Jean in Newcastle Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Rocky is a 13 year old springer spaniel. (Lifespan of a Springer is 12 - 14 years, according to Google.) He seems happy. He's alert, is moving fine, eating etc. But he does have labored breathing at times. Today he's been having really labored breathing for the past couple of hours but only when he lies down. It sounds like he's snoring while wide awake and his belly is heaving with each breath. Do I take him to the vet? I don't mind taking to the vet but if it is simply old age or even cancer (which I'm not going to pursue heavy testing and treatment for at his age) then could a vet even do anything? If he seemed like he was in pain it would be a no brainer. I would have him at the vet in a heartbeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I'd call for advice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne115 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I would take him to the vet. Sometimes dogs are in pain and hide it very well. I would be concerned that he is suffering. Suzanne 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 It sounds similar to how our Maggie sounded at the end of her life--she had congestive heart failure. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan in SC Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I would go to the vet to make sure he isn't in pain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Congestive heart failure would be my concern also. I'd call. Good puppy thoughts to Rocky! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Another here thinking CHF. Praying for your pup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 It sounds similar to how our Maggie sounded at the end of her life--she had congestive heart failure. This is one of my suspicions. Could the vet do anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 This is one of my suspicions. Could the vet do anything? Possibly, Lasix is a diuretic and pretty cheap to give. Or, if nothing can be done, there is euthanasia, which is perhaps preferable to the end stage of congestive heart failure. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 This is one of my suspicions. Could the vet do anything? We didn't do anything. She wasn't in pain, just had labored breathing off and on. In between she would have spells where she was fine and playful. At the end, though, she went downhill fast and we had to make the decision to put her to sleep. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I just wanted to add that I'm sorry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan in SC Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Also- I'm really sorry. It's so hard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Yes, I vote vet. My little rat terrier survived for years on heart medication due to CHF. She had a good quality of life until the very end. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Some vets won't put on medication without an ultrasound of the heart. This is what determined what type of meds my dog needed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Agreeing with the others that it is likely a heart issue and that medication may help. I'm sorry, Jean. I know it's hard. :grouphug: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Of course take him to the vet. And, no, don't call for advice. They can't tell you squat without looking at him. There are plenty of things that can be treated reasonably to improve comfort and quality of life. Heart failure, for one (because of the out of breath thing). LOTS of things. Get him checked out by a good vet. Just because you take him in doesn't mean you have to spend unlimited funds or put him through a lot. Vets are used to working with a budget. That's totally fine. Everyone has a budget. Even the vet (for his own pets) . . . Just take it one step at a time, and be upfront and clear with your vet about your goals and limitations. Sometimes a simple (good) exam (say, $50-70) can get you enough information to know what to do. Those hands on your dog and those ears in the stethoscope and that brain analyzing the history and information you give in response to his/her queries . . . have about $400-500k in education behind them . . . They can figure out a lot with that exam. :) Or, there may well be more diagnostics suggested (x-rays, bloodwork, are basic starters). If you can comfortably budget $300-400 for an initial workup, it's likely you can get a lot of information with that. (That's about what an exam, full blood work, and chest or abdominal x-rays might run you at a typical cost-of-living area vet.) But, you can get started with "just" the good exam, and then take things one step at a time. My dh tends to do one thing at a time . . . exam, then either blood or x-rays, then . . . etc . . . to try to get to the answer with the least cost possible. Of course, not every practice is that way, but I'd wager that most are. Just be clear about your needs/budget and listen carefully to your options and the vet's treatment/diagnostic plan. But, it's not cool to just let him suffer, whether it's old age related illness or not. Figure out what it is, then get him comfortable whether or not it is something you can/will treat towards a cure. Palliative care is important. If you can't afford to treat it, and it's painful, then you can decide when it's time to let him go. But, letting a pet suffer and die "naturally" is really not cool IMHO. And, FWIW, it is generally really good for YOU to know what you're dealing with, have a plan, and be comfortable that you are doing right by your dog. And, FWIW, heart failure is relatively treatable in dogs. Plenty of them live many months or years in relative good health on fairly manageable medications, some of which are relatively cheap. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 ps. In dogs, heart failure is treatable with a number of meds. Some are very cheap. One is pricier. The drugs recommended will vary with the exact stage/type/etc of your dog's disease (if he has heart failure at all). Treating earlier rather than later in many diseases can dramatically improve the chance of a good quality of life or, for that matter, any effective treatment. Think of it like walking on a "bum foot" for 1 mile vs 100 miles vs 1000 miles . . . That "bum foot" may well be a surgical candidate after 100 miles or completely crippled after 1000 miles, whereas might have just needed a splint or rest if you'd stopped walking and got it looked at after just 1 mile . . . Same goes for lots of pet diseases . . . Get it looked at sooner for a better outcome. When people wait until the bitter end to FINALLY take their pet in to the vet, they then find that "there was nothing for the vet to do" so they euthanize. Often time, there COULD have been something great (even easy! even cheap!) to do if the pet had come in earlier. Not many vets are harsh enough to point this out to the owner at the time their pet is dying, but I can assure you this happens all the time, and it drives vets mad with frustration because they know well how much that pet suffered for weeks/months/years before the owner FINALLY brought the poor thing in. Those owners generally leave the vet's never knowing that they really screwed up and tortured their poor pet. I'm not sure whether that is good or not, but I don't know of any better way for vets to handle it, as surely telling them off at the time of their pet's death is not the best course of action. Don't be one of those owners! Also, heart worm disease could be a possibility, too. That's treatable, too. And, of course, the actual veterinarian who will examine your dog may well find something completely different. I'm just wild-ass-guessing. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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