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Does Your Dog Suffer From Congestive Heart Failure & Coughing?
This is a story of my never-ending battle with congestive heart failure with my 12-year-old Pomeranian named Precious. Hopefully by sharing this story it may help you deal with your dogs congestive heart failure.
Precious is a white Pomeranian that was given to me when she was 6 years old. It seems she was passed around from a few different breeders who decided since she wouldn't breed they had no use for her. So sad.
At least they gave her a name that fits, she really is precious. Whenever I would take her to the vet he would always say "She is so Precious." He was even able to clean her teeth without putting her to sleep since her heart condition would not permit giving her the anesthetic.
She was a great addition to our family. I had another Pomeranian who was much older and I didn't think he would be around much longer.
Precious was pretty healthy until she turned 12 then it started with a little cough so off we went to the vet. After her examination he said she had a heart murmur and congestive heart failure and needed to be on a diuretic.
I don't really remember how long the diuretic worked but eventually her coughing returned. On our next visit to the vet he then put her on Enapril. Like before it worked for a while and then off we went to the vet again. This time he prescribed Vetmedin along with the Enapril and diuretic and told me to let him know how she does.
I wish I could say that this was the magic combination of medicine and that she didn't have any more visits to the vets, but it just wasn't so. I was there so many times that I no longer had to tell them my name when I checked in.
One time on a weekend she coughed so much I had to take her to the animal emergency clinic. Why do these things always happen at night or on a weekend? They gave her a diuretic shot and some oxygen and we were able to return home after a short while.
They told me to follow-up with my vet and when I did he increased her diuretic to 2 times a day and said I could give it as much as 3 times a day if necessary. I wish I had know that before my visit to the emergency clinic. I really hate taking her there. Not only do you need to take out a mortgage to pay them but I never have any confidence in their ability.
Her next episode of coughing began naturally on another weekend, so I gave her another dose of diuretic and thought I might do some research online. It was then I discovered that one of the drugs she was taking, Enapril has a side effect of coughing.
Maybe it was I long shot but I mentioned it to my vet and although I'm pretty sure he didn't think that was the cause of her coughing he did say I could try not giving her the Enapril.
I didn't tell him that I already stopped giving it to her after I read the side effects of the drug. Amazingly she coughed less and it did seem to last quite a while before the coughing returned.
This time when it returned it came back with a vengeance. She would wake up in the middle of night and cough for what seemed like forever. I felt so helpless knowing there was nothing I could do for her.
I started to think maybe it was time to put her down. When I returned to the vet I asked him "Isn't there anything else that I can give her for her coughing, I don't care if it shortens her life, I think the quality of life is more important."
I'm think he agreed because he then prescribed hydrocodone for her. Since the majority of her coughing was at night I gave her the hydrocodone before bedtime and this really helped us both sleep. Sure she still coughed but it only lasted a few minutes and she would go back to sleep.
Of course nothing lasts forever and as fate was determined I was to take another trip down the yellow brick road. I started to feel that the great oz ( my vet) just didn't have any more magic behind the curtain.
But thankfully I was wrong, he suggested an x-ray of her heart. I have to admit for a split second I thought what was the point it couldn't show anything we don't already know. What it did show was that her heart was only slightly enlarged so maybe her coughing was due to some other problem.
He suggested that we give her shot of predisone (a steroid) and see if that helps her. He also gave me some predisone pills. I guess the great oz (no disrespect meant, I really love my vet) had fixed her once again, because her coughing seemed to be under control once more. At least it was until the next time.
So now I give her predisone one night the next night I give her hydrocodone. She takes the Vetmedin, and diuretic twice a day. She also has to take thyroid medicine for low thyroid twice a day. Can you believe all these pills?
This year she will be 15 years old and she still is hanging on. She usually wakes up every night (of course she sleeps in my bed) and has to drink water probably due to the diuretic and steroid and coughs for a few minutes but then is able to go back to sleep.
It's funny how one problem solved just seems to warp into many others. She recently lost control of her bladder. I began to use a pee pad under her for a while but got tired of washing my bedding almost every night. I then found this cute doggy diaper online. I know there is a medicine that is supposed to help with her loss of bladder control but I just don't think I can give her any more pills.
If that wasn't enough problems, recently her seizures have returned. It's odd she only has one when she gets really excited. That is usually when I leave or come home from somewhere. Whenever I return home, I have to quickly go inside and pick her up to try to keep her from getting too excited.
In the beginning her seizures were short (around 20 seconds) in fact if you never seen a seizure in a dog you probably would not really recognize it as one. Unfortunately, I've seen more than a few with my last Pomeranian who lived to be 17. Now her seizures have become much worse. She falls down looses consciousness along with loosing control of her bladder.
She has always been a very picky eater but lately she is always hungry. She will eat just about anything I put in front of her. I suspect Cushing's disease. Perhaps this is why her seizures have returned. Seizures seem to have a connection with Cushing's disease.
I mentioned these latest concerns with my vet and diagnosing and treating Cushings involves more blood work, possible ultrasound of the adrenal gland and drugs with many side effects. I think we both decided with all her current problems it's best to hold off and see how she does.
I'm always asking myself if I am being fair to her. Everyone says you will just know when the time comes to put her down, but I just don't feel it yet. I can only pray that I am doing the right thing for her.
The following is a picture of Precious in days before congestive heart failure.
Was this article about congestive heart failure in dogs helpful to you?
144 Responses to "Does Your Dog Suffer From Congestive Heart Failure & Coughing?"
Thank you for posting your story. Such a beautiful dog! My Yorkie is 14 and is on Enapril and Lasix. She also is using puppy pads as she can't control her bladder when she sleeps. We have upped the Lasix twice so far. It is helpful to see what you tried and read about the results. My mother died from congestive heart failure, so I am sad it is happening to my dog as well. Again, thank you for the information!
Good post – my long-haired Chihuahua is in beginning stages of chf – and today she is getting ultrasound of her heart (already had x-ray – enlarged heart very evident). I agree that it is very sad to hear coughing and gagging at night, and know there isn't anything to do. I sometimes pray that she will just go peacefully in her sleep – but I don't think that is as common as I think. I am sorry that you, I, and so many others are going through the heartache of our 'babies' suffering with chf.
I thank you for taking the time to write your experience living with a dog that has CHF. My dog has been experiencing ALL of the symptoms described above, unfortunately, my vet has not been so direct to me in telling my what my dog is having, although all of my dog's medication suggest that he has CHF. After reading this article, I'm going to a different vet and tells him what I have suspected all these months.
have a 13 yr old scottie with chf and murmur. after this, that and the other thing she is now down to vetmedin – 1/2 pill in morning and half at night. lasix 20mg- in morning and prednisone 5 mg-in morning. There has been no coughing forover a month (start of this program). She leaks once a day while sleeping and I never seem to get the diaper use at the right time, so she gets a back half bath each time. I note there is definite weakness in her hind quarters and she is not always with us mind wise, fairly blind and desperately deaf.But she eats well. I just started to cook her food now and she loves that. I still wonder whether I am during her a favour or me one. I don't want to go back to the vet as he won't make that decision for me.
Thanks to all above for the many replies. I helped me a lot!
My dog Buddy has CHF. I just want to make sure he is not in any pain when he is coughing or trying to sleep. The vet said if he is not whimpering or crying then he should not be in any pain. How do I know that to be true though. Buddy is on four kind's of pill's most two times a day. He drinks a lot of water, although lately he slowed down a bit. He still eats anything we give him. He will run upstairs or follow us. Just hearing him breath that hard is sad. I want to make sure he is given the best quality we can provide. What would your thoughts be on this? He has seizures as well. The first few were short like what you said, then they last a minute. Then he get's right back up and act's like nothing happen. I don't wan't to be watching tv laughing at a show while he is coughing or breathing o hard its causing pain, ya know. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
It's so good to hear from other dog lovers that have this particular problem. I have the diapers but Belle is very adept at getting out of them. She is very good, letting me put them on but I have yet to catch her as she gets out of them. I found that the next best thing to fight the "leaking" problem is Resolve, a stiff brush and the Hoover Steam Vac. We all do the best we can firstly for the comfort of our pet.
One small item I forgot to mention but a big one as far as
Belle is concerned. During that horrible heat spell we had we bought a box fan, in hopes of deflecting some of the a/c cool air into the kitchen. It was situated at an angle at the door way. Belle settled down there, within a foot of the fan and spends at least 90% of her time there. She seems to be less laboured in her breathing. We keep our place very cool so I am sure that is why the heat bothered her so much. Yes, I worried about her 1/2 baths but all seems just fine. Anythibg I can say that helps anyone else also helps me. A side problem that I have is my 4 yr old female cat that loves
Belle. Belle does not return her affection but Cos never gives up, always very close to her and every so often takes time to let me know how sick Belle is and why don't I do some thing. I get a good scolding! I love my pets.
Thank you for sharing your story. I've been up all noght after my 11yo malt kept coughing, it happems to be a public holiday so all vets are closed. I'll have to monitor and bring him to the vet tomorrow.
Hi Sue,
Thank you for sharing your story. I have a 9 year old Maltese, Chase, who was diagnosed with severe MV insufficiency this past summer (July 2013). At the time, the vet started him on Vetmedin, Enalapril, and Lasix (12.5 mg once a day). A week in to treatment, his platelet count dropped to 30,000 and he was taken off the enalapril and started on prednisone and carafate. After a week, his platelet count normalized and he was on the road to recovery. Over the course of the next few months, the vet doubled his lasix to 12.5 twice a day and added 12.5 mg Aldactone. Recently, I noticed that Chase was coughing, not breathing as well and was having more activity intolerance than usual. I listened to his lungs (I'm an RN and currently in medical school) and I heard crackles, which of course meant fluid was building up in his lungs. He was also diagnosed with a collapsing trachea and so I gave him several PRN doses torbutrol to help with the cough and to calm his anxiety, but nothing seemed to help. I took him in to see his internal medicine/cardiologist vet this morning and they told me he had gone into full blown heart failure. By the time we made it to the vet, his tongue and gums were blue! I was so devastated. They immediately gave in 40 mg IV Lasix and placed him on Oxygen. At that point, they gave me two options: 1) Put him to sleep or 2)Place him in an oxygen chamber and continue to diurese him with IV lasix until his breathing improves. Well, at this point, #1 was not an option for me b/c before we got to the vet, Chase was running around and barking with my other 2 dogs like nothing was wrong. Of course, it wasn't like he used to do it when he was a puppy, but he was holding his own with the other dogs. The vet told me that his prognosis with the IV Lasix and Oxygen chamber was good. If we can see him through this, we can increase his Lasix and he will have at least 6 months or longer. Right now, I'm sitting at home and my baby Chase is still at the vet receiving all of his treatments. I'm waiting to hear back from the vet about how he's doing. The last I heard is that he is starting to "pink up", but his breathing is not out of the woods yet. I'm so torn up and I just keep crying when I think about it. Sue, I don't know how remained so strong during when you were going through this with Precious. By the way, I also have a Pomeranian, too. His name is Flash. He's all black with with a little white streak on his belly I'm sorry to have written a book here, but I wanted to thank you again for sharing your story. It has truly been an inspiration to me and is helping me to cope with what I am going through with Chase. Thanks! Allison
my 11 yr old toy poodle shitzu mix …6 pds was diag w chf in october. her coughing is most severe when sleeping or when dad or mom come home from work. she is on furosemide 3x a day .6mg and 1mg of liquid pimobendan 1x day ….question i see mention of a steroid being given. i know the pimobendan is an appetite suppressor so we hv added 1\4 of .5mg pred to her food. that is helping here eat now..not by dr. script' but hv our other dog taken it daily for past 3 years. so we hv it on hand.
scared…not sure of proper course to take w her….she pee'd today on the couch, she looks sad …. and tht makes us equally sad.
i know nothing can be done i just felt the need to write…
Thank you for sharing your experience. Buster my ten year old Boston Terrier was just diagnosed with CHF. Aside from the diuretic and en April he is also on an antibiotic for an upper – respiratory infection. He started his meds last Thursday and I have seen zero improvement. I don't know what to expect since it's been a few short days. His vet believes the prognosis is good, which makes me cautiously optimistic. My biggest concern right now is getting him to eat. Forget dog food, he even turns away from doggy treats including freeze dried chicken and yummy duck jerky. At first I cooked rice and chicken. That worked once. Then hamburger and rice. Again worked once. Moved on to steak, which he accepted hand fed a few times. Now nothing. I'm at my wits end. I wonder if anyone else experienced appetite loss with any of the meds? I'll call the vet tomorrow to see if a steroid shot is advisable.
your story hit home with me. my 11 year old chihuahua has chf and was diagnosed 2 months ago. at first the vetmedin and lasix worked like a charm — then the coughing started. now she has steriods and the cough medicine plus the other two. you story is so similar to mine. my ferret is also in chf and adrenal gland disease and was diagnosed 6 months ago and has no true signs of either too often.
Just wanted to say I am going through the same thing with my little yorkie "tiki" – she has had this for about 2 years — they have her on vetmedin and Lasix — but she is coughing most of the time. She will not take her meds – I have to force them down her –morning and night — she has swelling etc. She has no problem eating but I do notice her not breathing to well at times. I am afraid to almost pick her up because I am afraid she can't breathe with any pressure on her. Do you think the vetmedin is making her cough more? I hate to take her to the vets because she gets so upset that the last time she passed out. It just kills me to see her like this. I am not sure what to do. Have any of you tried natural herbs to help? Are they a waste of money. The vets just want to push more pills and more tests and like I said she can't take that. I just don't think I can put her down but then again I do not want her to suffer. This is so hard. Friends that come around and hear her coughing want to pick her up and pet her and I am like – that won't help, just makes her worse . You just feel helpless. well thanks for listening!
Hi Shirley,
I posted back on Dec 3, 2013, when my Maltese, Chase, had an acute decompensation episode with his heart failure. If you have a minute, you can take a look at my post. At the time, Chase was extremely sick as he was in severe pulmonary edema (he was literally drowning internally due to the excessive fluid inside of his lungs). He was kept overnight in the ICU part of the ER. During his stay, he received over 300 mg of IV Lasix and had to spend 12 hrs in the oxygen chamber.
When I was finally able to take him home, he was better, but he was still walking a fine line b/c he still had some fluid in his right lung. I am an RN and also I'm currently in medical school so I have extensive medical training. I am able to listen to Chase's lungs with my stethoscope and the vet was comfortable with my titrating Chase's Lasix until his lungs were clear (meaning I could hear no fluid with my stethoscope). For about a week, I listened to Chase's lungs before every dose of Lasix (he was taking 20 mg BID [twice a day). If I heard fluid, I would increase his dose of Lasix. After the 1st week of him being home, I had increased his Lasix from 25 mg daily (12.5mg in the AM and 12.5 mg in the PM) to 72.5 mg daily (40 mg in the AM and 32.5 mg in the PM). The vet has also increased his Vetmedin from 1.25 mg BID to 2.85 mg BID and his Spironolactone from 6.25 mg BID to 12.5 mg BID. Despite my increasing his Lasix and the increase in all of his other medication doses, he still had fluid in his right lung! Although he was asymptomatic, I was beside myself because I knew that the residual fluid in his right lung was not a good sign bc it meant that he could decompensate and we would be back to square and in the ICU/ER again.
I researched and read studies about dogs with heart failure. I wanted to make sure we weren't missing anything with his medical treatment. I learned that we had all of the medical bases covered so I then started researching holistic and complementary therapies for dogs with heart failure (HF). I worked as an RN in cardiology for several years and one thing I know is that diet is critical with HF patients, especially salt intake. I spoke with my vet about it and she didn't think that changing his diet would make much of a difference (he was eating Blue Buffalo- Salmon and Sweet potato formula). The medical treatment that animals receives strongly parallels human treatments so it made sense to me that if changing a human's diet can lead to health improvement, it should be true for a dog.
In my research about homemade dog food, I learned that dog food manufacturers aren't required by law to report the amount of sodium in there food. However, you can get this info by contacting the company directly. A dog with severe heart failure should not consume more than 20 mg of sodium per day. Most commercial dog foods exceed this 5-10 fold! Also, I want to bring up another point. I have a hard time giving Chase his pills so I would coat them in peanut butter. 2 TBSP of peanut butter contains about 160 mg of sodium. I was giving about 1 tsp with his pills twice a day, which worked out to be about 50 mg sodium. The is more than double the amt of sodium he should have per day and that didn't even include the sodium in his commercial dog food. A super bright light bulb went off and I knew that I had to have 100% control over his food.
I started making his food myself. I have used both recipes from http://www.homemadedogfood.com. When making these recipes, you have to add a supplement so I added Dinovite and Lickochops. As far his pill delivery, I don't like to mix it in with his food b/c I want to ensure he take all of it. I bought a pill crusher and I crush all of his meds into a fine powder. I either mix the powder with a little bland baby food, a tsp of the lickochops, or a little of his homemade food and we haven't had any issues.
Chase's HF is due to severe mitral valve insufficiency (MVI) so focused on therapies that were directed toward MVI. This is the following holistic protocol I have him on:
-Ubiquinol (ordered from mercola.com b/c they have it in a convenient liquid form you can pump in the food- in human studies, ubiquinol strengthens the pumping action of the heart- we call it the EF)
-Krill Oil (same as ubiquinol comment)
-Vitamin E drops (dogs with HF have been shown to be deficient in Vit E)
-Arginine, GPLC-Carnitine, and Taurine (these are all amino acids that have been found to be deficient in dogs with HF. Arginine is thought to help with activity intolerance and shortness of breath. I have the powdered form of Arginine and Taurine, but I have to crush the Carnitine).
-DRibose: This has been shown to specifically improve the strength of the heart in dogs with HF due to MVI. Comes in a powder
-B Complex: Another deficiency seen in dogs with CHF (I crush them).
-Hawthorne Berry and Red Clover: I am using these herbs is used for their diuretic effects. I bought them in the drop form.
I think that's pretty much it for the holistic protocol, but if I realize I left something out I'll let you know.
Ok…now, for the great news. After being on homemade food and the holistic protocol for 1 month, Chase was a completely different dog. The months leading up to his diagnosis and he literally looked depressed. When he started his initial treatment, he didn't seem as depressed and lethargic, but he wasn't the playful, energetic, happy-go-lucky dog that he used to be. I took Chase in for his follow up. After starting my holistic protocol, Chase was full of energy and running around like a puppy and his lungs were COMPLETELY clear!!! I was so pleased and I couldn't wait to go back for our 1 month follow up with the vet.
The vet could not believe her eyes when she saw Chase. She said she had never seen him looking this full of life since she started treating him. She took him back to run labs and do a follow up echocardiogram and she came back with phenomenal news. All of his blood work was perfect, but I have even better news! The size of his Left atrium has decrease 2 mm from his baseline measurement when he was first diagnosed in July 2013. His dilated left atrium was decreasing in size and his heart function was starting to show improvement! She was happy and shocked at the same time! She just told me to keep doing everything that I was doing, lol! It's been 2 months since that last visit and we have another follow up tomorrow so I will definitely keep you posted.
I'm so sorry for writing a book, but I just hope that some of this information is helpful. I know exactly where you are b/c I was at that place 3 months ago. My heart goes out to you and Tiki <3. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I will try to give you as much info as I can.
Thank you for you holistic info Allison. Can you please send me your info on where you buy your products? Thank you. . email@example.com
Wow Allison, your post has been greatly informative. My dog has been on homecooked food + kibbles all along. After he came down with CHF, I added in supplements, but only those that my vet 'gave' the okay for, based on what she knows as medically, she cannot attest to the efficacy of alternate/holistic medicine which I would be more keen to pursue.
Since the one episode of having breathing issues in Nov 2013 (he was diagnosed in Apr 2013), there has been one other recurrence on Valentine's Day this year and he is on increased dosage of Frusemide and added in a second diuretic, Spironolactone. Since then, incidence of him coughing has reduced significantly, but he has started wheezing, owing to a second condition that has developed; canine bronchial disease, which is quite similar to asthma in human. Oral medications are out as it would worsen his heart condition, and he is currently on antibiotics and if it gets worse, he may have to be on Ventolin.
Can you please tell me how much of each holistic supplements u give your dog please and post where u buy them from!! Thank u so much!!
Hi Beth,
Here is some info about where I get my supplements:
Dinovite and Lickochops: http://www.dinovite.com. This is the supplement I add to balance the nutrition in the homemade food to make sure that the dogs get all the nutrients they need.
Liquid Ubiquinol and Liquid Krill Oil:
http://products.mercola.com/healthypets/krill-oil-for-pets/ and http://shop.mercola.com/catalog/ubiquinol,172,0.htm I ordered from http://www.mercola.com b/c they have it in a convenient liquid form you can pump in the food- in human studies, ubiquinol strengthens the pumping action of the heart- we call it the EF)
Vitamin E oil: http://www.puritan.com/e-beauty-products-010/vitamin-e-oil-30000-iu-000810 or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GG6FCA/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (dogs with HF have been shown to be deficient in Vit E)
The following amino acids and herbs, I ordered from Amazon and Vitacost.
Arginine, GPLC-Carnitine, and Taurine (these are all amino acids that have been found to be deficient in dogs with HF. Arginine is thought to help with activity intolerance and shortness of breath. I have the powdered form of Arginine and Taurine, but I have to crush the Carnitine). http://www.vitacost.com/a-naturals-l-arginine-crystalline-powder, http://www.vitacost.com/jarrow-formulas-gplc , and http://www.vitacost.com/source-naturals-taurine-powder
DRibose: This has been shown to specifically improve the strength of the heart in dogs with HF due to MVI. Comes in a powder. http://www.vitacost.com/aro-vitacost-black-series-energy-pure-d-ribose-5-grams-10-6-oz-300-g-1
B Complex: I just bought this at Walmart. Another deficiency seen in dogs with CHF (I crush them).
Hawthorne Berry and Red Clover: I am using these herbs is used for their diuretic effects. I bought them in the drop form. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q3YMTG/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and http://www.vitacost.com/natures-answer-red-clover-flowering-tops-alcohol-free.
I hope this is helpful! Please keep me posted on how things work for you. I can also email you a pdf file of my dosage notes. My dosage calcs are based on a 10 lb Maltese so you may have to adjust the doses for your baby.
Thanks Allison, i did what u suggested and have had a holistic vet come and see him, she will be contacting his vet and together work with what supplements to give him. She will be returning Friday, she also did acupuncture and cold lazer therapy. Seems to have helped, he seems to have more energy. Thanks so much for sharing ur story, it has given me some hope.
Paco is a 9lb Chihuahua and just turned 11. He has a grade 4 murmur and enlarged heart. Coughs every day but not constant. He is on tussigon, Furosemide, enalapril, Vetmedin, Terbutaline , and thyroxine plus carafate and baby gas x.everything is. 2x a day Tussigon and Terbutaline sometimes 3x a day. I'll find out Friday what supplements will be added. He is also on salt free diet, and i dehydrate is own treats salt free. Bottled water in fresh running fountain. He has a cooling coat to keep him cool and from overheating.
Thank you for posting the holistic info. You mentioned that you have a PDF file that list the dosage that you gave to you 10lb. dog. Can you forward this to me? My email address is email@example.com. Thanks for your help.
Allison, I would be very interested in the PDF. My dog has the exact same diagnosis as yours. Can you send it to firstname.lastname@example.com – I already purchased the Dinovite and Lickochops. Thanks!
Allison your post is what gave me hope for my 10 year old Chihuahua with a stage 4 heart murmur. I would very much like to have a copy of your PDF on amounts of supplements. My Melia weighs 7 pounds which is optimum weight for her. I just switched to a low salt pet food for starters. She is having the occasional seizure now which freaks me out. I never realized the Enalpril could contribute to the coughing. The vet said it was okay to give her one every 12 hours, but I have not done that after reading the thread here. Thank you so much for your input. Please send PDF to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Gave misty a kiss for you while she was getting her q3h doggy massage.My heart breaks for you Juliette.Take care,and keep us informed of your progress.I worked hi risk,and normal obs for 18 years,and know quite well how much harder your grief I'd bearing on you.Take comfort your precious is no longer suffering and running free and happy.A special guardian to look over your child.If it continues to hurt for much longer maybe you could talk to your dr.There are various ways to help you through your grief that they can discuss with you,and please know I am here if you need to chat anytime.I haven't lost my faithful companion yet,but the time is near,and I have been administering her care at home under the supervision of the vet.She became quite ill in july,and we did not expect her to make it 2 weeks and here we are in November.Every day I have her with me is a another reminder of how dear she is to me and truly I don't know how I am going to do it.I have lost my mom,and grandmother and even though I was very close to them it didn't hurt near as much as what I know I have to face.She's my better half,the only one who knows the depth of my soul.My car never moved without her,standing between the seat on the look out for moose,and bopping to the music when she heard a song she liked!(people often laughed when they were parked at the lights with me because they could see her dancing to the music.So even though I haven't gone through what you have I can empathize with you.I so wish the end could have been better for you,but sadly it wasn't.Write your feelings down and send them to your vet.If it stops this happening to one more beloved pet your foxy will not have died in vain.Hang in there and I am here for you.Take care.hugs.
Howdy is a 16.5 year old maltese mini size. He has a heart murmur and cushings disease. I too started cooking him his own meals months ago. It made a huge difference. I just stick chicken breast, a piece of liver (for flavor eventhough high in cholesterol) can of pumpkin, brown rice and water in the crock pot. When done, I run it through the food grinder. At first he didn't like it so I sprinkled some fresh cooked hamburger on top. It made a huge difference with the coughing but now the coughing has returned. Of course, this always happens on the weekends! I have him on 2 Pimobenden per day + 20 mg. Lasix. I started him on Amoxil yesterday to prevent pneumonia. I know he needs a shot of prednisone but taking him to the vet is so stressful on him. His tongue gets purple. Right now, his tongue and gums are a great shade of pink! Any suggestions for him until the vet opens in the morning? I have Prednisone here but with his Cushings, I am reluctant to give it to him. Thanks. Ruth
Hi Allison: I too have a 10 lb. maltese with Advanced Heart Disease/CHF. I was hoping you could send me your holistic regiment and dosage information. I'd like to give it a try. He is on Lasix 2 pills/2x day, Vetmedin and Enalapril. Along with hydrocodone at night.
CHF stinks!!! My Eli is about 11, not sure of his exact age because I adopted him from a shelter. Best dog ever. Diagnosed with CHF 7 months ago. I was told statistically 50% of dogs live 6-12 months longer after diagnosis. It was a wait and see to see what 50% he fell into. Well, he's at the Animal Emergency Hospital right now and will be there for at least the next 12 hours, IV Lasix and oxygen tank. Respiratory rate is 60 (normal is around 20). He was coughing and coughing for some reason and would cough up foam. I gave him another dose of his Lasix but after 2 hours took him to the hospital. Had to put down a deposit and it was over $1000. Money was never an object with my furkids (not that I make a lot), but I'll worry about how to pay for it later. I am now struggling with the thought of even if he rebounds, when will be the next time. What about when I'm at work and he's crated, what if he starts the non-stop coughing when I'm gone and he's suffering for hours and hours and I'm oblivious at work? As CHF progresses it will be more trips to the vet (hopefully not the emergency vet!) and increase in meds which means more thirst, urination, lethargy, weight loss….is that really quality of life for my doggy soul mate?? I don't know. Guess I'll know more in the morning. But now just reminding myself to not redefine what a "good day" is (in terms of Eli's days) and his quality of life, not unfortunately longevity, is what matters most. Hard to not use those interchangeably…
Thanks for your reply Sue, and you may be right – It might be time to let her go which breaks my heart, but I can tell she has trouble breathing some days. She might have a day or so of not coughing most of the day, but then the next day she is right back to it. She is worse when she is around me because she is so attached to me and gets more excited when I talk to her, etc. I just told my husband today that by the time her next refill is due on her meds., (she has been taking these meds for about 2 years) that if she is still coughing and kinda gasping for air at times, that I am going to have to make that decision. Thanks for your post, it lets us know we are not alone in this.
I meant to check the box to notify me of follow up and forgot so that is the reason for this post!
Gosh, thanks Allison for the report on your dog. I know that dog food that we buy is bad, I try to buy the organic – natural stuff – but you never know. I am going to try making her food and the supplements you talked about. She is so sweet and gentle to everyone, she is a perfect little yorkie – she holds her ears up and she is very tiny (Which I think might have been her downfall – being so small). She is not doing well at all the last couple of days — coughing, etc. I am going back to your post and look at those cooking ideas and see what I can do. Glad your little doggie is doing well and congrats on going to medical school – sounds like you will be the type of Dr. that we need. Maybe you should become a vet., yep you would be great. Thank you very much for your concern. Shirley
Sue I read your article with tears in my eyes-I have a 13 year Boston that is my old girl and I love her so much. It started with a cough and off to the vet we went. He tells me she has a heart murmur and put her on benzapril for the murmur and furosemide for the fluid build up-she has been on it for about a week now and the cough seems to be worse not better-I am off to the vet again tomo-I am going to have him xray her heart and some other things to cover my basis-I do know that this is the start of end which according to him is still 3 to 4 years but I feel so helpless and like I am not doing enough to make her comfortable-Thanks for this article I am glad I found it
Hi Sue
I have a chihuahua furkid called Akie. He is 13 yrs old and he has been diagnosed with CHF stage 3 recently. Aparts of this he also having trachea collapsing which contribute to his coughing daily. I have been in and out to the vet quite often recently and nothing seems to ease his coughing.. His coughing is getting worst. Apparently, he is having Fortekor, Vetmedin and Furosemide for his heart enlargement. As for his coughing, he have to take Codeine, Butorphanol Injection and Pentosan Injection. I feel so depress whenever he is coughing… Nothing I can't help to make him feel better…
I am still working very hard and hope that he could be better because I really don't want and couldn't let go of him.. I know he is suffering and I don't want him to suffer too… But I really couldn't take it anymore…
He has been diagnosed with heart enlargement 3 yrs ago, during that time he has been hospitalized but he recovered… I have been maintaining him by all the medication in correct timing each day, low sodium diet and no strenuous activities. Apart of all the medications, he is also been taking Taurine, CoQ10, Hawthorne, Omega Fish Oil and etc supplements… I really have no idea where goes wrong recently… I just wish n hope that he will speedy recovery the soonest. The vet just told me that if I would have him for another 6 to 12 months… He should consider that I am extremely happy and lucky…
Hello Everyone,
I'm so grateful to have found this site. I've read everyone's story and the love that is evident for all of the pups is palpable. I thought I'd share my story as well just to add to the pool of support.
My little TatorTot is a poodle/min pin mix. Crazy cute! She is currently 15 and a half years old and acts like a puppy. She has been diagnosed with collapsing trachea and CHF. The official diagnosis for CT was about 6 yrs ago and CHF was about a year and half ago. I kicked into high gear as things unfolded and so Tatie has a cardiologist, a general practitioner, a holistic vet and an energy worker. Like so many of you I feel as though I should be doing MORE and I often feel guilty when I balance her healthcare with my wallet. I haven't curtailed any treatment for her yet, but my cash flow is not unlimited!
She never needed any treatment for CT. It has progressed and since there's such a fine-tuned balance between the respiratory system and cardiac system, when one progresses it effects the other. Since her CHF diagnosis, she's been on Pimobendan, enacard (enalapril), furosemide, and amlodipine. None of these meds dosages have needed to be changed since her original diagnosis. She sees her cardio three times a year and he does diagnostics every other visit (blood work, xray and sonogram if needed). Tatie's heart actually diminished in size a bit as of last August. I was thrilled. I realize, however, that these conditions continue to change and new plateaus are reached which is hard to adjust to, but like so many of you mentioned, we adjust until we KNOW we can't (they can't) any longer. Ugh. Don't want to think about that right now….
As I mentioned, Tatie sees a holistic vet as well. She takes 4 Chinese herbs for cardiac/lung support, and is on 9 supplements that I mix into her food. (Standard Process brand). The supplements are designed for cardiac/pulmonary support plus whole body support, arthritis support, etc. In addition, she received cold laser treatments for heart/lung every 10 days-2 wks. Every month or two she also receives acupuncture or chiropractic in addition to the cold laser treatments. I cook for her- beef and chicken boiled, a little broccoli and pasta, and no sodium. She weighs about 8 lbs and has been on a wonderful plateau for some time now.
Last week, her hacking/coughing (and that 'honking' sound associated with CT) increased after the excitement of her having a bath. She could not get out of the loop. It was awful…a HUGE sound, very guttural, coming from a little dog. I took her to her cardio the very next day. He thought either the bath excitement triggered her or perhaps she aspirated a little water. I'd been resistant to starting her on hydrocodone as a cough/hack suppressant (she coughs/hacks after drinking and grooming herself) but after last week, I relented. So between Thursday and today, I'm playing the hydrocodone game: trying to figure out the best dosage to suppress her cough without too much of a sedative effect. It's hard. But today I think I'm onto something. Interestingly, even though I ask a lot of questions and thought I had a handle on this drug, I didn't ask if it has any 'build up' effect…..because I've only had to dose her once today as opposed to the many doses of the last few days.
The issue today is that her belly is off…so now she's in another loop: the hydro has suppressed her cough and I believe upset her stomach. What a trade off. So she needs to eat to handle the effects of a drug that upsets her belly! So unsure how it's all going to go as tonight unfolds and we get into tomorrow (and someone mentioned how these things always happen on weekends or at night)but we'll see. My concern is that when it comes time to give her her next dosage of meds (the cardiac/BP meds and/or more hydro) it'll upset her stomach further. I don't want to skip a dosage of anything.
I should also mention that I get her meds compounded. It can be very expensive, but it ensures she'll get the meds even if she doesn't feel like eating or taking a pill. I nearly fainted upon getting the hydro compounded- 30 mls is $145. God…..but, as long as I can do this for my girl, I will.
I mentioned that I also have an energy worker/healer work with her. She does distance healings and I've found them to be wonderful and so helpful. For anyone interested, the healer's name is Ginger Krantz and her website is: http://www.earthhorsehealing.com. It's a great supportive therapy.
And so I go forth- one step at a time with Tatie. I try to really "listen" to her and her needs. It's so easy to make this all about me because I love her so much, but I want HER to call the shots. Oh, and someone mentioned something I deal with as well: when I show her affection, it can get her coughing. It's so hard to want to comfort your dog but in trying to do so, be the cause of the problem. Catch 22…
Thank you all so much for posting you own stories. Support is so key to dealing with these difficult conditions.
Thank you,
My maltese "Howdy" turned 16 in Nov. He has had CHF for over 2 years starting with massive seizures. He is on pimobenden and after reading all these posts, I have added the Enepril also (which I had here on hand from Fluppy). He takes 20 mg. Lasix per day but vet told me NOT to increase this dose since it can damage kidneys. He coughed all night and wheezed. So sad to listen to. He got up and walked around many times, probably for water. He is on cough suppressents and also has had steroid injections. He also has Cushings Disease. Howdy is a medium sized Maltese and the largest one I have. He is just a happy go lucky kind of dog, never a problem. I am going to start cooking his food too. I give him his meds in Liverwurst but now reading the posts about SALT, going to change that plan too…Looks like I will be making my own liverwurst too! Thanks for sharing all.
Hi All,
I have read your stories and feel mine may be of use.
My dog was a rescue dog from Spain a small honey coloured terrier. I homed her 7 years ago when she was roughly about 4 years old then.she came to me with a cough after drinking water. I had her screened two years ago when we were coming back to the Uk and the vet diagnosed a heart murmur. She was well and happy up to last Easter Monday when her resting respiratory rate was 70, coughing on exertion and she was breathing using her abdominal muscles, very lethargic and mucous membranes not pink at all. I went to the emergency vet and she diagnosed a grossly enlarged heart and CHF. After treating with diuretics and cardisure she was released after 3 hours. She made a slow recovery on these meds but this morning she vomited 3 times loosing bile and frothy fluid she then drank three full bowls of water and her breathing was 60 per minute with blueish mucous membranes. I went to the vet who gave me the choice of aggressive treatment or euthanasia.i could not bear the distress she was goingthroughand chose the latter. I am now very sad but glad she did not have to live with this condition over a longtime. She was a much loved dog but I could not stay with her I did see her shortly afterwards and she was at peace. It was a very tough decision but one which has to be taken bearing in mind the suffering of the dog. I hope if anyone reads this they will find some strength to make the hardest decision of all.
Howdy is doing MUCH better. He is even lively and wagging! I did notice that once again, he is starting to EAT DIRT outside. THis comes from the LASIX and dogs know what they need! He is a maltese, 16.5 years old and 9.2 poundsl not a toy but a mini maltese. Poor guy is bowlegged too! I bought him in Kansas from a home breeder. He's just a good old, dog and so friendly. His coughing has greatly reduced using the small amount of Hycodan twice a day with the Pimobenden, Lasix and Vetrol for his Cushings Disease. He's a happy boy. I also have CEASED feeding him ANY dog food or people food with salt in it which has helped so much. I boil his chicken with rice in the rice cooker with some garlic powder. I add doggie vitamins and he is just thrilled with his meal! He turned a HUGE corner which I was dreading and instead out of no where, my other "son" Lil Bit, had a massive convulsion (age 15) followed by a RUSH to the vet to find out he had no platletes. God must have needed my precious baby boy because I had to send him to heaven the next day. The vet does not know what was causing it, but he was bleeding internally somewhere, possibly from the Previcox he took daily for his deteriorated spine. I miss him every second but when you love someone so much, you have to let them go instead of suffering. RIP Lil' Bit.
My little boy (Banjo – 13) has CHF and he is also being treated with Lasix and Vetmedin (at least two years). He coughs a lot and I wonder if I'm doing the right thing by keeping him around. Although he still eats and loves his treats. It makes me so
sad to see/hear him cough and cough. It isn't all the time but it's often enough to make me wonder what I should do. I have had to make that dreaded decision many times and it gets no easier.
My KC is 19+ & has CHF. She has been doing amazingly well thinks to the medications she has been on. The last two days the cough has increased. She has not been to the vet for a while, so maybe we will go for a visit this morning. The coughing makes sleep difficult for both of us.
My dog has chf, she is 13. She coughs more at nite. Started on lasiz for about a week, cough continued. Will take the Vets advice for heart medication and I guess return to the lasiz also. She was on 40 mg a day, heart meds scare me because iam unsure of what might happen. She cough an gags . What medication did you have you dog on, that she lived to be amazingly 19 yrs old?? Iam beside my self of what to do. If not for the cough my dog Cindy is fine. Plays runs around eats like a horse. Please give me an insight into the medications or combination of meds. That work. So I will be knowledgable when I talk to my Vet. We will be devastated to loose her. What to save my dog, need to help her so bad, just breaks my heart to hear her cough so much. And i cant do anything.Thank you so very much.
Thank you for sharing precious' story. I am going through a similar situation but my babies heart is enlarged quite a bit. It seems they say the coughing is normal but maybe its worse with enalipril I'll bring it up to my vet. You would think with the advances we have in medicine there was more they could do.
Hi Sue,
Thanks so much for sharing your story. My cockerspaniel Carter which i've had for 9 years was recently diagnosed with a stage 4 heart murmor. He was initially diagnosed back in November as stage 2, and in May stage 3. Two weeks after receiving the stage 3 diagnosis he quickly went to a stage 4 and the cardiologist began treatment with enalapril, furosemide, and vetmedin.
He's very cooperative when taking the pills and swallows them whole without food or coating. So far he's been on the meds for a week and has been coughing here and there in his sleep or when he gets excited. He seems a little more energetic. I plan to start adding supplements such as the vitamin E, fish oils, etc that everyone has mentioned. The cardiologist said we got there "just in time".
One thing that I found strange was that my vet's cardiologist when they interpreted his x-rays and echocardiogram results specifically said that he was NOT suffering from CHF and the only worry was an arrhythmia. At this time Carter was not showing all the symptoms of CHF such as coughing and wheezing, only lethargy and sleeping alot.
Hopefully his condition will improve and give him some extra time with me.
My furry one was diagnosed with CHF in November of 2012.
It began with a cough, and when she did not get better with antibiotics they did an x-ray which showed an enlargement.
From there we had an echo with the cardiologist and she did better until April of 2103, when she ended up in critical condition and on oxygen for several days in the hospital.
Thank G-d they stabilized her and she has been on Lasix 25 mg three times a day, she is only 10 pounds, little thing, Vetmedin and Enalopril, until the Enalopril was stopped just two days to give her kidneys a break.
A couple of months ago, April 2014, she had stomach issues and the internist diagnosed her with a gall bladder mucoecele. She needed her gall bladder out, but because of her heart failure this was not possible. So, added to the medication mix, are Denamarin and Ursodial for her gall bladder, liver and pancreas.
Just two days ago, her blood levels for her kidneys were elevated so we stopped the Enalopril and are waiting for the tests for her kidneys to come back.
I am devastated, heartbroken.
I was told every day now is gravy so I am holding her tight, and thanking G-d for every moment.
Thank you so much for this thread. My Sophia was my Mom's furry one first, and came to me when my Mom passed away in 2009. We got through the loss together.
I have been reading all the posts, Allison I am very Interested in trying your treatment for chase. I have a rescue shitzu that was used for breeding only for seven years of her life from a puppy mill. she did not no how to drink from a bowl and new nothing about life. We were allowed to get her because we have 2 dogs she could learn from , we have had her 5 years and she was supposed to be 7 when we got her. She is the most precious soulful little dog . Just in the past couple years has she caught on that like can be grand and she seems so happy. Of course shortly after we got her we found out she had a grade 4 heart murmer and also had to have bladder stones surgically removed. She is very peppy, but has a nasty cough. sometimes worse than others. vet says she is in chf. has her on enalapril 2 a day vet medin and a half a day Lasix 2 a day. He seemed to think there wasn't. much else we could do and is she layed around sick then a decision would be a bit easier, but she runs in from outside tail a wagin. I would like to get you amounts of these supplements, Molly weighs about 17 lbs. Your help would be appreciated. I had them on holistic grain free food but then molly and lucy my Lhasa were put on the urinary tract dry food, which from what I have read isn't exactly healthy. looking forward to hearing from you. thank you. donna
Oh I forgot to mention she has a trachea problem also that when she drinks she chokes and coughs on it. we us raised water bowls which did not help so vet said use ice cubes. sorry did not know if you needed that info also
I appreciate all this info. Thank you. Rose
Well, I believe I have found the correct site. My little tiny Dusti is a 13yr. old Maltese. A yr.ago she was diagnosed with heart murmur, enlarged heart, collapsed trachea and CHF. She is also on the Vetmedin, Enalapril & Lasix. Her cough is now turning into a high pitched sqeak where as before it was more of a hack. She sleeps on her right side with her little left paw extended every time. I'm sure it is a comfortable breathing position for her. Like many of you I don't have a "Lot" of money, but will spend all that I do have on her. Mine & my husbands hearts are broken everytime we look at her. I guess tomorrow I will take her to the vet. Bless all of you for we are all basically going thru the same thing. Thank you for starting this post.
My dachshund/chihuahua, Olivia, has CHF and is very difficult to give meds to. We think she was maltreated as a puppy, we adopted her from the shelter when she was about a year old. I crush her meds with a pestle, then mix with peanut butter using a miniature spatula, then use my finger to spread it on the roof of her mouth. She licks it down while I kiss her nose and tell her how much I love her. It probably helps that I am a hospice nurse, but it's still so hard seeing her get weaker.
My little Chihuahua, Daisy, was diagnosed with CHF about 3 months ago. She is on Vetmedin (1/2 pill), Enapril(1/4 pill) and Lasix started at 1mg now 3mg) she is barely 4lbs. She has very few accidents. She started having some at first, now she can sleep all night without having one. She is crated at night with a bowl of water and potty pads just in case. She just recently started coughing/hacking. After reading these stories, I upped her Lasix just a wee bit this morning to a little over 3mg to see if that will help until I can get her back to the vet. I think her diet may have a lot to do with it, but she is extremely picky. She wants to eat what the other dogs eat (Beneful)with milk bones for treats and chicken (she loves chicken). I tried Purina pro plan salmon that I read was g0od for dogs with CHF. And I tried the NF Kidney the vet suggested. Both, she ate well for a couple days and then just wouldn't eat it anymore. It is hard to keep her out of the food I feed my other two dogs. I lost her mother last year to diabetes and renal failure. I tried a homemade diet for her and I was always concerned she wasn't getting all the nutrition she needed so I would add some dog food to help. I guess this is not a good idea unless you can find a good food that your dog likes that is low sodium. I agree with someone above who said, "CHF sucks?"
I have a Chihuahua that I am fostering who was diagnosed with CHF almost a year ago. He is on Fortekor (2.5 mg/day) and furosemide (can't remember the mg but he gets 1 and a 1/4 pills a day spread out over the day). We recently switched his food to Canine Life muffins and I have noticed a big difference with his cough. Luckily, he didn't cough TOO much before either… but since we switched the food he hardly ever coughs now!
You can buy the muffins pre-made or you can buy the mix and make them yourself. You should look into it. He loves them.. when I feed him I break up his portion of the muffin and add a little hot water (he has no teeth)they smell like pop pies when they are warmed up.. yum lol
Here is the link to Canine Life
You can order them or you can find them at some higher end pet stores.. just call around. They cost more.. but the change was quick and worth it for my little one. Good luck!
I failed to say that those dosages are twice daily for Daisy who is 4lb Chihuahua. I also had extreme difficulty getting her to take her meds that were in pill form. She had a seizure while I was trying to get her to swallow a pill one day and then I thought of crushing them up and adding a bit of water and sucking into a syringe. She takes it very well this way. I have thought of trying a low sodium broth, but haven't tried it yet.
My dog was recently diagnosed with CHF and one thing that actually helps (but sounds funny) is all natural healthy dry cat food- there is an ingredient in cat food that actually helps dog's with heart failure. Dogs with CHF are missing an enzyme in cat food that they need for a healthy heart. We have been giving her a little cat food with her other food and meds and it really does help ALOT. We tried seeing what she was like without it- and she did horrible- we put her back on it and she went back to her normal healthy vigorous self. The vet agreed that that it was indeed helping and to continue as long as we want. I do believe that the rabies shot that my vet gave her was what caused her heart failure. She was perfectly healthy until the day he gave her the shot- and 3 hours later- she had to be rushed to the vets (another one) and they saved her life. The vet agreed that he should have never given her the shot and that many people are losing their pets right after receiving this round of rabies shots. NEVER GIVE YOUR PETS A RABIES SHOT. IT IS A SCAM- you don't know what is in it and tey are KILLING OUR PETS. They make it illegal so you have to give your vet the money for vaccinations. Vets make a 800 dollar mark up on all vaccinations and you don't know what is safe and what is not. Inside pets do not need a rabies shot every 3 years. They need once per lifetime and there have been ZERO cases of rabies reported it the US in the past 60 yrs.
Mickey my 12 year old Chihuahua was diaognoised with CHF/heart murmur. A year ago he stopped eating and started having seizures. He went down hill fast. I have a wonderful vet Dr. Ware who took care of him and even took him home with her as he could not be left over the weekend at her facility. When I walked in Monday everyone there was in amazement that he had pulled through. We have been blessed with another year that we didn't think we would have at this time last year. He is on enalapril, Vetmedin, keppra, cardizem and lasix. He started coughing and quit eating and his breathing got very labored. We have now changed him over to injectable Lasix. While at the vet for the day yesterday with an iv and Lasix he came home with Lasix injections every 4 hrs and was to start today every six hours. He is some better but his coughing gets really bad between the 4 1/2 – 5 hr mark. Not able to get any of his other meds down with the exception of 1 dose of the Cardizem this afternoon. He ate a little today. My heart breaks for him when his cough gets bad and his breathing becomes labored. Will talk to Dr. tomorrow about how long he can stay on the Lasix so close together.
Anyone have any tips for at-home remedies for extreme & relentless coughing/gagging for my poor 14 year old yorkie/jack Russell mix with CHF? I brought her to the vet last week & they upped her Lasix but it hasn't helped her coughing episodes at all & now it's the weekend & she hasn't had a restful hour of sleep in 5 straight days. We are BOTH miserable. How can I help my poor baby's cough on my own?! What has worked for you guys?
Tussigon is a great medication for the coughing, I use it up to 4 times a day. Also in a pinch I use DM cough syrup you can buy over the counter. Hopes this helps! Its the worst feeling to hear them cough like that!! Good Luck!
Yes my Chihuahua has chf and grade 5 heart murmur. Been 9 months and he is doing quite well. On two different heart medications, lasik, cough med but must say he is holding his own!
My pom Tucker is only 9 – we adopted him with a broken leg when he was about 7 months old. He is little only 7 lbs…but has recently stopped eating and is down to 6 lbs… He's hear murmur went quickly from two to four, he also has a bad trachea he was on Torbutrol 1mg a day, which is where he started loosing his appetite. I discontinued his Torbutrol, but he started refusing all food…Even homemade food… He is currently on Enalapril 2.5mg 2x/day, Salax 12.5mg/2x/day, and Vetmedin 1.25mg 2x/day… He is still very lethargic I would think due to not eating enough…I have to force feed him the last two weeks, or he only wants treats… If anyone can supply some advise on how to help with increasing pups appetite….He is still so young for a pom and is breaking our hearts that he will not eat…
I lost my beloved 10 yr. old Chihuahua Priscilla to CHF on May 9th, 2014. I still feel immense guilt & sadness over this loss as I feel it could have been prevented.
Priscilla was diagnosed with tracheal collapse around age 5. She also started having seizures when she was around 4 yr. old, though they were infrequent. (about 2-4X a yr.)
The day she passed away I noticed her breathing seemed labored. I brought her into my vet who listened to her breathing, examined her & said she believed it was allergies & gave her a steroid shot & prescribed allergy pills. Her breathing seemed to get worse while we were in there & I even said "are you sure it's not her heart? It seems 2 severe to be allergies." She suggested doing xrays but like a fool I agreed to let her do the allergy shot 1st & take her home to see how she did. Within 15 min. home her breathing got worse & she went under the couch to hide. I brought her back up, did Xray, found she had fluid in her lungs & her heart was enlarged. They had to put her on oxygen several times just to get the xray done. they gave her th diuretic shot & sent me home. (they were already closed at this point) I was scared to death at this point to leave & told them I didn't think she'd make it through the night. I said "don't you think she needs to be on the oxygen? What am I going to do if her breathing gets labored & I can't make it to the emergency vet?" They said just try to calm her down. Great! So I left & she started breathing very hard & gasping within a minute down the rd. I turned into my driveway screaming at my husband to drive me back up to the vet as I was trying to breathe into her mouth. I called vet on the way (it's 2 miles, if that from my house) but vet said they were gone & couldn't get back up there. said to go to Emerg. vet. WE wouldn't make it I said. (which we didn't) she started coughing up liquid with blood in it, gasping in my arms & died quickly after. So within finding out she had CHF my dog was dead less than 2 hrs. later.
Needless to say, I was devastated! I was hysterical, inconsolable. I didn't let go over her for my husband to bury her for 2 hrs. It was a nightmare. I'll never forget it & still cry for her, have nightmares & feel like I'll never get over it. My eyes r filled with tears now thinking about my poor little princess & how I should've done more, known more, not trusted the stupid vet, etc…
I have since found a new vet, although I still go to this place occasionally as it's so close, but I always ask for a different vet. they have one I love & trust. My new vet said sometimes it just happens like this & it may have been too far gone. He said he's put dogs in an oxygen tent only to still watch them gasp & pass away. I feel like if I had had that option maybe I could have treated her with some natural remedies as the other lady mentioned here & my baby may have lived longer. It's so hard to live with the guilt. I go back & forth from that & anger, blaming the vet. I feel like she should've been able to hear the fluid listening to her heart. If she had & we treated for that 1st, rather than giving that steroid shot, maybe she'd be alive today.
I have adopted a new Chihuahua. I was in such agony I felt I needed another companion. I adopted my Roxie from a shelter with a very high euthanasia rate. She is a love & I'm glad I have her. She came with kennel cough & took over a month to be over it. She does the tell tale honking cough of trachea collapse. Fabulous! Over the last 3 wks. or so she has been retching & spitting up either clear foam & sometimes yellowish foam. I'm scared to death she has CHF. I'm trying to wait until next month to go in for xrays & blood work as it costs a small fortune here. (No VA- DC area) I may take her in for a regular exam in the meantime but it seems both vets just think everything is allergies & want to prescribe steroids and antibiotics for everything.
Thank you for reading this very long comment. It's actually the 1st time I've written about losing my baby. It was probably 5 wks. b4 I went a day without crying.
Any advice/insight is definitely appreciated. I'm glad I found this site as it has great info. I found it like 3 months ago but wasn't able to write my story yet.
Thanks again,
Hi Sue, I understand exactly how you feel,my beautiful Lil 10 year old Pomeranian Chester was diagnosed with heart failure in January this year. It broke my heart literally when the vet told me he had that as well as fluid in his lungs. Chester's story before he came to me is one of a poor Lil boy who had 3 homes, breeder who didn't care about the animals just the Money, next the owner who loved him too much, but over fed him so that by the time he was 6 months old he was too heavy for his Lil legs and couldn't walk. Sorry for interruption, Chester is snoring so loud beside me on the bed I can't think. Where was I, oh yes, the owner before me wasn't cruel in any way, they just didn't understand him. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of a Pomeranian in their life will understand where I'm coming from. They are not a dog in the sense of a dog, they are your best friend, a most wonderful companion and have a face that lights up your heart with a single smile. He was only 18 months old when I first met him, I had recently lost my two beautiful longhaired Chihuahuas to old age and wasn't even looking for another dog as yet. Until he strutted his stuff on the end of lead in front of me. I had to ask about him, it was like he was willing me to. Anyway, turned out he was looking for a new home. Now, I also rescued and rehomed cats at that time , I sat down on the grass talking to the lady when he jumped into my lap, looked up at me and smiled. I asked if I could take him home and see how he got on with the mob, who were used to dogs. I put him down in the house, the cats all circled him, looked him up and down, looked at me and walked away, he was approved of,I rang the lady and just said he is staying. That was the start of a love affair to last a lifetime. We have been inseparable,Chester goes everywhere, does everything and has friends everywhere. I can't post a photo, but he is a red chestnut, and handsome as. Now, back to his heart problems,I actually had him xrayed in January for another problem when we found out about his heart, he died at 9 o'clock that night from complications due to the anaesthetic,I gave him mouth to mouth and CPR, rang the vet and rang a friend to drive us to the vets.By the time we got there he was back in the land of the living. He was put on oxygen for 2 hours and was in intensive care overnight, the vet kept in touch through out the night until he stabilized at 3am, my baby boy was back with me the next day. It was the first time he wasn't beside me on the bed since he came to stay,even his best mate,Huey, a young cat who since the time he could climb on the bed and snuggle into Chester was lost without him that night. I couldn't sleep and felt so sick,I wasn't prepared to lose my best friend,not then, not now. Chester had another bad turn in August, once again another rush job to the vets, more oxygen, this time he had to share with me as I was holding it on him and I started to feel faint. More xrays, this time I just held him, cause he can't have anaesthetic anymore,he was so good he just laid there looking up at me. Bad news, his Lil heart had enlarged a wee bit more and there was thickening of the lungs, he was in final stage heart failure. I was told every day with him was a bonus and he had maybe 6 months.His weight had dropped to 3.8 kilos, the vet said he would just keep losing weight no matter what I fed him or how much. My life without Chester,I couldn't and wouldn't believe it. After a night of crying and cuddling my baby boy I was willing to try anything. I eventually found a site called CANINE HEART HEALTH. The reviews alone made me ring a lady named Amanda in CANADA,by the way I am in Australia. She has cured dogs with heart failure the natural way, I had nothing to lose except Chester. Amanda was wonderful, she had been thru the same thing with two of her dogs. I did everything she said to do until I got his bundle of goodies from her. It's only been a month and a half since Chester started on his new diets and treatment and he has gone from a listless sick baby to my old friend again, he has gained weight ( 4.1 kilos, the vets are shocked ). He has more energy that I have to slow him down for fear of over taxing his heart. He visits the vets every 2 weeks for checks, when he gets there he struts in with his tail proudly over his back and says look at me, don't give ME up for dead yet. Now, don't get me wrong, Chester is not out of the woods yet, but he is happier and so am I, he will continue to take the horrible heart meds until the day the vets say otherwise and he will always be on his natural foods and treatment for life. Hopefully it will be a long healthy life. What I am saying is don't give up on the Best friend in your life. LOVE CHERYL and CHESTER. PS. I am using a friends email address so please don't use it. Ta.
Hi Cheryl, thank you for your reply. I have been pureeing Tucker's food for about two weeks and he has started to put a few ounces back on! I will also give him some plain Greek yogurt today to see if he will take that. I am hopeful that Mr. Tucker will start enjoying food again and eat on his own. Thank you Kim & Tucker
I have a 14 year old chihuahua that I have had since he was 1, he was just diagnosed with CHF and heart murmur. The vet put him on furosemide 10mg 0.5 twice daily and Vetmedin 1.25mg 1/2 tablet twice daily. His coughing has gotten so much better. He has been on this for about 2 months now. Well 3 days ago he quit eating,until last night he ate some but not a whole lot. He continues to drink water. I called the vet to see if there was anything I could give him to increase his appetite, the receptionist said he would have to see him first and probably give him some fluids, obviously she didn't know what his condition was , because he has CHF which he has fluid around his heart and doesn't need anymore, I use to work at the vet for9 years and I thought without stressing him out he could give me some advice without driving an hour to get there. I was going to see if maybe prednisone may help, but of course I have to carry him in for him to answer that question. Just a simple yes or no would of helped. I am not asking for free advice, If the receptionist would of just taken a few minutes out of her so called busy schedule to ask would of been nice. Any suggestions?
Thanks for your suggestion, I have been cooking everything under the sun it seems, even his favorite rib eye steak. I was able to get him to eat tonight, some gravy out of a can of Alpo Lamb and rice, he went to the bowl I had for another one of my dogs and was licking that so I fixed him some of the gravy and he ate more than he had in the last 3 days. I will nurse him along over the weekend with your suggestions and call my vet again on Monday. God Bless you and, I pray it works.
I am so glad I found this site . we have a puppy mill breeder shitzu.. She was 6 or 7 when we got her and shortly after we got her was told she had a grade 4 heart murmer. this past year has been so hard because she was diagnosed as having heart failure. She is the sweetest dog and if she were a person she would be one of those people that took everything in stride and would find something good about it. She has always had trouble drinking water, coughs when she drinks, we have tried raised bowls and now just use ice cubes. to keep this short I will start at where we are now. At this point she is taking 1 and a half vet medin 2 x a day 2 Lasix a day 2 enalapril a day 1/4 theophylin 2 x a day an antibiotic because of throat issues and spirolactin 1/2 two times a day. She has had a cough for a while but this last week it sounded congested. another vet gave me pred. to give her, but after 3 I quit them. Now she is coughing so much and sometimes I sit up and hold her upright which helps some. she coughs more when she anticipates food or attention also. she seems so happy and takes the coughing in stride. trots around the house, wagging her tail. How do you decide to put a pet down when she seems to accept her lot and is still happy? This kills me listening to her , they say they will let you know when they are ready. When I take her to the vet she never coughs there and sometimes if something gets her attention it stops the cough.Her heart is quite enlarged and they say it is compressing the throat area, not sure which part to call it. she loves to eat so that is not a problem. I put her pills in bread and she gobbles them down. Oh and she is on a combination cough syrup that is compounded. She is twelve years old if we were told correctly. I keep telling myself that I need to make that decision soon, I had it in mind for today but I keep hoping the newest meds. will kick in as she has been on them only two days, spirolactin and antibiotic. Please Sue or Allison do you have any suggestions? Would the suppliments be something that I should try? By the way her name is molly.
Hi Donna,
My heart goes out to you. I am sending you much comfort and many positive thoughts and well wishes.
I posted on June 29th, facing the same heart wrenching decision for my Sophia.
On July 4th, I posted again, after she was at peace.
The day I brought her in I was still not sure if I was doing the right thing. But, she let me know.
It is has been 3 months now and I know I did the right thing.
Our furry ones will hide their pain from us, protect us and love us until the end.
You will know in your heart when the time is right. Listen to your inner wisdom. It will not fail you.
Sending you all the support and caring for you and your furry one.
Laurel, Thank you sooooo.. much for your post, I struggle daily with my Spikie, I just have so much love for this little dog, it is comforting to know that you said that I would know when the time is right. I have sat and wondered how would I know. He has good days then bad days, and the good ones so out weigh the bad right now, I hope and pray I do know when its time. God Bless you.
Thank u for your reply. The last couple days have been mostly bad with molly coughing and gaggi ng . I get up with her at night as layimg in bed listening to her struggle is unbearable. If I hold her in an upright sitting up position like wnen they sit up to beg that this usually stops the coughing. Takes about 10 minutes and somtimes when I let her down it controls the cough for a while. Sounds strange but , maybe it relieves the pressure from the enlarged heart making an appointment today, which will probably end in her euthanasia. So hard. Trying to get the crying over now so I dont blubber like a fool there. Iknow anything else is just prolonging the inevitable at this point, they said she was agrade 5 last week. It is weird that she usually doesnt cough on the way there or while there. Then I worry she is trying to show she is not ready. As they say they let u know and with our other dogs we did know, doesnt make it easier even then. I just hope I am doing the right thing if I end this for her. It is like you are putting a death sentence on them. My old vet would gently say he thought it was time. Which I had complete faith in his opinion. Ugh sorry I have rambled on, I have to tell u last night one of thd stray cats I feed was on the porch with molly when I let her out, she laid down and he came over and started kneeding her side like he knew she needed comforting. I could have cried. Thank u for caring enough to reply
Oh my. The tears are pouring down my face. So sorry that you and your sweet baby have to go through this. I pray that God eases the pain that you are in right now . I just hate that these innocent loving creatures have to experience such things. I know that your baby has been lucky to have experienced the love that you have give her. God Bless you and you will continue to be in my Prayers today and in the coming days. God Bless Molly.
Dearest Donna,
Much strength and wisdom your way, today, Donna.
You are doing the kindest and most loving thing you could do for your Molly. She will be with you in your heart, always.
Much love,
Thank you so much Today has been very hard. Took molly to vet and for the first time she coughed in the office. He said she was having difficulty breatning. He x rayed her and took me back and showed me comparison from a year ago. They took several over the past couple years. He said her heart was the largest he has seen in a dog her size? Very little room left and pressing on her lungs and trachae. He said could try to keep her comfortable a few more days. I said what would you do if she was yours, he said I cant say, but she was in a struggle for breath and lots of belly breathing. She was not herself today and when she was sitting on table she looked at me so sadly, ifelt guilty. My husband left work early to go with me. He knew this one was especially hard for me . I gave them the go ahead and left the room.i could not stay there. Thank heaven for hubby. I have loved all of our pets through the years, but some touch your heartin a special way and this is one of them. I still feel guilty because of the way she looked at me in such a sad way. The vet said he was surprised she had done as well as she has in the past weeks. In two weeks four trips for check ups and new meds.when I got home our other two dogs were looking for her. One is a lhasa, lucy and a pom, chloe. Nine and ten years old. Hope they stay healthy for a long time. No more pills , no more mopping accidents on the floor, stupid me , I will miss that because it was part of her this past couple years. I never saw a mean bone in her little body and being a puppymill breeder dog for six of her twelve years is awful but if her puppies were anything like her they had to be sweethearts. Thank you all for your support and caring about molly and all the others who are going through tough times. This site is awesome.
Dear Donna,
I've been following your story & am so very saddened to hear of your loss today. ): My heart & prayers go out to you. I'm glad you have a supportive hubby who was there with you as you lost your beloved baby. I totally get what you said about some that are just special & touch you more deeply. My Priscilla, whom I lost May 9th was one such pet for me. She was my precious little sidekick. I loved her so dearly & our relationship was very special. I luckily had my supportive loving hubby with me when I lost her also. Although it was very sudden, unexpected & traumatic, he was with me nonetheless. I would've been going through exactly what you just did had I known in advance she had heart disease. I'm not sure I' be able to hold it together very well watching her as you had to & making the decision. I hope you find some healing through communicating with others who share your pain & experience. There are some very supportive & loving people on here. It's a great resource of info too as people post what has worked for them, supplements, etc, that we can use with our other dogs.
You are in my thoughts. Virtual hugs sent you way.
God bless,
I am crying like a baby reading through all of this. My 14 year old pallpiolln named Blossom is dealing with Chf. She also is on enalpril and furosemide but I will look into removing the enalpril from her diet. She was diagnosed almost 2 years ago and was doing well on the meds, just the occasional coughing spell. Recently she has gotten much worse and is coughing nonstop and every breath seems to be a struggle. I am going to the vet as soon as possible but she gets extremely stressed out when she leaves home, to the point of anxiety attacks. I don't want to even think about sending her to heaven yet but looking into her eyes is so hard now… I just see sadness and pain. It is so hard to make this decision as I have had her since I was only 6 years old. She has been there ever since I can remember. I feel that she is telling me that it is her time, but my other family members think otherwise, as she is still walking and eating. Thank you so much for posting this thread it truly did help.
Sue I quit the pred because she wasnt putting out the urine as much as before she took it and her cough was getting worse. It was so kind of you to start this site because of what you went through with prec ious. You have certainly helped a lot of us. Thank you . I think I will have to let molly go today as I am afraid she is at the point she is not feeling well at all. Again thank you donna this is so hard and I wish everyone peace over whatever their outcome will be with their precious pets
Peace be with you and Molly too Dear Friend.
Donna , I hope all goes well for your spikie and you have him for many more years. Thank you for your prayers for molly. Sending you my thanks and my prayers for spikie. Sue did such an unselfish thing when she started this site so others could share in the struggle with chf. It helps to be able to talk with someone who knows and cares what you are going through. Some never understand how you can get so attached to what they refer to as just a dog. But for us is part of our family. They dont know the love and comfort our little ones bring. I know we did what was kindest for molly. It is just hard to be sure when sometimes. Thoughts and prayers for you and spikie. Donna c.
Thank you Soo much Donna. I too am grateful for this site. I am so glad to be able to talk to someone that feels the same way I do when it comes to my pets. They are, as you said, a part of of our families. But I am especially grateful for meeting you. You have really help me. I am truly sorry about Mollie, I wish you could kept her forever. One thing I do know Spike will have the pleasure of Mollie when it is time for him to go. Thanks again. You will continue to be in my Prayers.
Hi Sue,
Don't know how or why I ended up on your site but so glad I did.My dog Misty aka precious is 15 years old,and sadly has chf.She is on all 3 meds,lasix,vetmedin,and fortekor.Her cough has gotten worse this last week and I struggle every day wondering if I am doing the right thing or bring selfish keeping her alive.I do not want her suffering,but she is still eating drinking,and going outside to use the washroom.She does have seizures if she gets excited and runs around,and that breaks my heart because that was something she would do a lot.(run around like a like a lunatic,and she loved doing it)I feel so sad that she can no longer run like that,but I feel if I put her to sleep I'm not doing right by her either.I would rather that she died at home surrounded by her family,but fear she will not be comfortable.Its a hard decision that a lot of people do not understand.This little dog has been such a big part of my life,and I've been through a lot in my life but nothing has prepared me for how hard this was going to be.I found all your article very comforting as I sit hear crying my eyes out,knowing I'm not the only one going through this helps somewhat.Shes asleep in her recliner and the rescued 15 year old English setter is looking at me.Shes not well either but not so acute as misty.I just hope I have the strength when the time comes.I can't imagine any day without her.I have increased her lasix today and if the cough doesn't settle will have to visit her Dr this week.I guess only time will tell,but right now she is with me,appears comfortable and that's all I can ask for.Thanks so much for sharing your story,it certainly helped me today.Both of her sisters died 2 years ago after being on meds for years,Misty never started lasix until august of this year,and January started the other 2.She us a fighter.I never thought she would make it so long,but however long it takes I will do my best to keep her comfortable.
Update on Misty.Back to vet last Tues.Decreased lasix and added spironolactone.I know it is only a bandaid,but her coughing has decreased significantly.She did have a seizure today,but was chasing a squirrel and running hard.It was a short seizure and she responded really quick.I started her on a different soft food,Blue,and the difference in her coat and overall appearance is amazing.Wish I had tried her on it long before now.anyway for now Misty is still with me,comfortable and happy.Her vet did do an x-ray to compare,and even though her little heart has gotten bigger her lungs are completely clear.He was amazed she didn't have any fluid build up.I think the country air has been a key in keeping her lungs so strong,that and chasing squirrels.I discussed euthanasia with her vet and he asked me why since she was fine at the office.He assured me that if he was in my shoes he would continue her care,and would only euthanize her if she was suffering and in his opinion Misty was still treatable and happy.I have to say her vet care has been exceptional and they call regularly to check on"our baby".
I am really struggling with the recent death of my little 9 year old chihuahua x mini foxy. My little guy had been in and out of the ICU for two weeks with CHF. After 4 nights they gave him back to us apparently 'stable'. But he was skin and bones, could hardly breathe and could hardly walk. I got such a shock when I saw him. He was obviously suffering and I knew the medication wasn't working anymore. They kept giving us false hope telling us he was stable and eating which he clearly wasn't.
We only had him home for 18 hours before he went into respiratory distress. We rushed him back to the ICU where they put him in the oxygen tent. They insisted on doing a whole battery of tests like X-rays, bloods etc which at that stage were really unnecessary and I feel so stupid for agreeing. They told us he was breathing ok and to go home. Three hours later they rang me to get permission to euthanise him immediately as he had 'suddenly decompensated'. He was in cardiac arrest before the end of that 2 minute phone call and died a horrible, frightening and painful death.
My little dog was the most precious thing to me in the world and we didn't even get to say goodbye. I had to leave him with them overnight because he died at 5pm on a Sunday and we couldn't get in touch with the crematorium. I picked him up the next day in a white plastic bag cold and stiff from the 'morgue'. I took him out of the bag at the crematorium and he still had the staples in his nose from were they had ventilated him. It was the worst experience of my life and something I feel I will never recover from. I am very angry that a cardiology specialist and ICU vet couldn't see that my little dog was so sick. I feel like they just gave us false hope and I was too stupid and too desperate to keep my little guy alive to realise.
My little guy was my constant companion and I feel extremely traumatised by all of this. More than anything I feel so sorry for our little dog. I really feel like I let him down and he died in deplorable (and avoidable) circumstances. I really don't care about myself at all but I am 5 1/2 months pregnant so I have no choice but to try to get better as fast as I can. Everyone is now relying on me to give birth to a healthy, happy baby but I am completely heartbroken and unable to move forward.
So many people feel so guilty after euthanising their pets. Believe me, you are the lucky ones. I am currently living the alternative and I wish I could have given my buddy the pain free, respectful death he deserved. Also we were promised 18 months from the cardiology specialist and barely got 3 months. He was on so much medication- Lasix, Pimobendan, Amlodipine, Fortekor, Codeine, Theophylline. He had side effects and I saw him get worse on the Pimobendan. All side effects were reported multiple times and ignored. We thought we were getting the best help for our little fur baby- I now feel very differently.
I would encourage people to explore holistic remedies and if they have any doubts about their vet please, please get a second opinion as fast as you can. NO ONE knows your pet like you do. You are bonded to them and you are the best observer of their health. Don't let your vet try to convince you otherwise. Don't let your pet be treated with statistical evidence rather than individual evaluation. Trust your instincts, listen to your hearts and follow your gut.
Good luck to everyone whose dog is suffering this horrible disease. I wish you all many more happy, healthy years with your pets.


text:
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When Georgia cornerback Sheldon Dawson stepped out of the van at Camp Sunshine in Rutledge on Wednesday, he could feel something different in the air.
"I felt the atmosphere, the love around me," Dawson said. "It opened my eyes to different things."
Dawson was one of a handful of Georgia players who made the annual 30-mile trek to the Camp Twin Lakes facility in Rutledge, which opens its doors to children with cancer in the summer. It was the second trip to the camp in as many weeks.
Dawson, tailback Keith Marshall and their teammates opened the visit with a tour of the campground, stopping every few minutes to pose for a photo or talk with a camper, before gathering near the camp's playing fields for autographs. They signed shirts and hats — even a few hands. One camper pulled off his sneaker and gave it a sniff test before handing it over for a signature. Another used his marker to fill in another player's mustache.
"Coming out here and seeing what the kids are going through, it puts things in perspective," Marshall said. "We think we struggle with what we've got to do, football and stuff."
After autographs, they divided into teams for a friendly game of touch football. Redshirt freshman quarterback Brice Ramsey tossed touchdowns to campers, including 12-year-old Kale, who also had an interception during the short game.
"It felt good. I had fun," said Kale. "I wish they could stay longer, but I know they're busy and all."
While Kale was hauling in touchdowns, Camryn, another young camper, challenged some of the linemen. The game ended with a dogpile in the end zone.
"It was like it was one of me, my brothers, my sisters," Dawson said. "I'd had a rough life myself, but it was nothing compared to this. These kids are strong. These kids are brave."
They also like to play. After the football game concluded, they headed for the tennis courts and the miniature golf course, Bulldogs in tow. They piled on the tennis courts, hitting balls back and forth. Christopher, 9, played a round of miniature golf with senior Michael Erdman.
"This is kind of the awesomest (sic) year because I get to meet the Georgia players," said Christopher, who's a second-year camper. "It was fun."
It's fun for Marshall, too. Marshall's made three trips to the camp, but this was his first time visiting with the younger campers.
'ÄúWhen I first came here, I was 17 years old,'Äù Marshall said. 'ÄúSome of the kids were my age. It was crazy to see what they were going through at the same age as me. … It'Äôs a blessing to come out here and make them happy.'Äù
Marshall encouraged Dawson to make the trip this year.
"Once you get out here, you see how much it means to them," Marshall said. "Once you come one time, you want to come back every time."
Dawson can relate. After the football game, before heading back to his cabin, Kale stopped Dawson, searching for an autograph.
"See you next year," Kale said.
"I'd see him next week if we could come again," Dawson said. "Whenever we come, I'll be here to see him."


text:
We in the Booth have been riding with Marky since before he'd even started packing for his Journey to Markyland, USA but, of course, not everyone can be ahead of the curve. For those who've only just jumped on the D.C. phenom's bandwagon, the up-and-comer's thoughtfully gathered all three Rest Stop EPs into one handy package. One of three previously unreleased bonus cuts to appear on the compilation, Infinity finds the freestyle series alum looking back on the ground he's covered to date, and dreaming of the success that lies in his future. The Madman handles production duties, crafting a cinematic piano-synth instrumental as the emcee does a little soul-searching: "For all the people tryin' to make it in the game, what's the point if all you want is a little fame? Trust me, I had time to really ponder on my brain whether or not I'm usin' my voice to make change or make change…" Released today, The Rest Stop Series is out now online, and Rest Stop 2 is still available for free streaming and download right here in the Booth. In addition, fans can click here to check out this cut's official video!
Written by richard on 08/26/10
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At least 10 flash flood warnings or watches have been issued by the National Weather Service for Southern Nevada, California and northwest Arizona through much of Sunday evening.
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