Rosie (grade 4 heart murmur progressed since grade 2 in feb) has been on her new tablets for nearly a week now and there doesnt seem to have been any improvement in her quality of life at all.  Shes hardly awake.  Ive just sat by the side of her and could feel her heart beat.  It was 120 beats per minute.  Just how fast is this, bearing in mind that she hasnt actually moved at all for about the last three hours and has been asleep?
Thanks

According to this, a dog's pulse can be anything from 70 to 180 beats a minute, with large breeds having a slower pulse than a small breed.

This site says that the normal pulse for a small dog is between 140 and 160 beats per minute, so 120 would appear to be within the normal range for a sleeping dog. If you're worried, of course you must contact your vet.

Less than a week is nothing -it can at times take many weeks to get the right combination of medications, the right dose etc. I was lucky with my Cavalier that he started to feel better after a couple or weeks or so on one type of tablet, but with a Golden years ago it took months before the vet had found what suited him best. Give it a bit longer, and if there is no improvement then see the vet again as they may well want to change meds or adjust the dosage.

Don't panic sleep is the natural way for the body to rest & Kaycee was sleeping much more than he does now before he went on to his current medication

How many Frusamide has your vet prescribed ? John(Kaycee's vet) has prescribed one/two per day with the normal being one, if he gets uncomfortable(especially if it is very hot)I give him the extra one with his evening Vetmedin & this works well for him

His Vetmedin(1.25 mg) is two per day twelve hours apart before food & he gets a Fortekor in the morning

Sorry I know Im probably panicking - Ive got a lot of stress in my life at the moment - and as we are together 24/7 I notice everything and every change in her, she just seemed to be in a bit of trouble last night.  She spent most of the night breathing really irregularly so Im going to ring the vet in a min just to check.  Her dosage of frusemide is one 40mg tablet divided into two (one at breakfast and one at teatime) and her vetmedin is 2.5mg and she takes one of those at breakfast and one at teatime too.  Shes lost her appetite too - rather than having two small meals a day (chappie, dry version) - she doesnt want her tea.  Im having her clipped on Thursday, shes not very long haired at all but I thought that in this warm weather it might make her a bit more comfortable.

Shes currently asleep with her head on my trainers in the hall, thats enough to make any dog pass out!

Im having her clipped on Thursday, shes not very long haired at all but I thought that in this warm weather it might make her a bit more comfortable.

Please dont think that clipping a Cavalier will make her any more comfortable.  A well groomed coat will insulate her from the heat in exactly the same way that it insulates her from ther cold.  Just comb out any loose undercoat. :)

The best way that you can help her heart is to make sure that she's not overweight.  In my experience, that is the greatest aggravation to Cavaliers' heart problems. ;)

Im having her clipped on Thursday, shes not very long haired at all but I thought that in this warm weather it might make her a bit more comfortable.

Like Val says this won't help and a Cavalier should never be clipped, and it will also more than likely make the coat harder to manage one it grows out.(Vicious circle, the more you clip, the more it has to be groomed and clipped as the coat changes in quality. I went through this with my MIL's Cavalier as she was physically unable to groom him due to her disabilities so had him clipped)  but you will also cause her an extra amount of stress which right now is the last thing she needs. If you absolutely want to do it, do it when she has settled down more on the medication and is feeling better. With my Rufus I never even trim claws and bath him on the same day as he cannot cope with both together, it is too much for his heart. I'd cancel the appointment if I was you.

I have to agree with the not clipping as it can & often does damage the coat & makes it grow back fluffy, as well as possibly be distressing to her at this time

You might need to up the Frusamide until her heart can cope, it will help her if she can lay somewhere cool if she wants. Kaycee will take himself off into the hallway & lay on the cool floor for a while before he toddles back into the lounge to recline on his pile of cushions(not that he is spoilt of course !)

Do not increase the diuretic without discussing it with the vet.  My dog, rather larger, is on the same dose, 20mgs BD, and although we sometimes, under vet supervision, have to double it for 3 days to clear ascites gathering in her abdomen because her heart is not strong enough we cannot stay on that dose permanently as her kidneys are already showing the stress of regular diuretics as it is with her urine concentration being in the upper limits.  All dogs should have their dosage titrated individually by their vets and you should never take someone elses prescription.