Hi everyone, I'm writing to this forum because I have a beautiful and wonderful Boxer cross Dogue de Bordeaux who suffers from quite serious heart problems. Like all dogs, he loves going out for his long walks every morning and evening; it's been his routine for the 2 years since I adopted him, and believe me, those walks are sacred to him. However, because of his heart condition, he’s really out of breath when he gets home. His vet told me it’s normal for him to get tired more quickly due to his heart issues (especially since he had a pulmonary oedema back in June). So, my question is specifically for those of you with a sick or elderly dog: could you tell me what you do when your dog is breathless or extremely tired? Thanks in advance for your replies. Best, Alex.
Translated from French
The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.
Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.
It’s really important that your dog is at the right weight. They should have a visible waistline (without their ribs sticking out too much), and you need to be sensible about when you take them out for walks. Early morning or late evening is best—15 to 20 minutes is plenty. Despite their heart condition, it’s still vital to keep them active.
Hi there!
With a heart condition confirmed, if I were you, I wouldn't risk going for long walks or heading out when it’s very hot... Be careful with any strenuous exercise or big emotions too... Anything that causes overexertion or anxiety and gets the heart rate up should be avoided.
Poor lad, he’s lucky you’re taking such good care of him. I lost a dog to DCM; I wish I could have treated him with medication like yours, but his condition meant it wasn’t possible. In any case, don’t ignore the vet’s advice or even the slightest change in your dog’s day-to-day behaviour...
I’ve got an older dog and whenever he gets a bit puffed out during a walk, I stop for as long as it takes for him to settle down. And of course, during a heatwave, I keep the walks much shorter. With a dog suffering from heart problems, you have to be very careful and cut the walks short if the breathlessness is a regular occurrence.
My Saint Bernard gets tired quite easily... What I do is take short breaks for a few minutes with a drink...
Once, when he was in the kennels, he was so out of breath (too much excitement) that they gave him some Ventolin... It worked really well. Otherwise, he would have ended up at the emergency vet.
Hi there, your dog comes from two brachycephalic breeds, so he’s potentially already prone to breathing difficulties. If he has heart issues on top of that, you really need to take it easy with him. Perhaps try shortening the length of his walks, even if it means adding an extra one during the day.
Best of luck.
I've got a Mastiff who weighs about 17 stone 4 lbs. For a big brachycephalic breed like him, a gentle half-hour walk a day is plenty! It's up to us to take the lead on this. A dog will keep following you even if they're struggling. So you've got to cut back on the long walks, especially in hot weather!
