Bertie is my 7 year old Border Collie x ? He is not well. His symptoms are quite strange, limping and pain in his front legs, difficulty co-ordinating his back legs, lethargy, bladder swelling, breathing difficulties - severve panting and very depressed looking. These syptoms came on very quickly, within 2 days an active dog became old and unwell. A visit to our vet, lots of xrays and a huge bill!, a diagnosis of right-sided heart failure was announced. Bertie is slightly over weight so is now on a dried weight loss diet (not impressed!), and "Vivitonin 100" tablets. He had perked up and life looked as if it was going back to normal, but just over a week after his initial visit to the vets all the symptoms returned last night. He cried. This morning having survived the night, morning wee, drunk and slept he seems alot brighter and in no pain. Still slightly lethargic, can anyone help? Is this really heart failure? Should he get a diuretic?, the vet says no??
Why do his legs hurt so much when he gets ill? Test showed all liver and kidney functions to be fine and he has no infections anywhere.

Know you can't today, but think you should ask your vet to explain you poor boys symptoms. I can only guess that it may be that if the heart is not working as it should the waste products are not being removed from the muscle causing pain, but it is only a guess and unless there is a vet or doctor who can answer think you may need to phone your vet tommorow. Very sorry to hear about your poor lad it is very distressing to see a dog that was fit a week ago going down hill. Hope your vet is able to stop and even turn the condition around. All the best to you and Bertie. Jackie

Hi Mufty, sorry Bertie is ill. Right sided heart failure has many causes and is a bit less common than left sided. Ascites (fluid retention in the abdomen) is common in people, and they often get swollen legs. Again in people, diuretics would usually be prescribed. I'm not a vet, and in any case diagnosis/treatment over the 'net isn't a good idea, but I would ask your vet why he says Bertie doesn't need a diuretic. Digoxin is also often prescribed to people, and its another thing you might ask about.

Does Bertie have an arrythmia (an irregular heart beat)? My experience with heart problems in dogs has been with left sided congestive failure due to cardiomyopathy, but when the heart failure comes on quickly in those dogs, it is very often due to a sudden arrythmia, and treating the arrythmia often leads to improvement. You say Bertie had lots of X-rays, but did he have an echocardiogram and ECG? A chest X-ray will show up enlargement of the heart, but echocardiograms and an ECG are helpful in working out what is going on and how best to treat it. Did the vet say if the problem was ventricular, atrial or both? Did he mention valve disease? Or cor pulmonale or see any problem with Bertie's lungs? Did your vet check for lungworm and heartworm? Neither are common in the UK, but they are seen in a few areas, and can cause right-sided heart failure.

If Bertie has any form of heart failure, getting rid of the extra weight is essential, but I'm puzzled by the vivitonin. It isn't a cheap drug, and as far as I know it is only marketed for use in senile dogs. If Bertie was mine, I think I'd want a referral to the nearest vet school/veterinary cardiologist asap, but failing that I'd ask the vet to give me all the information he has, including the investigations, the results and the medical terminology (ask him to write it down if necessary). If you don't know what it all means, post it here and between us we should be able to work it out :-). Best of luck.

My neighbours 18 month old St Bernard has just been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. He has stopped eating. The heart is so enlarged that it is pressing on the spine? Is there any hope or treatment or should he be put to sleep. Im afraid the vets they use I wouldnt take a dead rabbit to so dont have a lot of faith in them. This dog is their life and they are devastated.They have been given tablets to give him but as he is not eating they cant get them down him. As he is not supposed to have any stress they are afraid that if they try to force tablets down him he will become stressed out.Any suggestions.

Hi Jan,
I'm sorry to hear about your neighbors' 18 month old St. Bernard.... The best suggestion I have is for either you or them to telephone around to find out a vet specializing in cardio to get a second/third opinion.

It might also be a good idea to contact the breeder of the dog to let him/her know about the serious health status of one of their 'offspring'.
All my hopes and wishes for the 'pup',
toodles

The breeder has been notified but unfortunately the dogs mother is in whelp again!!. The dog has now gone back to the vet as he is so dehydrayted. He is being put on a drip for 24hrs. He had a sedative earlier when they did the tests but he is not coming out of it. I have watched this dog age over the past few days it is really sad.