Hi, I recently took my dog to the vets for her yearly checkup. I have a 7 year old doberman who is very active and who has shown absolutely no symptoms of there being anything wrong with her whatsoever. However, upon examining her, the vet discovered that she had a heart murmur and irregular heart beat. He attached her to a machine which printed off this graph showing the beats, normal ones going up and the irregular one going down. Obviously this did not mean much to me. I don't wish to question the professionalism of my vet or sound that I don't care about my pet but he does have a bit of a reputation for finding out if you are insured and then stinging you for things you don't necessarily need. I guess the question I'm asking is, if my dog has a heart problem wouldn't I at least suspect something wrong, i.e. shortness of breath, coughing. He's put her on Vetmedin which he now says she will need for the rest of her life.

Our vet says: Think of the heart as a pump. If a pump has, let's say, a slightly leaky valve or pumps just slightly in the wrong way, you might not notice the problem immediately. However as the water in the pump goes slightly in the wrong direction, further damage is done until more and more water flows abnormally and eventually the pump fails..... and you are swimming in lots of water which should not be there!

The heart is really a pump which the body uses to distribute blood around the body. Unlike a mechanical pump, it has some reserve capacity so that when things start to go wrong, mechanisms are in place to compensate for the problem and get the blood flowing to where it needs to go. This means that by the time you notice a problem, things have gone past the point of compensation and the pump is really in trouble.

The signs you mention of coughing and shortness of breath are signs of fluid accumulation in the lungs, so the fluid is not moving where it should go at all, and the heart is having to work REALLY hard by this stage.

As veterinary medicine progresses we are able to detect problems BEFORE the clinical signs become apparent. If treated early we know we can prolong the life-span and also the quality of life too! This is great but can lead to problems when pets appear perfectly well as yours does.

I understand that you do not wish to treat your pet unnecessarily, but if treated early the outcome for pets with heart disease is much improved. If I were you I would be reassured due to the fact that an ECG ( which I assume the graph was) has been taken.

It can be very difficult for vets sometimes! Preventative treatment and early care of disease (before signs are necessarily apparent to owners) is the best practice of medicine and represents the very best of care for animals. In the end it is most likely to work out cheaper than letting animals develop serious signs and having to pay for expensive hospital treatment and life saving procedures later on. However this type of medicine can be seen as unnecessary by many clients since their pet is "well". I would say ignore what other people say about your vet's "reputation" and be thankful that he is sensible enough to offer the very best of care available. Remember that it is a vet's job to offer the best of care available, but you always have a choice in what is done for your pet.

I hope all goes well for your dog, I know you must care very much for your pet and it sounds as if you have a very good vet!

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Showing similar questions and answers in this category

Lethargy bad posture and panting

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 01-Dec-10 02:50PM | viewed 23260 times

Will asks about Ben (dog - Collie Lab X , M) :

In February ‘10 Ben (11 year old Collie Labrador X), had a check up. I was concerned about him not correcting himself when his legs slid to the side, the vet said it was old age. Bloods were run, and it came back normal, except for slightly high potassium levels. In June, the problem had worsened (lethargy, not holding posture correctly when standing), and he was diagnosed with CDRM, after failing the flip test with his paws. He had a slow heart rate (50 bmp). The vet gave Acktivait as he said that it could be helpful with CDRM. More bloods were done, and his potassium was still slightly high. The vet said to ignore the high potassium levels, and said that Ben probably had hypothyroidism, which would cause the slow heart rate. I took Ben in to test his thyroid levels, and after reading around myself, asked for an Addison’s test to be run. The Addison’s test came back negative. The thyroid levels in the blood came back slightly low. I asked if a free T4 test had been run. It hadn’t, so I asked for one - it came back slightly low. The pituitary gland was not tested. The heart rate continued to be about 50 bpm. Before I put him on Soloxine, I changed his food from a supermarket brand (dried) to home cooked food (boiled sausages, white rice and peas). This was an emergency measure to see if the high potassium, which worried me, was diet related. Within two days, the lethargy had gone, he was passing the flip test, and his heart rate was 67 bpm. We had more bloods run and his potassium levels came back normal. I didn’t want to give him sausages forever, so I switched him to Burns dried food (brown rice and chicken). This was in early July. Since then, he has slowly deteriorated once more. The heart rate is quiet, and a little slow, although steady. He dislikes doing much exercise, and has weight loss in the neck. He was constantly foraging. I put him back on home cooked food again, and there was an instant improvement for 2-3 days, then he worsened again (except that he stopped foraging). The thyroid continues to deteriorate and medication is being upped gradually. Recently he has developed a plantigrade stance. The potassium levels remain normal, and he has passed the flip test ever since they normalised. He also pants heavily whenever needing to urinate, and whenever the room is even a bit warm. His weight is stable and easy to maintain, despite his low thyroid. Please help.

Our vet says: I am sorry to hear about Ben's problems- you must be really concerned.

I expect your vet will monitor Ben's hypothyroidism and will adjust the dose of Soloxine accordingly. Soloxine dosages need to be adjusted on an individual basis according to clinical response and blood test results for the patient. Over time they may need to be adjusted as the condition progresses.

The improvement which you noticed on the home cooked diet is interesting and it is fine to continue on a home prepared diet provided it is balanced. A balanced diet for a dog means using a variety of protein sources (many people feed their dogs chicken pieces and carbohydrate such as rice for months or years at a time which will not provide all the nutrients they need.) You could consider buying the books about raw foods for dogs and home prepared meals which are available.

If you feel concerned about providing a balanced diet for your dog- or like many of us, just do not have the time to prepare meals, then I personally like Arden Grange and Natures Menu foods. As an holistic vet I have found that many of my patients do well on these diets.

Regarding the slightly raised potassium levels found in your dog's blood sample it is difficult to know if this may have been an erroneous result or not. Sometimes a blood sample may have a falsely raised potassium level due to red blood cells breaking down and "leaking" potassium into the plasma- this is a result of the blood being in an artificial environment and not necessarily an indication of what is going on in the body. It happens in a proportion of all blood samples and in the absence of other signs your vet was correct to tell you not to be overly concerned about the potassium levels.

You may like to try massage or physiotherapy for Ben to help him with his mobility. Many dogs enjoy massage and it can be rewarding for their people too.

I hope this helps.

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Blood in urine

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 27-Nov-10 10:12AM | viewed 23495 times

Barbara asks:

Our 13-week old Czech Wolf-dog has been ill for four weeks with blood in his urine. To date he has been treated with Synulox, current dose half 250g twice daily but is getting no better. Every three or four days he is really miserable, doesn't eat and paces around the room continuously. What to do next? Not happy with no improvement nor diagnosis.

Our vet says: Sorry to hear about your puppy - it can be very frustrating when things do not improve as we would like. Have you spoken to your vet about your concerns and asked for further testing? This would certainly be the first step.

Could you catch a urine sample from your puppy? If you speak to your vet they may give you a suitable container. If bacterial culture will be performed on the urine sample (as may prove necessary) you will need a sterile container or your vet may wish to collect the urine themselves perhaps via a catheter or from the bladder directly via a small needle.

Testing the urine may possibly be followed by further tests such as x-rays or ultrasonography and perhaps a blood sample.

Do speak to your vet about all your concerns and I am sure they will be happy to help you or if necessary refer your puppy to a specialist in this area.

Kidney problem

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 28-Oct-10 10:05AM | viewed 24766 times

Joanna asks:

Hi. I moved to Holland recently with my 11 year old dog (she's a mongrel rescue dog). She recently stopped eating and has lost about 1.5kg weight (now weighs 11kg). The vet took blood tests last Monday which showed that the levels of toxin in her blood were very high. Last week she was on a drip for 4 days and antibiotic injections and the levels began to drop. The vet also took x-rays but there were no stones or blockages. They thought at first it was chronic kidney disease but part of the blood test made them unsure. She also had blood in her urine. After consulting with a specialist they thought it may be an infection and continued antibiotics. We just went back for a check up after 5 days at home (also on antibiotic injections) and there is still blood in her urine and the levels of toxins in blood are very high (CREA 484 umoll and UREA 50.0 mmoll). The vet is surprised the dog is not sicker (she is lethargic and still not eating well but no vomiting). He has said that the prognosis is not good and that I should consider having her put down. We could do an ECHO test but he thinks that will be academic rather than providing a solution to the problem. I would really like some advice. I have had dogs before and I realise that she is getting old and at some point this is inevitable. However, I would like to be sure that there is nothing else worth trying - particularly as there is a slight language barrier for me here. I also feel I can't put her down whilst she is OK in herself - but I dont want her to be uncomfortable. Really grateful for any advice Jo

Our vet says: Sorry to hear about your dog's illness. Sadly, kidney disease is something which is fairly common in older pets and once the kidney cells have been damaged they do not regenerate.

The cause of the problem is not clear- but if infection is part of the problem then the antibiotics may help. The levels of urea and creatinine you mention are high, but if the cause is a treatable infection then they may come down as the infection comes under control. If this occurs and your dog's condition improves then supportive care will be necessary with a diet suitable for renal problems and adequate hydration.

It is obviously impossible for me to comment on your pet's prognosis, however from what you have told me I believe that your vet is correct that the prognosis is poor.

It is important to remember that dogs can be very good at hiding how unwell they are- although there is no vomiting the lethargy and lack of appetite you mention could indicate that your dog is feeling sick and chronic nausea is very unpleasant.

If the condition cannot be controlled in the very near future then euthanasia may sadly be the kindest option. It is an awful decision to make but it is also the greatest gift we can give our pets under some circumstances.

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Can dogs get hepatitis C?

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 11-Aug-10 10:48AM | viewed 27319 times

Louise asks:

Hello, Three days ago while on his walk my dog picked up a heroin user's spoon wrapped in tin foil. Can dogs contract and pass on the human form of hepatitis C? I asked my vet and I've been trying to find out from different help-lines since it happened but no one knows the answer. I've been told that HIV is a human disease only. I am sick with worry. Please could you advise me. I would really appreciate your advice. Yours, Louise.

Our vet says: A far as I understand Hepatitis C is a human only disease and not a zoonotic disease (transfered from animals to people). The only animal species which seems to be affected by Hepatitis C is the Chimpanzee but this would usually be under experimental conditions. Likewise HIV is not a problem in dogs.

Blood to blood contact is needed for the transmission of Hepatitis C so it would be unlikely to be a problem just from a spoon. Used needles and syringes are a problem for transmission of disease and you would be wise to avoid known areas for this activity for dog walking since it may be a risk if you come into contact with such items yourself.

You are unlikely to experience any problems from this incident for yourself or your dog but do take care where you walk in future and if in any doubt contact your GP.

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Kidney failure

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 19-Feb-10 10:21AM | viewed 12845 times

Beverley asks:

Could I have caused kidney failure in my greyhound by giving her too much salt in her food as I know that salt is poisonous to greyhounds?

Our vet says: Adding salt to a dog's food or feeding a salty diet is not really an ideal thing to do, but it is unlikely that you actually caused your dog's kidney failure by doing so.

You do not say how much salt you have been adding or which salty diet you have been feeding. It may be best to investigate diets which are specially formulated for dogs with renal failure now. ( I am sure your vet will be able to advise you).

Salt poisoning generally only results when high salt diets are fed and access to water is restricted. The signs are serious and involve neurological problems, so you would have noticed that your dog was really unwell if this had been the case.

So why do we worry about salt?

Basically if the diet is too salty the kidneys must work harder to maintain the fluid balance of the body which is one of their main jobs.

The kidneys are remarkable organs and have several functions including maintaining the balance of the water in the body together with electrolytes and they also help to eliminate toxins. Part of their function includes maintaining fluid balance and salt can make this work harder to do because it tends to "hold water".

The kidneys have a great deal of reserve capacity so we only see signs of failure when around 75% of their function has been lost.

Nephrons or kidney cells are lost over time as part of the natural aging process. You do not say how old your dog is, but if she is middle aged to older then it is likely that the kidney failure is more due to the aging process than anything else.

Of course infections and toxins can also cause renal failure too but the kidneys can often overcome many problems simply because they have such a large reserve capacity.

Although a salty diet means that the kidneys have to work harder it is unlikely that this alone would cause renal failure unless you were feeding large amounts over a long period of time.

It can be difficult not to feel guilty when your pet is unwell, but do not blame yourself. It is very unlikely that you caused any real harm. It may be best to consider feeding your dog(s) a good quality dog food suitable for their life stages, breed and state of health from now on.

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