nathalie Posted May 31, 2002 Report Share Posted May 31, 2002 Hi everyone Can a athlete bc have and enlarge heart? After a few month of persisting coughing I took my young bc Zak to the vet we x-rayed him then the vet told me this was normal because he is a active dog and not to worry could just be allergies. Has anyone ever heard of that??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Posted June 1, 2002 Report Share Posted June 1, 2002 Nathalie, Don't have much time for an in depth repely. But will say in light of things at vets that have happened to me in the past and what Inci is going thru now..IF YOU have any doubts follow your gut feelings and go to another vet for a second oponion. Will write more later! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rylee Posted June 1, 2002 Report Share Posted June 1, 2002 Hi, Sorry i don't have any answers ,just more questions, If your vet feels the dogs heart is "normal" for an athletic dog,did they suggest anything for the "allergies" that have caused him to cough for a few months? I've heard of allergies in dogs causing skin problems ,but not sure about the cough. I assume they did bloodwork,ultrasound ,ruled out heartworm etc? Does the cough increase with exercise? does the dog fatigue easily? If everything checks out o.k. ,I'd still want to find out what the dog is allergic to ,remove exposure to the allergen if possible and treat accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted June 1, 2002 Report Share Posted June 1, 2002 In light of Inci's thread , I'm going to tell folks how I use my vets... I have a wonderful, close, rural vet who works closely with me with the sheep, the cattle, and the dogs...she listens, looks up studies with me, and we have long discussions about treatments, quarantines, bio-security, etc. She's the one I by all my Frontline, Interceptor, etc. from, and she does all the check-ups and minor stitches, etc. BUt if ANYTHING major seems wrong - I head to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Teaching Hospital. It is expensive, it is a long drive, and it takes a long time. But they have an ICU, all the medical equipment conceivable for testing, and Veterinarians who are, literally, some of the best and most expereinced in the world. My local vet is a wonder, and I don't know what I would do without her. But her practice doesn't support spending huge sums of money on diagnostic equipment, and she is, by nature, a generalist. There is a reason to go to specialists. ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Posted June 1, 2002 Report Share Posted June 1, 2002 Okay, I have more time now. While some human long distance runners will have enlarged hearts..don't know about dogs...I would be very concerned with the fact that he is coughing..that is a sigh of congestive heart problems.. At the very least you should have the xays looked at by a specialist. And see if they feel that the dog should be further evaluated. Along the same lines as Bill's post..Your "everyday" vet should be there to answer your questions completely and REALLY listen to your imput..You know your dog better then anyone else..Their job is to direct you to a specialist when needed. And work with that specialist on follow up care. When my puppy pulled a liagment, the first thing my vet said to me was..let's be safe and have the orth-vet check this out. Like I said before go with your gut feeling..better to have a good laugh on yourself because you over reacted then to be sorry you didn't act. Let us know what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathalie Posted June 2, 2002 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2002 Thanks everyone for there input and I will get a second opinion and ultrasound would make the best diagnostic. This is really spooky but I was at a agility trial all weekend and I meet a friend who lost his Dob to heart failure during the week, the only symtoms he had was a little coughing once in a while, he was only 4. So that made that scared me, I will get it check by a specialist. My boy is only 2 and I want to keep him for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.