What I Would Have Done Differently For Edie’s Heart Disease
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Edie was diagnosed with a grade 4 heart murmur and Mitral Valve Disease in June 2022. At the time I had no idea what this meant and how severe of a disease this could be. I had always been told that a heart murmur was not that big of a deal, and that there was not much that could be done about it. I never even really knew that Edie had a heart murmur until this all happened. I did not understand what a dog with congestive heart failure needed for treatment.
The only time it had been mentioned was when I took her to a different vet than normal for a somewhat emergency situation in the winter of 2018, and this vet mentioned Edie had a heart murmur. I asked what that meant and was told it was not something to worry about. I then mentioned it to her regular vet and was told that was not correct. This was what I wanted to hear, so I did not worry about it and I also thought that either way it was not something to worry about.
I do not blame anyone for missing her murmur for years. Heart murmurs can be very faint and everyone has a different level they can detect. She also saw multiple vets over the years and no one else ever mentioned it. Therefore it is possible that the murmur was very minor for a long time, until it wasn’t and she then needed to start taking Vetmedin.
If I had known Edie had a heart murmur based on knowing what I know now, these are a few things I would do differently.
1. Start giving her Coq10/Ubiquinol right away
Coq10/Ubiquinol is in my opinion the most important supplement for heart disease. It has been shown in studies to improve heart function and possibly prevent further heart damage when given in high therapeutic doses. In my opinion, I have seen a huge difference in Edie’s health and it has shown up as improvement at her cardiologist appointments. Note that I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advise. This has just been my personal experience, and many others as well.
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2. See a Cardiologist
Seeing a cardiologist ASAP is extremely important to understand treatment for dog’s with congestive heart failure. They can diagnose and see things your regular vet cannot. It is best to see a specialist and get proper treatment. A cardiologist can give you more detail and may adjust medications as needed. This can be costly and depending on where you live it may be more difficult to find a veterinary cardiologist. However, I urge you to do all you can to see a cardiologist as often as suggested-typically every 6 months.
3. Be alert looking for any coughing or gagging
These symptoms can alert you of the disease progressing. Coughing can be dismissed as a minor issue and most people do not realize this can be an emergency. Speaking from experience, before Edie was diagnosed with the murmur and before she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, I noticed coughing. She coughed occasionally at night before being diagnosed with the murmur but I thought it was reverse sneezing. Once she was diagnosed with the murmur, I was more alert to the coughing. She began coughing a few times at night again before going into heart failure. And the night she was diagnosed with heart failure, she began coughing very badly where I knew it was an emergency. Most of the time they are coughing due to fluid in the lungs/heart, or because their heart is enlarged and pressing against the trachea. This is why it is imperative to seek emergency care ASAP as your dog may be struggling to get oxygen.
4. Track resting respiratory rate
Tracking resting respiratory rate can alert you of possible fluid as well. Sometimes the dog may not cough at all, but an increased resting respiratory rate can alert you to fluid build up or the fact that they are struggling to breathe. Your dog’s Resting Respiratory Rate should typically be under 30 breaths per minute, although this does depend on the dog and changes in resting respiratory rate should still be taken into consideration. For example, if your dog’s RRR is typically around 14, and all of a sudden it is 28 you may want to keep an eye on them to make sure it is not continuing to increase. I recommend using the Cardalis app to track their RRR often to know their pattern. This is an easy dog congestive heart failure treatment.
5. Get pet insurance before pre-existing condition
It is important to get pet insurance before you need it. I am so incredibly thankful that I got pet insurance before Edie was diagnosed with heart disease. If you try to get pet insurance after diagnosis, you may be denied coverage, or you will be approved but any treatment related to heart disease will be considered a pre-existing condition and will not be covered. Congestive heart failure can be extremely expensive due to frequent vet visits, cardiologist appointments, medication, and any other specialist you may want to see. Thanks to my pet insurance I do not ever worry about taking Edie to the vet and do not second guess myself due to costs. Her life is extremely important and pet insurance has allowed me to see many different vets and get opinions from multiple people so that I can better choose how to treat her.
Disclaimer: Please note that this site is for informational purposes only and this is not medical advice. Please discuss all supplements and medical diagnoses with your vet. We are not responsible for any issues with your dog’s health.