Scrappy's Heart Condition

Today, we took Scrappy to the vet because he has been coughing a lot and it appeared that his breathing was beginning to get labored. Well, it was good that we brought him in when we did because he was diagnosed with Degenerative Valve Disease – or heart failure. They placed him on medications that are to help return his heart to normal function for as long as possible, but the hope is not to cure the disease, but to preserve his quality of life for as long as possible because this is a terminal condition.

They had to do a chest x-ray to take a look at his heart and lungs. They found that his heart was enlarged and his lungs were full of fluid. They gave him an injection of Salix to help clear the fluid out of his lungs and prescribed the following medications:

Vetmedin – ½ tab, two times/day
Enalapril – ½ tab, two times/day
Salix – ½ tab, two times/day

He needs to go back in a few days for an ultrasound and another chest x-ray to make sure that the fluid is clearing from his lungs.

The diagnosis and initial treatment will be about $1,000 and the monthly meds close to $100/month. The cost is a concern, but his health and quality of life are more important to us.

The hope is that he will respond well to the medications and live a long, happy life on. My poor little buddy.