I have a small dog who is over thirteen years old. Two years ago, we found out he had a heart murmur, and about a month ago, I noticed that Capucin was losing a lot of energy and coughing. I called the vet, and the diagnosis was that he had fluid on his lungs. We changed his treatment to the following:
Nelio 5mg: 1/2 tablet in the evening Vetmedin 5mg: 1/2 tablet morning and evening Spironolactone 100mg: 1/4 tablet in the morning, plus 1/4 in the evening for a fortnight.
His cough has eased, but he still has coughing fits several times a day. Strangely, he can seem full of beans one minute and then completely wiped out the next. He is eating and drinking normally, but his urine has a very, very strong smell. He also has a hormonal issue, so his hindquarters are completely hairless with a few sores that sometimes ooze a bit; however, a blood test didn't reveal anything in particular.
The question I am asking myself is: is it normal for the little lad to still be coughing despite the treatment? Is the vet perhaps just trying too hard to keep him going? Is he still happy and comfortable in himself?
As odd as it sounds, he seems much less bloated since starting the treatment. Could the fluid have spread to the rest of his body?
Thank you in advance for your replies.
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.
Aros, I would honestly recommend seeing another vet. It’s risky where medication is concerned; deciding to increase or decrease a dose can be fatal if you don’t know what you’re doing.
All the best, and I hope things get better :)
Hi and thanks for your reply.. I spoke to my vet on the phone at 9am and they told me to give him a furosemide tablet straight away, another at midday and two this evening.. no improvement so far.
Give him KALIUM CARBONICUM 5CH: 5 granules at 11am, for example, and another 5 at 4pm (he’s clearly suffering from pulmonary oedema, which is why he’s struggling to breathe). Give this alongside the Libeo (which is a diuretic—but whatever you do, don’t increase the dose!). THE RESULTS ARE MIRACULOUS.
I managed to extend my dog’s life by four years with this, or at least keep him comfortable. He was on Libeo as well.
My homeopath was the one who recommended it (Kalium Carbonicum 5CH).
A tube contains 80 granules and costs about £1.60 at the chemist (not much profit in it for a vet, LOL!).
After a few days, his breathing will improve. But for his heart, he needs VETMEDIN (go to a different vet!!!).
I also gave my dog one Hawthorn capsule a day (it's a plant-based heart supplement; you can get organic ones from a health food shop like Holland & Barrett or similar). He was a Beauceron cross Shepherd, and if he hadn't also had cancer, he’d still be here today. He lived until he was 14, and I eventually had to have him put down to stop him from suffering. But his heart was in top condition thanks to all that.
Hi everyone,
My little Yorkie is on lifelong treatment. He’s taking Libeo; at first it was half a tablet twice a day, but now it’s one full tablet morning and night. Since yesterday, he’s been struggling to breathe—he's holding his head up high just to try and get some air. My vet is closed... can I give him an extra quarter of a tablet to help him? Thanks for any replies, it’s urgent.
Hi everyone, I wanted to share my little miracle. My dog has been suffering from congestive heart failure and pulmonary oedema (fluid on the lungs).
My dog is a Shepherd cross Beauceron with a heart condition and is on Vetmedin, of course (2 capsules morning and evening, given well away from mealtimes). First of all, I helped him lose about 9kg (nearly 1 stone 6lbs) to take the pressure off his heart. He went from 56.4kg (about 8st 12lb) down to a stable 47.7kg (7st 7lb) over the course of a year. He still eats the same total amount of food—about 1.3kg of real food a day, including pasta, veg, and meat (or wet food)—but I've added courgettes and reduced the amount of pasta or rice.
Because his breathing became very raspy and laboured (it’s heartbreaking to listen to when you love your dog), the vet added Cardalis (once in the morning) and Libeo (a diuretic to prevent fluid on the lungs and help him breathe). We actually swapped the Libeo for Frusemide, which is a human diuretic that’s cheaper at the chemist. We started with one tablet twice a day, then 1.5, then 2 or 3 or 3.5, and at that point, we had to add a potassium supplement. I’d adjust the dose depending on how his breathing was.
Then, a MIRACLE happened. My homeopath suggested giving him 5 granules of Kalium Carbonicum 9CH (from the chemist) twice a day, away from food. My dog has NO BREATHING PROBLEMS ANYMORE. He might cough once a day or sound like he’s got a bit of a frog in his throat, but that’s it!
To recap: Vetmedin morning and night (I assume the dosage depends on the dog's size, so ask your vet); Cardalis in the morning (again, check the dosage with your vet); Frusemide (2 in the morning and 2 at 5pm—remember to let them out for a wee about an hour later!); and 5 granules of Kalium twice a day, at around 1–2pm and at bedtime (it's 5 granules regardless of the size of the dog or cat).
It won’t stop him from going one day, but it’ll make him more comfortable. The results are amazing and it’s been over two months now. Hang in there and give it a try, you'll see. Not all vets are experts in homeopathy, but mine took note because you can't argue with the results—he’s actually going to start prescribing it himself now.
Just for info, I also give him two organic Hawthorn capsules every day at lunchtime (you can get them at a health food shop like Holland & Barrett). Hawthorn supports the heart. My dad told me to start doing that over a year ago. My dog is nearly 14 now! He’s been on treatment for almost 5 years.
