Cardiomyopathy-need help

[FuzzyDustBunnies]

I have a foster Mastiff here who was just diagnosed yesterday with cardiomyopathy. I've gotten some good leads to look into...thyroid, taurine deficiency, but need as much info as I can get.

Her symptoms are in tune with the left side being ballooned. Loss of appetite, cough, crap in the lungs, less energy. She's on Dicural for the infection, Aminophyline to open her lungs up, and Enalapril for her heart. Liver and kidney function is good. She just turned 2 in June.

If anyone has any experience with this, I would appreciate the input. This girl has been jostled around so much in the past 8 months, and now this diagnosis. I want to know the good, the bad, everything. Quality of life, life expectancy (although I know both of those can vary drastically depending on the severity of the disease and the dog itself-I just want to be armed with info). Anyone know the cost of Enalapril? I have no clue since rescue gets all the vet bills.

TIA

 

[FuzzyDustBunnies]

Anyone?

 

[Elizabeth]

No personal experience, but maybe these links will help...

http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dcardio.html

http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dogheart.html

http://www.merckvetmanual.com just do a search on cardiomyopathy here

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00034.htm

http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/health-heartcondition.html

http://www.vetpathology.org/cgi/content/full/42/1/1

Doing a google search on canine cardiomyopathy produced several places that list prices on Enalapril also...

E

 

[Ivoryudx]

I'm assuming she was diagnosed by a Canine Cardiologist with a doppler? Did they classify the kind of cardiomyopathy? That would help you know more of what your dealing with.

Bloodwork can be sent to California for a Taurine Test but you should contact the Mastiff Club to see if anyone in particular has dealt with it personally. The NCA has the Health and Longevity Committee that was a part of the Taurine study done a few years ago, and you could contact Pam Rubio for more information. She is on Newf-l and Newf-tech and is a NCA boardmember. She has written about helping her dogs with taurine supplements when they were diagnosed with DCM.

 

[FuzzyDustBunnies]

She was diagnosed at the vets after xrays. Blood work was run, chest listened to, xrays were done, and spots in the lungs were found along with a very obvious bulging of the heart. All her symptoms are in tune with the lower left part of the heart being enlarged. Unfortunately because she's in rescue, I have to wait for the go ahead for anything. Right now we're waiting for the lungs to clear and see how she responds to the meds. Tonight she is perkier, and eating, which is a good sign.

Thanks for the info, I really do appreciate it.

 

[Lori]

I have no input on canine cardiomyopathy, but my husband and his three siblings have/had it (one brother has had a heart transplant so no longer has it). My husband takes enalapril twice daily. It is not very expensive through our insurance, it was $10.98 for a three months supply. I'm sure you could get a prescription written and price it around the human pharmacies also to see if its cheaper there than at the vets office.