Hi everyone I wasn’t sure which section to put this post so hope here is okay.

My little dog (Poppy) had an ultrasound today which has shown enlargement of her heart, a leaky valve and basically now has canine congestive heart failure. She has been put on two medications which hopefully will help her symptoms, but I’m really worried I’m going to lose her.

Does anyone else have a dog with similar symptoms and, if so, what has the outcome been?

Thank you Jojo

Hi Jojo!

I just saw your post. Gosh. I'm sorry to hear you've got all that worry with your beloved doggie. Our pets mean so much to us!

I wonder if you googled congestive cardiac failure in dogs if that would be any help or make you more anxious? Did the vet give you any indication of how your doggie might be on the medication?

How old is Poppy and what breed is she?

I'll try to look around on google but I know how frantic I get when little Sam is sick - he had surgery only recently but he's good now but it was scary when I had to leave him at the vets to be operated on. So I can imagine how worried you must be.

Can you keep us posted on how Poppy is over the next few days? I'd really like to hear from you how she is.

I think the treatments they have for heart problems are really good these days so let's hope that Poppy will feel better - she can't have been feeling well with heart issues and no medication to help so it's great you've had a vet looking after her.

Take care of yourself too my friend! I'll check back on you tomorrow and see if anyone has been able to help you with information and to check how Poppy is doing.

Hugs from one dog owner to another! 💕🐕🐾💟😔

Jojo I just had a very quick Google and I found a website Modern Dog and another called Cuteness and they said depending on age/severity the dog can live several years. Cuteness had some information about exercise, rest etc. It seemed a compact, helpful site.

Thinking of you my friend! Poppy might manage well on medication all going well! Don't panic yet! Give the meds time to work and she may have good quality of life for a long time yet! 💟👍🐾🐶

Dear Hanna

Thanks for your lovely post. Poppy is a chihuahua crossed with miniature fox terrier and in September she will be 12.

Her health has been so good up until now so it is quite a shock to get her diagnosis. I did google a few places and it made me fear the worst. However, I will check out the sites you mention.

The vet wants to see her again next week to assess if the medications are helping and to possibly do an X-ray. So will post again following that.

I am doing my best to remain positive, but know I would be lost without her as she has brought me through many tough times.

Thanks again for your kind reply and a big hug for Sam 🐾

Jojo

Hi Jojo100!

I am thinking of you and Poppy! Our pets really are our best friends🐾💗
I hope that everything goes okay with the medication and future appointments.

Please know that Poppy is in the best hands and the vets will do everything that they can to help Poppy get better :)

Please keep us updated on Poppy, I will be thinking of you both.

Sending you both hugs 🐾💗

Hi Keets

Thank you for your kind words of support. Poppy is my family and means the world to me. Do you have any pets?

I will keep you posted how things go with the vet next week.

Best wishes Jojo

Hello Jojo, there is so much love we have for our pets, we can only tell people how much we love them but they don't have the same feeling as the owner does, and we dread something awful happening to them, no matter what it is because to us they aren't just a pet, they're part of our family and we tend to look after them more than we look after ourselves and worry so much when the vet tells us something we certainly don't want to hear about.

We always forget that with us through thick and thin and their look just melts our heart.

I am really sorry to hear about Poppy and my thoughts are with you.

Geoff.

Geoff you're so right and especially for those of us who live alone our pets are our dearest companions. My Sam is like a shadow to me, wherever I have gone and whatever has happened, for ten years he has been faithfully by my side. I love him to bits!

So Jojo I understand how much you love little Poppy! One look from Sam's beautiful brown eyes and I melt, and I know you are the same with Poppy.

Dogs give us so much love! They forgive us when we're tired and cranky or when we make mistakes, they give us love and joy and laughter and they ask so little from us in return - food, a walk, a cuddle, a pat or a tummy rub! (Especially a tummy rub!) 🙂

Jojo, Poppy can't have been feeling too well with the heart problem - anything wrong with the heart usually makes us feel pretty rotten - so I hope she will start feeling much better when the medication kicks in, poor little girl!

There are heaps of websites about it but hopefully Miss Poppy will feel better soon and have some good years ahead of her. It sounds as if she'll need some extra rest and careful exercising but the sites I looked at seemed pretty positive!

Let us know how you go. Dogs are the best!

Hugs from me and little Sam 💖🐕🐾👍🙂💕

Hi Jojo100,

Another dog person here, we've had ten dogs over five decades, loved and still love everyone of them.

A bit of simple advice for less threatening google search is to google "treatments for" ____. rather than just looking for the ____ itself. That targets search towards fixing the problem rather than explaining in detail what the problem is.

A long term tip for dogs personality and training is to have a new dog, perhaps a puppy around as the older dog nears ending. The old dog passes on their knowledge and spirit into the new pup and continuity feels a little bit better that way I've found.

Hi Geoff

Thank you for your caring response. You have summed up perfectly what it means to have a pet. They are almost human and, in some cases, much nicer!

Will post again after she sees the vet next week.

Best wishes Jojo

Hi david n goliath

Thank you for your support and advice. I will try googling treatment of rather than the diagnosis of congestive cardiac failure as this might be more helpful at this stage.

As far as getting a puppy goes, it sounds great on paper, but the reality is I don’t think I could cope with a young and lively puppy as well as an older dog with medical problems. I don’t think Poppy would cope with that either as young dogs are so energetic and playful.

Best wishes Jojo

Thanks Jojo, some older dogs really appreciate the company of young to medium aged dogs, they like the company.

Quite some time ago I decided I'd be getting all my future dogs in pairs so they have that pack-mate relationship when wife n I aren't around.

Hi Jojo!

How has Poppy been doing the last couple of days?

I do have pets! One German Shepherd x Staffy and one cat who is a Norweigan Forrest Cat. My cat thinks he owns the place and is boss, however my dog quickly reminds my cat who is boss haha.

Hoping that Poppy has been doing okay and good luck for next week! :) I will keep checking on in to see if there has been any updates. I have my fingers crossed for you and Poppy.

Hope you are also doing okay :)

Hugs from my pets and me xx

Hi Keets

I am happy and relieved to say there has been some improvement in Poppy since starting the medication. She is getting her appetite back and she now comes and wakes me in the morning again. Before that she wasn’t eating and just wanted to sleep.

So I am hopeful we are on the right track. I see the vet again on Thursday so will post again after that.

Glad you’ve got some furry friends to keep you company and keep you sane!

Thanks for your support and hugs 🐾

Best wishes Jojo

Hi jojo!

That is great news about Poppy, the meds must be kicking in and making her feel better in herself. She must have been feeling very off poor lass.

Sounds like you're going well there. Let us know how you go with the vet on Thursday. Thinking of you. Cheers 🐕🐾🙂

Hi Jojo!

Awww I am so happy to hear that! Go Poppy! Here's hoping that the vets has a great outcome too! :)

I have my fingers and toes crossed for you :)

Will talk then, take care and give Poppy a massive cuddle from me :)

Keets 🐾

Hi everyone

Just an update on Poppy. She is going really well atm and almost back to her usual self.

We didn’t see the vet today as he was off sick. I didn’t want to see another vet as my own vet has seen Poppy from the start and knows her history the best.

We are now booked in for Monday. I am so relieved how well the medications are working and how well Poppy is doing.

Thank you all for caring and for your support.

Jojo 🐾

Yippy! great news Jojo100!

Hugs and ear scratches for Poppy from me!

Hi david ‘n’ goliath

Thanks for your hugs and ear scratches. I am feeling much more positive about Poppy’s future now.

Will post again after we see the vet on Monday.

Cheers Jojo 🐾

That's great news about Poppy jojo! I'm so pleased!

Yes let us know how you go on Monday.

So glad she's feeling better! 🙂🐕💖

Hi Hanna

Thanks for your thoughts. I certainly feel much better than I did a week ago when I got the diagnosis and Poppy definitely is on the mend. She is such a dear little dog and I love her to bits.

Will post again after her appointment on Monday.

Cheers Jojo 🐾

Hello Jojo, isn't it lovely when our puppies does respond well to medication it takes an enormous load off our minds and definitely makes us so happy.

I'm so pleased for you.

Geoff.

Yes Geoff I am really grateful for medications both for myself and for Poppy as it gives me so much hope for the future.

I’m feeling much happier now and positive that Poppy is going to be okay long term 😊

Cheers Jojo 🐾

I really feel for you. Dogs are Earth's angels. I love them so much. My dog died last year and i felt that all my organs had fallen out of my body. I am still not able to talk about it but I pet others' people's dogs I have not asked to get another dog because losing her was the most painful thing to me in my life since she loved me and was my real mother. I don't think I could go through that again. On th eother hand I am not okay without a dog. I treated her like gold though and gave her all the love she DESERVED. Dog is God. Maybe I could take the risk and get another dog but I don't want to compare her I feel like I will never have a mother like that again. But I just went to th ehospital because things have gotten so bad. I probably need another firend maybe it won't hurt if i get a male dog. My Dad loves dogs. My mother hates them-all sociopaths do. Big RED FLAG when someone worships cats pathologically and HATES dogs for no reason. I am not talking about people afraid of dogs i am talking about people who hate dogs for their loving goodness. When I had my dog i was joyful despite my mother being there. I had a True mother. I felt loved. I hope your dog heals soon. And I hope that you have wonderful times with poppy. I hope the medicine works and that he is healed. He is a beautiful little dog. I wish you the best and I am sorry that he is suffering and that you are hurting.

Hi Scapegoated

Thank you for your caring post. I am so sorry to hear about your loss and how devastated you are. I hope some day you will feel able to get another dog as I also believe they are earth’s angels and it sounds like you could do with a friend. Maybe you might consider getting a rescue dog as they are desperate for a good home and could do with a loving owner like you.

When I got Poppy I was very depressed and she literally saved my life which is why her middle name is Angel. She has brought me through many difficult times and I don’t know what I’d do without her. The medications appear to be working so I am very hopeful about the future.

I wish for you healing and peace.

With best wishes Jojo

Dear JoJo,

Give him a hug and belly rub for me<3 I am so glad he is doing better. I am sure your love for him will make him so happy.

Tanja

Puppy love is good for us all!

Dear Tanja

Thanks for the hug and belly rub for Poppy. I really appreciate that 😊

Take care Jojo

Dear everyone

Poppy had her follow up with the vet today. It’s all good news! The vet didn’t need to do an X-ray. Both her lungs and heart sound much better now. Also I can stop one of the medications, but the other one she will need for life.

If everything goes well she doesn’t need to see the vet again for another month. After that she will have an appointment every 3 months and eventually will only need appointments every 6 months.

I feel really relieved she is doing so well. It’s such a weight off my mind.

Thanks to you all for your caring support xox 🤗

Jojo

Hi. Jojo

That is great news about Poppy! I'm so pleased to hear she has improved so much after you were understandably so worried about her.

Dogs are wonderful!

Hugs and pats to Poppy! 😊💕🐕🐾