taking!
He seems to be going crazy over carrots lately! LOL!I also just wanted to update everyone and let you all know that I started a page for Maks on *GOFUNDME* where anyone can donate any amount to help with his Vet Bills! It’s just really hard to keep up lately on a single income and I feel like we are sinking but either way we will NOT give up on Maks!
The link to Maks’s Page….http://www.gofundme.com/ev9w08
I am not ever sure if I did that right since its the first time I have ever some anything like this!
Marzena
So Maks is doing ok! And I am slowly starting to feel a bit more at ease with him even though I am still not ready to leave him alone at home, just in case anything goes! I feel a bit better!
For those of you who are on my facebook, you have probably already seen the FORCE FOR GOOD FUNDRAISER for MAKS, I just wanted to post it on here incase anyone missed it! I hope it does well, it would be very helpful to us right now, with the cost of his medication!
http://www.gofundme.com/ev9w08
Click Here to read Maks’ Story, a brave dog, and his loving familyThis is the Direct link to order to support Maks and his Family
http://www.MSpalding.origamiowl.com/parties/FundraiserForMaksMicheleSpalding476023/collections.ashx
Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me through this, it has not been an easy time for me or for Maks but I am hoping that with each and every day to come it will get better!
Marzena
Maks is having a good day today, his breathing rate is at 17 breaths per minute and that is a good thing, we have been lowering his diuretics over the last couple of weeks and he is currently down to two pills 3 times a day! He has been doing really well with that!
I am feeling a bit sad that we cannot take him out anywhere, he loves going to his grandparents and running in their yard, hubby just took my other fur baby over there and poor Maks had to stay home with me! I feel bad because I know that he knows exactly where Kora is and I am sure he wish’s he was there with her!
I am just trying to keep in mind that he is better off staying at home! But its easier said then done when he looks at me and I think that I know what he is thinking!Marzena
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