Pet Health

Which method would you chose for your beloved furry baby? This or That? The medications on the left are what were prescribed  for our Slurpy by his Primary Veterinarian and Veterinarian Cardiologist to take every 12 hours for is condition DCM – Dilated Cardiomyopathy(Enlarged Heart) . These medications cost $608.00 for a month's supply. The medications had adverse side effects: Nausea Dizziness Loss of Appetite Throat Pain Difficulty with Swallowing Lethargy And so much more..... Our poor Slurpy lost his interest in chewing food because of the sore throat and difficulty with swallowing. He also got nauseous just at the site of food. He lost 34 pounds with this whole process. In order to sustain his beautiful life, I fed him around the clock with Ensure which felt good on his throat and allowed him to received calories to survive. Slurpy went in for Blood Chemistry Screenings often to check on his organ function and had they been failing, we would have made the choice to put him to sleep. His organs always came back as remarkably good and the main issue was keeping his calorie intake up. So Ensure to the rescue!! This all could have been prevented per the Seattle Veterinary Specialist Cardiologist Slurpy saw had he been receiving the appropriate intake from day one of his life of an Amino Acid all living things need to survive. The Amino Acid is Taurine. Taurine is pictured on the left in the above photo and costs $5.41 for a months supply. I would give anything to start over and invest in the $5.41 a month cost to have my baby with me for the life expectancy he should have had. He should have lived to be 12, yet he ultimately suffered a heart attack in the end and passed away at the age of 10.5 years old. Please take the time to invest in your pet’s health and provide them with the appropriate nutrients to sustain their heart and vision with Taurine.

Taurine deficiency in pets causes heart disease; dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM), blindness and death. Our beloved Slurpy was diagnosed with DCM- Dilated Cardiomyopathy on Sept 17, 2013. He passed away January 3, 2014. Slurpy only lived 108 days after being diagnosed with DCM.  I spent $4,000.00 providing him with 7 medications to take in 10 tablet form every 12 hours, medical visits, cardiology visits and purchasing every type of dogfood on the market to get him to eat. What Causes DCM? DCM is due to a nutritional deficiency. Taurine is an amino acid required for the development and function of the myocardium(heart). Knowing what I know now, I would have paid up front for the expensive dogfood with Natural Sources of REAL MEAT that provide the Heart Healthy Taurine necessary to provide the full life expectancy our Slurpy should have had. He passed away 1.5 years before he should have, all because I was ignorant to the nutritional needs of our baby. DCM is PREVENTABLE…. Amino Acid Taurine can prevent the disease if supplemented or supplied by a REAL MEAT diet. Taurine is found in Real Meat. Commercial dog foods do not contain REAL MEAT as the first ingredient and are not supplemented with enough Taurine to benefit your pet. Most dogfoods have meat by product, lamb & rice, or corn as the first ingredient. All of which are of no benefit to your pet’s heart & vision health. Lamb is the lowest taurine containing meat. Bottom line - Invest in the expensive  real meat food from the start and you can have the full life expectancy of your pet. Saving money on "cheap dog food”  puts you at risk of losing your pet at an early age as we did or pay later with expensive care to continue some quality of life for your pet. Food sources of taurine include: Fish Fish contain high levels of taurine. Meat Animal meat is a good source of taurine. Dark meat is also a richer source of taurine. Supplement Taurine for your pet. References: Veterinary Partner All Natural Pet Care Only Natural Pet Petmd

What causes dilated cardiomyopathy?

Cardiomyopathy literally means disease of the heart muscle (cardio = heart and myopathy = muscle disease). In DCM the heart muscle becomes thin and weakened. The heart muscle can be damaged in a number of ways including viral infections. Dietary deficiencies of taurine (an essential amino acid only found in meat protein) and carnitine have been reported as causes of DCM in some groups of dogs. Low levels of carnitine in the blood has been detected in some Boxers and Springer Spaniels with DCM, and some Cocker Spaniels with DCM may have low blood taurine levels. Since the disease is much more common in some breeds than others genetic factors are probably important. In most cases of DCM there is no apparent cause of the damage to the heart and this is termed idiopathic cardiomyopathy. Once the heart muscle is damaged it becomes weak and so does not contract well. Because heart contractions are weak the heart does not empty with each contraction and the blood supply to the body is reduced. Pulses are weak and the paws may feel cold. With time the heart muscle stretches and heart becomes a flabby sac. DCM eventually results in heart failure with fluid build-up in the lungs (pulmonary oedema), the chest(pleural effusion) and belly (ascites)

Enlarged Heart (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) in Dogs

Enlarged Heart (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) in Dogs | petMD

Congestive heart failure is the inability of the heart to provide adequate circulation to meet the body’s needs. It is the end result of a weakened heart muscle. The health of the liver, kidneys, lungs, and other organs is impaired by the circulatory failure, resulting in a problem involving multiple organs.

A diseased heart can compensate for many months or years without signs of failure. When failure does occur, it may appear suddenly and unexpectedly-sometimes immediately after strenuous exercise, when the heart is unable to keep up with the body’s demands.

The early signs of congestive heart failure are tiring easily, a decrease in activity level, and intermittent coughing. The coughing occurs during periods of exertion or excitation. It also tends to occur at night, usually about two hours after the dog goes to bed. Dogs may be restless-pacing instead of quickly settling down to sleep.

These early signs are nonspecific and may even be considered normal for the dog’s age. As heart failure progresses the dog develops other signs, such as lack of appetite, rapid breathing, abdominal swelling, and a marked loss of weight.

Because the heart no longer pumps effectively, blood backs up in the lungs, liver, legs, and other organs. Increased pressure in the veins causes fluid to leak into the lungs and peritoneal cavity. Fluid in the lungs is the cause of the coughing. A rapid accumulation of fluid in the small airways can cause the dog to cough up a bubbly red fluid, a condition called pulmonary edema. Pulmonary edema indicates failure of the left ventricle.

With failure of the right ventricle, fluid leaks into the abdomen, giving the belly a characteristic swelling or potbellied appearance (called ascites). This may be accompanied by swelling of the legs (dependent edema). An accumulation of fluid in the chest cavity (pleural effusion) also occurs with right-sided heart failure.

In the late stages of congestive heart failure the dog sits with his elbows spread and his head extended. Breathing is labored. The pulse is rapid, thready, and often irregular. The mucous membranes of the gums and tongue are bluish-gray and cool. A thrill may be felt over the chest. Fainting can occur with stress or exertion.

An accurate diagnosis is established through chest X-rays, ECG, echocardiography,and other tests (such as a heartworm antigen test) as indicated.

Treatment: It is important to correct any underlying cause whenever possible. Heartworms, bacterial endocarditis,and some forms of congenital heart disease are potentially curable if they are treated before the heart is damaged.

Treatment of congestive heart failure involves feeding the dog a low-salt diet, restricting exercise, and giving appropriate medications to increase heart function and prevent cardiac arrhythmias.

Most commercial diets contain excessive amounts of salt. Your veterinarian may prescribe a low-salt prescription diet such as Hill’s h/d, Purina CV, or Royal Canin EC. In dogs with mild symptoms, salt restriction may be the only treatment required.

Exercise is beneficial, but only for dogs who are not symptomatic. If symptoms such as easy tiring, coughing, or rapid breathing appear with exercise, do not allow your dog to engage in activities that elicit these symptoms.

Various drugs are available that increase the force and contraction of the heart muscle or decrease the workload. They include the digitalis glycosides, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta blockers, and anti-arrhythmics. These are the same drugs used in people. ACE inhibitors such as enalapril maleate (Enacard) and benazepril (Fortekor) may prolong the life of dogs with valvular heart disease and cardiomyopathy, and are commonly used in dogs with these diseases. Fluid accumulation in the lungs and elsewhere is managed by diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix). Potassium supplements may be necessary when giving certain diuretics. A diuretic that spares the potassium the body needs is spironolactone (Aldactone).

Dogs with congestive heart failure may benefit from vitamin-B supplements and taurine or carnitine. Coenzyme Q is another supplement that may help dogs with cardiac problems.

When treating cardiac arrhythmias, it is important to search for and correct any underlying electrolyte or metabolic problems that might trigger an attack. A number of cardiac drugs, including digitalis, lidocaine, diltiazem, procainamide, atropine, and propanalol (Inderal), are used to control arrhythmias in dogs. Dogs whose primary problem is an arrhythmia may be able to have a pacemaker implanted to help control the heart rate.

With proper treatment, a dog with congestive heart failure can live a longer and more comfortable life. However, heart disease requires close monitoring. You will need to return to your veterinarian regularly for checkups.

My Babies.... 2 days after Slurpy's Diagnosis

DogAware.com Health: Heart Disease in Dogs

DogAware.com Health: Heart Disease in Dogs

Dilated Cardiomyopathy - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!

Dilated Cardiomyopathy https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952598

Dilated Cardiomyopathy | AKC Canine Health Foundation

Dilated Cardiomyopathy | AKC Canine Health Foundation

Cardiomyopathy (Dilated), Canine | Encyclopedia | Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital, Veterinary Health Services in Lawrence, KS

Cardiomyopathy (Dilated), Canine

College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Health Center

College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Health Center

What your pet eats makes all the difference in life expectancy.

My loss is your gain with the knowledge gained after receiving a terminal diagnosis for our beloved pets.

Sharing nutritional information with you to help protect your pet's health.

My Motivation!

Sprinkles & Slurpy

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Cornell University

I am not a vet, a medical provider or nutritionist.

All information on this page is of personal first hand knowledge in caring for terminally ill pets.

Information on this page is for reference only.