Advancing Heart Disease :-(

[LisaT]

Of all the things in this world that I could live without, I cannot imagine living without Indy

Just had Indy's follow-up with the cardiologist. Her grade II murmur has progressed to grade IV. And while that doesn't mean that her heart has worsened, in Indy's case, it does.

One of the "thingees" that holds her heart valve in place snapped, which is why the murmur progressed so rapidly. It was only 5 months ago that she was at a grade 2. The echocardiogram shows that she has passed mild heart disease, and now is in a low to moderate disease state. We recheck in 6 months to see if she has progressed to Congestive Heart Failure.

So those supplements I started to help the cartilage in the valve because her murmur became so loud, were started too late.

I hate facing the fact that she is mortal, and at this potential end stage, I have spent no time with her, due to circumstances that I can't control. Her world has become so small lately, it breaks my heart.

The cardiologist said it is most likely genetic, and since most that know Indy think that she has some whippet in her, that very well might be were it came from.

Tomorrow we run a blood panel for a baseline, and then start her on the ACE inhibitor Enaparil. I'm just crushed that it has advanced so quickly.

[angelaw]

Gsd's can have heart issues too, so who knows where it came from. I'm sorry to hear how she's deteriorated so fast. What does the Enaparil do?

[LisaT]

right, it could be either. The mitral valve stuff, from what I can read, is really common in the smaller dogs, terriers and such

THe Enaparil is supposed to somehow strengthen the contractions in the heart. She says sometimes it can contract the heart and reduce some of the enlargement, but I get the impression that that's not common.

To increase cardiac output or efficiency, an After-Load Reducer (ALR) such as enalapril is used. Enalapril has many mechanisms, but its primary action that we utilize is the relaxation (dilation) of
arterial smooth muscles that decreases the resistance of blood flow out of the LV and into the Aorta, thus increasing blood supply to the body. ALR’s increase cardiac efficiency by decreasing resistance. Enalapril is the only drug proven to increase the life expectancy of humans and animals with MR.
http://www.seasidevet.com/InfoFiles/Mitral%20Murmur.pdf

[BowWowMeow]

Lisa, I am so sorry. I understand how you feel having spent all my time with Chama and now Cleo is so very ill.

[LisaT]

I know you do Ruth , thank you. I was thinking that I need to use you and Chama as a role model -- I need to find a way to make that time to get her out and about and enjoy the time with her. I don't know how I'm going to do that, but we both need it.

[littledmc17]

I am so sorry
hate it when crap like this happens to them you just want to make everything right for them

[LisaT]

Thank you Dawn. We've dodged so many bullets, but I don't think that we can dodge this one.

[GSDTrain]

I am so sorry to hear about Indy.

[jaggirl47]

Lisa, I am so sorry to hear about this. Hopefully, her new med will help her and she will not progress any faster. Kisses to Indy from my family.

[LisaT]

Thank you both. We will do what we can to beat the odds, and delay what we can.