My Puppy has an opportunistic infection of her aortal valve. Advice?

Question

Turns out my dog didn't have a genetic predisposition to heart murmurs - she has massive heart damage from an infection. Hopefully, she'll beat the infection - she seems much better since yesterday afternoon - and if she does beat it, her life span has still been reduced to 1 - 3 years from now because of the damage to two valves.

So many things - having her take her pills (4 pills 2x/day) is a huge struggle. Whatever food we hide it in, she will no longer eat. Several times, I've had to pry open her boxer/pit bull (vet's estimate) jaws and push the pills down. Suggestions for an easier way/one that doesn't leave her so mad at me, formerly her favorite? We'll be doing this the rest of her life.

She's on Cipro and Augmentin, 500 mg/day each.

If she survives the infection, what can we do to improve her quality of life? Until last Thursday, she could run faster than the wind, climb halfway up trees, and leap over hedges. Now, if she tries to run on her leash, she's tired.

The vet said the infection was there for 'at least two weeks.' She began the coughing of congestive heart failure on the 15th of March; had seemed perfectly healthy until then, although looking bad I feel she was disoriented once or twice in the past two months.

Answer 1

I've been reading through your other questions to try to get an idea of what you're dealing with. So sorry to hear about your girl.

Does the vet have any idea how long she had the infection/its source? It sounds like the "rescue" you got her from was questionable, but I don't have enough experience with canine heart problems to know how an infection like that occurs.

I can give you an idea on the pills -- 4 pills twice a day is more than any dog will happily tolerate.

If it's possible, you might consider crushing the pills up into powder and serving them in a bit of wet food. If wet food isn't her thing, try instant oatmeal with ground beef mixed in (toss it into the pan while you're boiling the oatmeal). A little garlic powder makes it irresistable to my dogs. The house dogs get it for breakfast every morning. :)

As far as her quality of life -- you'll have to see how she recovers from the infection. She may return to a slightly less-exercise-tolerant version of herself, in which case you shouldn't push her. Your vet can tell you how best to care for her in that case.

Sorry I can't offer more advice. Good luck with your girl. :)

Answer 2

Thats a terrible thing, it happened to a friends dog recently as well. It will cause irreversible heart valve damage.

Wrap the pill in a bit of cheese or sandwich meat. I would not let her run around to much.

Not really anything I can say, just make the most of the time you have.