Yes, but it was a good many years ago now so may not be on top of all the symptoms.

Max had a hole in one of his valves. We took him in for frequent EKG's to monitor and he received digoxin on a daily basis. We knew when the end was near as he would pass out or faint more and more frequently as his enlarged heart pressed on his lungs and it affected how the oxygen transferred to his brain. This was maybe 4 years or so after the initial diagnosis. When these episodes became too frequent (more than one a week) and started to last longer before recovery, we decided the time was right to have him euthanized. He was about 14 at the time but a reasonable age for a terrier. Still, it was a very tough call and a hard thing to do.....but needed to be done in his best interest. I'm not sure I could have withstood having him pass at home, expected or not. They can't really tell you if they are in pain or distress and I wanted to make sure that was not the case.

I feel for you but if your doggie's behavior is changing, it may be that the time is coming sooner than you think :-(

Thank you Gardengal for sharing with me. My dog was diagnosed 2 1/2 - 3 years ago given 9 months to live. 9 months ago he was given 6 months by his cardiologist. I really hoped he would defy the odds. He seems disoriented lately, as if he is losing his cognitive abilities. He doesn’t seem to be in pain. He just stares off into space when I call his name, something he has never done before. His vet called me yesterday and I reiterated my fear that he had a stroke and the vet said NO he is old, very old and fighting a battle he can not win and everyday is a gift.

Is your dog on meds for his CHF? Pimobendan is a remarkable drug. Talk to your vet about this.

Yes my dog is seeing a cardiologist and taking 6 pills a day for his CHF and two pills a day for his chronic bronchitis. The vetmedin (another name for Pimobendan) has helped him more than anything. The bronchodilator also has done miracles.

sabbath...I don't know anything about CHF. Just wanted to say I'm sorry your little guy isn't well. Such a cutie. ((hugs))

Thank you Nicole!

sabbath-no knowledge regarding CHF but want to wish you strength along this difficult journey. It's so tough to watch a beloved pet decline.

Thank you Nannygoat! When our last dog passed, I truly took the very best care of her anyone could take. I stayed up 4 nights in a row. But when she passed I just felt so terrible and guilty as though maybe I could have taken better care of her. The vet kept telling me she was ok, and I kept saying NO I think she is dying. She passed away days after a dental procedure. She was a young completely healthy dog. She had a massive stroke and the vet just kept saying no, no, no...she is ok. He felt so awful that she died that he performed a free autopsy and told us what had happened.

I know God brought my cat that I found in the woods into my life because my dog is so ill. I know that he did that for me.

Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” – Agnes Sligh Turnbull

We had two dogs with CHF. One was many years ago and I don't remember all of the details, but I do recall that in her last days, she started retaining fluids and became really bloated as a result. She panted a lot as if she wasn't getting enough oxygen. Once this happened, we decided it was time to let her go.

The second dog lived for about nine months after her diagnosis. Like gardengal's dog she suffered from fainting spells which became more frequent as her condition worsened. She also panted a lot as if whe wasnt getting enough air. One night, she collapsed and wasnt able to get back on her feet. It was late, but i called our vets office and we were so fortunate that he was in his office catching up on paperwork. He told us to bring her right in.

He examined her and told us it would have been a very long and horrible night for her if we hadn't called. It was time to let her go, so we did. After seeing her struggle to breath, it was a relief to give her a peaceful passing.

Best wishes to you in making the time your dog has left as good as possible. They seem to have ways of letting us know when it's time to let them go.

DawninCal- did your dog change cognitively? Did the behavior seem as though she was disoriented? I am going to take my little guy back to the vet tomorrow. I want to make sure he doesn’t have an ear infection. It seems as though he can’t hear well or see well the last two weeks. The vet checked him last week and said NO he can see he is just getting very old.

No, not cognitively, but she sometimes seemed anxious and/or restless.

I would guess that if the disorientation is related to her CHF it could be due to not getting enough oxygen to the brain. But with an elderly dog, there are so health issues that may be going on, it's hard to know for sure what's causing loss of cognitive abilities.

Yes Dawn that is exactly what my Vet said. It’s so frustrating. I want him to give me some hope. But he doesn’t. He just says there is nothing that can be done, he is too old and sickly to survive any procedure that would require anesthesia. I know I just grab at straws hoping that maybe his cardiologist can adjust his medication. This chronic bronchitis is worse then the CHF. The chronic bronchitis has added a new dimension and he struggles with it daily, he is not in pain just coughs from it. I don’t understand why he is declining so rapidly.

One thing that has been truly uplifting is a groomer that has been taking wonderful care of him and making him smell lovely. I am so thankful that she has been keeping him so clean for me. I have started to take him more often to her. We should all have dignity in the death process.

If it is similar to human CHF chronic cough which could also be called chronic bronchitis is one of the main symptoms. They go hand in hand. Your vet is telling you the truth rather than giving you false hope. Just enjoy the days with your baby rather than taking him to the vet. Going to the vet probably stresses your baby increasing his problems. One of the medical problems my husband developed was mild CHF and this is what his doctor explained to us that was causing the cough.

Is the bronchitis related to the CHF ?

Our vet told us that as her conditioned worsened that she would develop a cough and he was right about that. It added another thing to worry about but i came to feel that it sounded worse than it actually was because it didnt seem to affect her overall disposition or the activities that she was able to do.

Its a very difficult and sad thing to see them struggling and not be able to do much to help them. You may have reached a point where all you can do is keep her as comfortable as possible. I really do sympathize because we do so want to be able to fix things and it can be hard to accept that we cant.

Sabbath, I don't have any experience with CHF, but just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry you are going through this pain with an old pet. The stress and worry about whether you're doing the right thing for your best friend is overwhelming. I've been there with senior cats, and have frequently second-guessed what I was doing and the choices I made.

He started making a different noise then the CHF cough so I took him to the cardiologist who then conferred with an internalist and they said it was chronic bronchitis and put him on a bronchodilator and that helped immensely, that was 9 months ago. Idk they may all be related. My vet showed me last week that the cardiologist put “guarded prognosis” in the notes. He said that means 6 months. He was trying to make sure that I understood.

Look up CHF in humans. It will give you a better understanding of what is happening to your poor baby.

We had to make the difficult decision to put our dog down as she had inoperable stomach cancer. On the chosen day, she woke up in great spirits, ate a hearty breakfast (for the first time in days) and enjoyed her last walk in the bright December sunshine. It was so hard to let her go as it appeared that she was rallying, but we wanted to ensure that her last day was happy and pain-free. Even the vet cried as she breathed her last.

Dawn- I so wish I could give him a cheeseburger. I give him a new bone everyday. He suffers terrible diarrhea if he has anything rich. My husband sneaks him treats but he gets such awful diarrhea that I don’t allow him to sneak him treats anymore.

Sabbath it does not really matter if he gets diarrhea except that you have to clean it up. The idea is to make him happy and comfortable. There may be some treats that he likes that are not rich that you can try.

Mai- I have been reading about it. The COPD (chronic bronchitis) has to do with breathing out which is when he coughs. The breaths out are what is the problem. I think though it’s all related. It all is just his system breaking down. His cardiologist also said that it’s when the blood is leaving his heart that is the problem in his specific case. I am not a medical person so I don’t understand everything. His specific cough from the CHF was also on the breaths out, but those had a different sound. He loves his daily bone and he LOVES taking his medication as I wrap it in havarti cheese.

Malfleur, I agree that treats are nice but diarrhea can cause electrolyte imbalances and deplete an already weakened dog.

Nannygoat does that really matter. My thought was quality of life while here

His diarrhea has mucus and small amounts of blood so I don’t allow anything too rich. I was put on antibiotics last month for an infection in my mouth that caused bloody diarrhea and it was AWFUL. I felt so ill. My daughter, an RN had to help take care of me. Not to be to gross but there is a VERY specific smell with that kind of diarrhea in dogs and humans and it is a smell that you know that you are VERY ill and you feel terrible.

I am so sorry you and your precious pup are dealing with CHF. Sounds like he is receiving excellent care. As I recall, with my dogs, symptoms gradually increased. Quality of their days became questionable. One developed seizures and died at the Vet’s office. The other had a fainting-like episode and died as I was rocking her. Sending hugs your way.

Sabbath, I'm sorry you and your pup are suffering. Sounds like you're getting excellent medical care for him. This is the hard part of having pets:(

Sabbath, I am so sorry you are going through this with your beloved pet. I have no experience with CHF, but have lost pets to other diseases and am familiar with the devastating heartache. You are doing the best you can for him.

I am so sorry you are facing this.

Thank you all so much for your kind words! I will be monitoring my little guy’s health closely. I hope that he passes peacefully. Hopefully, I will have a little longer with him, but I won’t allow him to be in any pain. I am a wishful thinker.

Sabbath, I'm sorry that treats are out. You know better than anyone what he enjoys, so just give him lots of whatever he loves.

I wish you peace when you have to make this decision. We did it, and I second guessed myself right up until the time when the vet rang the doorbell. In the end, we made the right decision, but it was very difficult. Only you know what is right for your sweet furkid.

I'll add my empathy for your pain in dealing with your sweet dog's illness. I hope that he gets a bit more time with you.

I'm sorry that your dog is going through this. I don't think I've ever had a dog with it, although I lost a golden retriever that was getting old and died in his sleep, so maybe he had it. I rehab possums and captive possums....like the non releasable ones, usually die from congestive heart failure. They have a very short life span....like not much more than a year in the wild and in captivity, a three year old possum would be very elderly, although they sometimes live little longer. They grow their entire lives and usually die from congestive heart failure.

That is so fascinating Marilyn. I bought my little guy from an older woman that had one litter of puppies a year and potty and car trained them, she even named them. She was very nice.

When I took him home I immediately took him to the vet for a wellness check and to talk about getting him fixed. The vet said this dog is unhealthy and potentially have many health issues. I was shocked I spent a lot on him, the breeder had papers on him and seemed trustworthy. He said a Lhasa Apso should be twice this size. He has always struggled with his health. The breeder was breeding only the smallest to get even smaller dogs I know now.

I told the vet I loved him, which I do and was willing to take on potential health issues. My husband has declared several times that our dog is the most expensive dog on earth lol due to all of his health issues....I still love him! I have been waking up with him for 14 years sometimes several times a night.