My 13 year old is having difficulty breathing...?

[Reaco76]

Hello everyone,

I had no idea that there were so many of us out there. I have a 13 year old male cocker spaniel. His name is Noel and about a year ago he was diagnosed with a heart murmur. We always knew that it would more than likely be a problem as he got older.
Shrotly after that Noel began having difficulty exhaling air. Sometimes, when he does exhale, it comes out in like a deep wheeze or cough. I know that there are certain things that I'm going to have to except due to Noel's age, but I was wondering if there was anything that anyone could recomend that might make him a little more comfortable. Especially at night, that's when he seems to have the most trouble.
We've been to several vet and most want to chalk it all up to his age which is fine, however as his owner I'm just looking to make him as comfortable as possible.
 
Thanks for your help,
RonReaco                    

[Jane S]

Hello Ron

Sorry to hear about Noel - it's such a worry when they get old isn't it? I think you should consult your vet again or perhaps ask for a referral to a specialist - there are drugs that can be given to assist poor breathing. It depends on why your dog is having trouble breathing but if it's fluid on the lungs (which often happens when a dog has a heart problem), there are drugs which can help drain the fluid away. We had an elderly Cocker girl a few years ago with heart failure and she was prescibed Frusemide to help with her breathing - this did make her more comfortable in the short-term.

Jane                    

[Reaco76]

Did your Cocker take Lasiks? Because Noel has been taking that for quite sometime now. It's good but I'd love to know if there is something else. I'm certainly going to talk to my vet about Frusemide.
Thanks again, and if you think of anything else feel free to e-mail me at
rrl800@sbcglobal.net.

Thanks,
RonReaco Lee                    

[Jane S]

Sorry Ron - I've not heard of Lasiks but drugs frequently have different names here in the UK so it could be the same as Frusemide. Our Jodie was on a number of different drugs for her heart - if one drug didn't help, then our vet would try another one. I can't remember all the names now but no doubt there are new ones available today.