Another trip to the vet, another problem

[carolync]

Bett, my 15 month old was diagnosed with a PDA last month. It's slipped through the cracks of every vet she has seen (and there have been plenty, I'm her 5th home). Luckily she has not shown really any outward signs of chronic heart failure, besides slight exercise intolerance, yet. Vet said he suspects the symptoms to appear in the next 2-5 months.

 

She's been on Enalapril for the past 2 weeks and we followed up with the recommended bloodwork on Friday. Yesterday the vet left a message with the results: electrolytes are fine, but now her ALT is highly elevated, it was normal in December. (her heart murmur has also increased from a 3 to a 5 in that time period).

 

She has been on fluoxetine for the past 4 months, and trazodone recently. Cardiologist thought at first it might be the trazodone, but since she has only had 4 doses of the trazodone - we use it only once a week to help her through her reactive dog class, that seems unlikely to her.

 

Apparently it's failure common for humans with CHF to also have liver problems, but I haven't found much info on that online regarding dogs. Logically, it seems the same would be true.

 

I will be talking with her primary vet on Monday, but in the meantime was hoping someone here may have knowledge.

 

Thanks!

 

(Note to self: avoid getting blood work done on a Friday. The not being able to discuss this right away is making me obsess and spend to much time on google.)

 

 

[GentleLake]

I wish I had more to offer than sympathy, but you have loads of that.

 

Monday's on it's way. Hope there's good (meaning useful) news.

[carolync]

Thank you. It's been a really tough few months between her health and behavior issues. I've always had a gut feeling she wasn't going to live a long life, but figured she'd outlive my 15 year old. Now I'm not so sure.