Dcm
Hi guys! Sorry for no posting or pics in a LONG time, but as you know, life gets in the way. My precious child Squirrel, turned 7 on Oct 28th. About 3 years ago, she was diagnosed with Cushing's disease so she sees her primary vet and internal med vet quite often but still, DCM snuck up on us. Back in July, I noticed her breathing changed, became short and at night, labored. In the morning all seemed well. 2nd night, same thing but worse...I stayed up all night with my hand on her chest, praying she would make it till morning.
I took her to primary vet who thought it might be upper airway irritation...I begged him to take chest xray since he couldn't do the other tests and since I was convinced she had CHF and most likely from DCM. Sure enough, lungs full of fluid and a "slightly" enlarged, rounded heart: started on lasix and enalapril that day. She got a little better, breathing less labored but 2 week chest xray still had fluid so she got referral to cardio.
He (cardiologist) did all the tests and confirmed Mild DCM with CHF, 2/6 murmur but no arrhythmias, bp good, kidney labs good. He changed her lasix from 80 mg bid to tid, kept enalapril same, added spironolactone and vetmedin ...this was back in August. She went for 3 month f/u Nov 12th and lungs looked good, labs good, no arrhythmias. Next f/u is Feb 13th.
Unfortunately, after 3 years on same vetoryl, I just had to increase that from 40mg bid to 50 mg bid. She is also on proin , has been for years but it has kept her in the bed right next to me and without diapers!
Some people may say I am crazy for spending the amt of money on my dog but she is my child...I am a single fur mom who would do anything and everything to keep this dog next to me for as long as I can.
And if you saw the way she acts and runs like a bullet out her doggy door at a "real" squirrel in the backyard, you would never know she was sick!
How long will this give her? I don't know but I can tell you that her cardiology vet said if I hadn't taken her to my regular vet when I did, she wouldn't be with me...I'm crying just writing this...
Hope this helps you with your decision making process