Heart Failure Pomeranian?

Unfortunately, Pomeranians are prone to heart disease like a lot of toy breeds. More than likely it was genetic and nothing specific you've done! There are a few things you can do right now to help your pup have the longest most comfortable life possible. I've know many dogs to live many many years with heart problems. It's not an automatic death sentence. However, this is a serious problem that can shorten a dogs life significantly if it goes untreated

First, I would highly recommend visiting a cardiologist to get a second opinion. Specialist are generally more knowledgeable then a primary vet and have more updated information and recommendations. Visiting a specialist now will also help prepare you for the future, what to expect, but also help you make decisions while she is still in good health, as opposed to making discussions when she starts to go down hill and you are panicked and concerned about her!

Second, consider her diet. The raw diet is an excellent way to go, however it can be quite a shock to the system if your dog has never been on it. Ask your cardiologist about what he recommends. There is also a prescription diet called H/D Which stands for heart diet. It's specially formulated to take stress off the heart. Ask the specialist.

Keep her weight in check. I rather have a dog be on the thin side then on the heavy side when dealing with heart problems.

Also, ask about medication to slow the progression of the disease. There are a variety of heart meds that can help your dog now a days.

Also, limit strenuous exercise, but gentle walks are still fine. If you notice your dog struggling for breath or her gums turning gray or blue this is TOO MUCH exercise!

Finally, keep an eye out for progression of the disease. If you notice any of the symptoms below, the disease may be getting worse.

Here is some additional Information I wrote for an article a couple years ago.

Cardiac Disease:

Symptoms: Panting, labored breathing, bloating, fainting and lethargy.

Most commonly diagnosed problems are congestive heart failure, fluid retention, and cardiomiopathy. Surgery can be performed although medication is usually given for maintenance of the problem. Several medications are available to relieve heart-related problems, such as Furosemide or Lasix, a diuretic that removes fluid from around the heart making it easier on the dog to do everyday activities.

Behavioral side effects: Most often, a dog will act lethargic because it feels weak, and some dogs may feel anxious or aggravated because they feel as if they cannot get enough air. Additionally, some heart medications may cause increased urination. If a dog gets too excitable they may also faint.

Best of luck to you both!

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I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. I also had 2 dogs with enlarged hearts. Unfortunately, there is no cure. My Min Pin was diagnosed when she was 11 and I had to let her go when she was 12 - when the medications stopped working. I had a Pom with CHF as well. He was older and had a cough when I adopted him. I immediately took him to the vet, but it was too late for him. I only got to know him for 3 short weeks before I lost him.

I do recommend seeing a cardiologist. They will put her on medication, but the meds do have side effects. Mostly increased thirst, which will make her urinate more frequently and a high probability of having accidents in the house. The meds can also make her more tired and have less energy.

My dogs were put on Lasix and Digoxin. There are a couple of other medications out there, but are generally the same.

Don't let her become overweight - it just adds more stress on the heart. Don't overexert her. Honestly, there is not much you can do. If you notice increased coughing, don't hesitate to take her to the vet.

I'm so sorry! I know how heartbreaking it is. Please don't blame yourself. This is a genetic thing and has nothing to do with what you fed her. She was just born with it.

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If your dog is in heart failure, your vet should have referred you to a cardiologist. Murmurs can occur as small breed dogs get older as just a part of aging as the valves in the heart age, they become a little weaker and regurgitate blood when they shouldn't. Murmurs are graded 1-6, anything over a 3 should be referred to a specialist for evaluation. Many murmurs do not require anything other than monitoring twice a year, more severe ones may require medication. Clinical signs of heart failure in a dog would include coughing, shortness of breath (due to pulmonary edema), exercise intolerance/fatigue, and abdominal fluid/distention, possibly weight loss. In other words, your dog would be pretty sick if in heart failure. And, if your dog is this sick and your vet is not referring you to a cardiologist, then you can call there yourself, tell them the situation, and they should see you without a referral. www.acvim.org

Mitral valve insufficiency accounts for 75-80% of cardiac disease in small breed dogs.

It causes enlargement of the left atrium and can be seen on radiographs, and an audible systolic murmur.

Degree of insufficiency can be evaluated by a veterinary cardiologist with echocardiography and treated appropriately. Acute heart failure from this condition can be stabilized repeatedly with medications. Lasix is used to decrease pulmonary edema caused by this condition and does cause excess thirst and urination. ACE inhibitors are used to treat this condition long term. You may also need to go to a low sodium diet, and exercise restrictions.

This is an acquired cardiac disease not genetic (which would present in younger dogs)

I know what you are going through. My dog was born with a heart murmur and had congestive heart failure for a long long time. The meds helped his heart but caused kidney failure, so we were always trying to balance the 2 problems. Plus he has thyroid problems. - He lived to be over 18 even with all these problems. About 6 months before he died the kidney failure was almost 100% so they cut the heart meds completely off. He did ok for about 4 months but then the same thing happened to him with his trachea collapsing. Once again it was back to giving him some heart meds but trying not to give him too much... My thing with him was always, the day he stops wagging his tail is his last day. - we were lucky this is exactly what happened. He had a seizure and could no longer stand up or anything. It was clear that it was his time. With yours = if he is still wagging his tail and has a gleam in his eye, try the extra medicine and see what happens. - her eyes will tell you when it's her time. If you have to put her down, remember how lucky she was to have you as her family. She was 100% loved every day. And you were lucky enough to have her for 11+ years. ~ It's been 3.5 months since my little guy left. I miss him all the time, but I remember how lucky I was to have him for so long and it feels a lot better.

Why don't you just ask your vet for a referral to a cardiologist now as you are very very worried? You would then get an answer as to whether treatment in the future is advisable or whether it is best to treat him now.

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