I took my 6mo old Pit Bull Terrier in today to the vet because his stomach has stretched and gotten very hard. They found he has yellowish liquid in his stomach and they said his heart was enlarged as well. She had thought it might be because of liver problems, however ruled that out as she found his heart was enlarged? I was hoping to find out if anyone has had this happen to their pet and what the outcome was? She recomended a cardiaologist and also talked about putting him down? I really don't want to do that but i don't see how these two diagnosis can be linked? Wouldn't it be two seperate problems to have to be treated? Also could the liquid have been caused by a case of kennel cough he had about 3 weeks ago?
2007-11-23 13:34:02 · 4 answers · asked by SunnyGal 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
the enlarged heart and the fluid in the abdomen are related. the fluid was not caused by kennel cough. i would recommend going to a cardiologist also and having an ultrasound done. the ultrasound will be able to tell you exactly which part of the heart is affected and how severe. while there is no cure, there are medications that can be used to help control it. if you do not do something about it your pup will die. the website below will give you more info. also, different heart problems require different medication. your regular vet will not be able to tell you exactly what is wrong with your dogs heart, hence the reason for the referral.
http://www.2ndchance.info/heart.htm
2007-11-23 17:43:59 · answer #1 · answered by bob © 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask if this was cardiomyopathy (cardio my opa' thy), where the ventricle thickens up so much it can't pump blood. I just lost a cat to this in September. My vet told me that if the left ventricle is the one that thickens, the chest cavity fills with fluid, compressing the lungs. If it's the right, then the fluid fills the abdominal cavity. Either way, it's not cureable or treatable, the heart can't pump blood properly and the blood pressure goes way down. It's heart disease.
If it's not cadiomyopathy, there may be treatments to help the problem. An x-ray and blood panel will have to be done to give a baseline on how the organs are functioning and to show what's being affected. I don't think you need a cardiologist yet (the vet should be experienced enough to give you several options), but you can get a second checkup at a different vet and see what they say.
2007-11-23 22:00:45 · answer #2 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well I had a toy poodle that had fluid around the heart which made it enlarge. The vet put her on a diuretic (lasix) & digoxin to slow down the heart & something for her liver (I can't remember the name). The vet explained to me that when the heart is affected that many times other organs will start to degrade as well. That's why my dog's liver started to not process correctly. She did fine for several years with constant monitoring & being very strict about her getting her meds on time everyday. Hope your dog comes though this. But, there may not be anything you can do to help so you may have to make a very serious decision. Take your vets advise & see a specialist.
2007-11-23 21:58:04 · answer #3 · answered by Deb 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you need to ask your VET these questions
2007-11-23 21:49:58 · answer #4 · answered by Nedra E 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋