Hi - This is my first posting anything. I did post a picture of my Cletus, and my daughter's boxer Lulu but didn't get any further. I was nauseous from learning that my Cletus has been diagnosed with arrythmic cardiomyopathy. DOB 10/19/01, he is a young guy. Two collapses one in Feb 08, & then 4 weeks later. The second one he had just started Sotalol 80 mg a few days prior. The doctor upted it to 120 mg twice a day. He is also hypothyroid and on Soloxine for that. He has been Holter monitored twice. The first Holter is when they found the arrythmia, the second Holter was just this last Thursday. The cardiologist called me and said it was a good one, no runs, and keep him on the meds as scheduled. I thanked her so much. I am hoping and praying that this gives my Cletus a lot more time with us. He is a trip and a joy to have around. Don't know what I will do without him. Just some insight for anyone else that is having issues like these.
Cardiomyopathy
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
Joined
·
69 Posts
HI, I do human hearts for a living. I am an echo tech. I am sorry to hear that about your baby. I can not imagine if that were my buster. Make sure the pup takes the medication. good luck to you and your baby
Joined
·
1,467 Posts
sorry to hear about his troubles 
hope the meds work out well
hope the meds work out wellOften ARVC can be well-controlled with meds, you just need to keep track to be sure the dosage is correct. Our cardiologist has talked about Boxers he's followed who have been on meds for 7-8 years and were still doing well.
I'm curious, though, was he diagnosed before starting the Soloxine, or after? There are many Boxers who had high numbers of VPCs and were hypothyroid; once the thyroid was regulated the VPCs decreased dramatically. (I don't know for sure if any of those dogs had syncope, though.) Not saying to take him off the meds or anything, but it might be something to consider and discuss with the cardiologist.
I'm curious, though, was he diagnosed before starting the Soloxine, or after? There are many Boxers who had high numbers of VPCs and were hypothyroid; once the thyroid was regulated the VPCs decreased dramatically. (I don't know for sure if any of those dogs had syncope, though.) Not saying to take him off the meds or anything, but it might be something to consider and discuss with the cardiologist.
my little girl used to have those collapses to. They are scarey, but she always got up and went again afterwards. I always figured if it was the ONE she would go out in style chasing a squirrel or her toy high gear. Hopefully you can get things under control, but we never did with my Zoe girl but she was happy till the very end.
Nano
Nano
It's a tricky situation because the VPCs could have been the thyroid or the heart, and the fainting could the ARVC or the Sotalol. I'm guessing the cardiologist knows about they thyroid issue, but if not I'd certainly discuss it with him and explore the possibility that the Soloxine itself might help decrease the arrhythmias. (This was discussed at an ABC seminar one year with Dr. Peter Graham at MSU, if that helps put a little 'weight' behind it. )
) Hello,This is my first post.. and it a sad one. I lost my 5 yo Boxer to cardiomyopathy last week. She is a well bred, linebred (Pinebrook & Magic Moment Kennels) bitch, spayed. I realized she had developed a fast heart rate on Saturday and on Sunday night she developed a cough. On Monday morning I took her to my vet. He recorded her heart rate >320 bpm. He consulted with a cardiologist, sent x-rays, EKGs, contrast studies, still and video images and history. Her left atrium (part of the heart) was markedly enlarged. The left ventricular cavity dilated with a ejection fraction of 7.5%. Meaning her heart was working at 7.5% of normal. The left ventricular wall were thinned. The cough was from fluid building up in her lungs due the the hearts inability to effectively pump blood through her body and clear the fluids.
She was started on lasix (diuretic), cardizem (to slow heart) and enalpril. I took her home and waited. On Wednesday I took her back to the vet. There were not any changes. The heart rate was still 320bpm. He added Vetmedin pill to her regime. I took her home.
Early in the morning of Thursday she woke me up with her odd breathing pattern. I held her in my lap until the vet opened at 8:30. At that time she was drowning in her own fluids. We made the decision the euthanize her due to her lack of response to the meds. It is always a hard decision to make but ultimately the best thing for her was a quick painless death instead of literary drowning slowly. Her fast decline and lack of response to medications was heart wrenching.
My advise... frequently test all Boxers for heart problems. DO NOT breed any animals that have every shown irregularities. This is an inherited disease and only responsible and ethical breeding can eliminate it from our breed.
Sorry this is so long, but I feel so strongly and still am crying over the loss of a relatively young dog and my best friend.
Joined
·
5,691 Posts
Jeez Aille i am so sorrry..thats so so hard...our thoughts and prayers are with you..but you did the right thing IMO..you gave her most loving thing you could have ever done for her...you let her go before it got terrible for her..and without the pain and anguish of panicing...
again im sorry for your pain..i know its a terrible heartbreak
again im sorry for your pain..i know its a terrible heartbreak
Hi - I am tearing & so sad for you as I write this. I feel so, so bad for you. It is terrible that our loves have to go through this terrible suffering. You are just so lost wanting to fix them and all. I spoke with the cardiologist today & I am to start a new medication tomorrow Mexiletine, plus keep him on the other 2 medications. When they done the first Holter Cletus had a run of 300 bpm. That's when they started him on the Sotalol plus the Soloxine for hypothyroidism. I feel deep in my heart that it is a lot of meds at one time but I am not a cardiologist. The side effects make him different, not the same Cletus. I really appreciate you taking the time & explaining things to me. Take care of yourself.
Aille\";p=\"104455 said:
This is my first post.. and it a sad one. I lost my 5 yo Boxer to cardiomyopathy last week. She is a well bred, linebred (Pinebrook & Magic Moment Kennels) bitch, spayed. I realized she had developed a fast heart rate on Saturday and on Sunday night she developed a cough. On Monday morning I took her to my vet. He recorded her heart rate >320 bpm. He consulted with a cardiologist, sent x-rays, EKGs, contrast studies, still and video images and history. Her left atrium (part of the heart) was markedly enlarged. The left ventricular cavity dilated with a ejection fraction of 7.5%. Meaning her heart was working at 7.5% of normal. The left ventricular wall were thinned. The cough was from fluid building up in her lungs due the the hearts inability to effectively pump blood through her body and clear the fluids.
She was started on lasix (diuretic), cardizem (to slow heart) and enalpril. I took her home and waited. On Wednesday I took her back to the vet. There were not any changes. The heart rate was still 320bpm. He added Vetmedin pill to her regime. I took her home.
Early in the morning of Thursday she woke me up with her odd breathing pattern. I held her in my lap until the vet opened at 8:30. At that time she was drowning in her own fluids. We made the decision the euthanize her due to her lack of response to the meds. It is always a hard decision to make but ultimately the best thing for her was a quick painless death instead of literary drowning slowly. Her fast decline and lack of response to medications was heart wrenching.
My advise... frequently test all Boxers for heart problems. DO NOT breed any animals that have every shown irregularities. This is an inherited disease and only responsible and ethical breeding can eliminate it from our breed.
Sorry this is so long, but I feel so strongly and still am crying over the loss of a relatively young dog and my best friend.
Hi - Just wanted to inform everyone that now they want to put Cletus on Mexiletine (think that is how you spell it). Supposed to be hard to come by. Read a little on it. ALOT of side effects. Already on Soloxine, Sotalol and now they want to add this. I have very mixed feelings. This med can make them have convulsions, tremors, diarrhea, vomiting, depression, stomach upset. I just want him to be Happy & be himself. With the two meds he is on he only eats twice a day now. Had his thyroid blood work rechecked the mg of meds he is on for that is the correct dose. STILL BESIDE MYSELF! [
HOW DO I TAKE CLETUS HEART RATE CORRECTLY??
quote="nano";p="104222"]Kathy,
If another event happens immediately go and take his heart rate for a minute or 15 seconds multiplied by 4. This is very important info for the cardiologist.
[HOW DO I TAKE CLETUS HEART RATE CORRECTLY??
quote="nano";p="104222"]Kathy,
If another event happens immediately go and take his heart rate for a minute or 15 seconds multiplied by 4. This is very important info for the cardiologist.
I usually take Ringer's heart rate in his thigh. You just have to find the spot on the inside of his thigh that is beating. With a hr that fast, you can't count it reliably. I've been able to count up to about 220 or so but after that I need a heart monitor or my stethoscope to get an accurate count. Count the beats for a minute since it can change rate frequently.
Has the cardiologist recommended trying to do anything when his rate gets that high? Things like splashing cold water on his face, massaging his neck or making him try to poop? Those all work wonderfully well in humans and I suspect would work well in dogs too.
Has the cardiologist recommended trying to do anything when his rate gets that high? Things like splashing cold water on his face, massaging his neck or making him try to poop? Those all work wonderfully well in humans and I suspect would work well in dogs too.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
