Question:
Our female mixed breed dog was treated for heartworms in July. Came through it OK. Acted like a young dog running around and playing. On heartguard preventive for 5 months but started falling over when excited.
Since I dont know the breed that my dog is, wondering if preventive heartguard damaged our pet. What can we do to keep her from losing balance and falling over when she gets excited or starts to run? If we keep her on a leash so she cannot run around she doesn't have the problem. Vet put her on propanol (beta blocker 10mg twice a day) doesn't seems to help with the balance and racing of heart but does help with the coughing and fluid. What are your suggestions? Hard to believe she was fine after treatment of heartworms and now she is having a problem. When she loses balance it takes about 6 secs for her to recover.
- Dianne
Answer:
Dianne,
It sounds like you are describing syncopal episodes, which are secondary to heart disease. It is possible that because of heart disease she is not getting enough blood to her brain when she gets excited and this causes her to "pass out." Your veterinarian needs to be the one to make this diagnosis, but in light of the history it is very likely that your dog is in congestive heart failure as a result of the damage the heartworms did to her heart while they were there, NOT from Heartgard. There are medications available to decrease the fluid and help her heart pump better and help prolong her life.
Good luck to you and KEEP HER ON HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVE!!!
Sara F. Jennen DVM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Dr. Sarah Jennen graduated from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine with her B.S. and D.V.M. in 1994. She was born in and raised in Arkansas, and currently owns a practice in Cabot.
No comments:
Post a Comment