Katherine
Forums Enthusiast
Thinking about you and Rasha, too. We've missed you on the forum.
Fluid in the Chest
- Thread starter mcguiregirl2248
- Start date
Justicemom
Forums Celebrity
I'm sorry to hear about Rasha. It is really hard to know what is going out without the U/S. I have seen dogs with very bad heart disease without signs other than coughing.
I'm sending good thoghts and prayers that whatever is going on with her is manageable. Thinking of you.
I'm sending good thoghts and prayers that whatever is going on with her is manageable. Thinking of you.
I'm very sorry to hear about Rasha. When my boy Yogi was having unexplained issues at the end of last/beginning of this year, he had to have an abdominal ultrasound at a specialist veterinary practice, which including the consultation fees cost over £800. 
The ultrasound didn't show what was causing the problem but it did more or less eliminate a number of possibilities. He also had extensive shaving right accross his abdomen from the bottom of the ribcage to his hind legs. My other boy Revel has also had an ultrasound to investigate prostate issues, but it was done by a much cheaper vet and (at my request) they didn't shave him.
In both cases, the ultrasound didn't give concrete answers as to what was causing the problem but it did rule some things out, otherwise only possible with invasive surgery. It is costly but a very useful diagnostic tool. I think they get a much clearer picture if the hair is shaved, but it might be worth discussing how much shaving is necessary as sometimes they can go a bit shaver happy.
I sincerely hope things work out for you and Rasha, you will both be in my thoughts and prayers.
The ultrasound didn't show what was causing the problem but it did more or less eliminate a number of possibilities. He also had extensive shaving right accross his abdomen from the bottom of the ribcage to his hind legs. My other boy Revel has also had an ultrasound to investigate prostate issues, but it was done by a much cheaper vet and (at my request) they didn't shave him. In both cases, the ultrasound didn't give concrete answers as to what was causing the problem but it did rule some things out, otherwise only possible with invasive surgery. It is costly but a very useful diagnostic tool. I think they get a much clearer picture if the hair is shaved, but it might be worth discussing how much shaving is necessary as sometimes they can go a bit shaver happy.
I sincerely hope things work out for you and Rasha, you will both be in my thoughts and prayers.
Calliesmom
Moderator
Shaun,
glad to see you back here- so very sorry to hear about Rasha.
I did have a similar experience with my first dog (cocker/basset mix). It wasn't even that he was coughing- his bark was funny. so took him to the vet- he diagnosed fluid/CHF. He said that Danny would need to be on heart meds for the rest of his life- I said that's no problem. this was late December. I had classes in another state so we went to our rented place in Jan and started school. things seemed fine until he didn't eat his morning biscuit when I left for school- big food hound so not eating was a real issue. so I took him to a vet in that area. she called me to say that there was so much fluid that they couldn't get a good xray. so they put him on something to reduce the fluid (in an IV)- he pretty much was there all day. so she was suggesting taking him to this heart specialist vet. then when I went to pick him up, she said the fluid had cleared some and part of the reason why they couldn't see his heart was that it wasn't in the right place- there was so much cancer in his chest that it had pushed his heart out of place and was ultimately the cause of the heart issues. anyway, the vet said no point in going to the heart specialist. if he had still been eating, I would have taken him home but as it was, I had to have him put to sleep about a month after finding out there was a problem. I know that is definitely not what you want to hear but it sounds to me like Rasha's issue is different. I certainly hope so and if the xrays didn't show any abnormalities other than the fluid, then things could be fine.
Granite's Indy hung on for a long time with meds after his diagnosis with CHF.
so I'm not sure if the ultrasound will help you or not. You should ask the vet about meds to reduce the fluid. I know that Danny got some but I don't remember what they were but they weren't terribly expensive - but this was in 2004.
anyway, sorry that the lab tests were inconclusive. I know that they can be.
glad to see you back here- so very sorry to hear about Rasha.
I did have a similar experience with my first dog (cocker/basset mix). It wasn't even that he was coughing- his bark was funny. so took him to the vet- he diagnosed fluid/CHF. He said that Danny would need to be on heart meds for the rest of his life- I said that's no problem. this was late December. I had classes in another state so we went to our rented place in Jan and started school. things seemed fine until he didn't eat his morning biscuit when I left for school- big food hound so not eating was a real issue. so I took him to a vet in that area. she called me to say that there was so much fluid that they couldn't get a good xray. so they put him on something to reduce the fluid (in an IV)- he pretty much was there all day. so she was suggesting taking him to this heart specialist vet. then when I went to pick him up, she said the fluid had cleared some and part of the reason why they couldn't see his heart was that it wasn't in the right place- there was so much cancer in his chest that it had pushed his heart out of place and was ultimately the cause of the heart issues. anyway, the vet said no point in going to the heart specialist. if he had still been eating, I would have taken him home but as it was, I had to have him put to sleep about a month after finding out there was a problem. I know that is definitely not what you want to hear but it sounds to me like Rasha's issue is different. I certainly hope so and if the xrays didn't show any abnormalities other than the fluid, then things could be fine.
Granite's Indy hung on for a long time with meds after his diagnosis with CHF.
so I'm not sure if the ultrasound will help you or not. You should ask the vet about meds to reduce the fluid. I know that Danny got some but I don't remember what they were but they weren't terribly expensive - but this was in 2004.
anyway, sorry that the lab tests were inconclusive. I know that they can be.
mcguiregirl2248
Forums Enthusiast
Well after 3 hours at the vets today the ultrasound didn't find any masses in her chest or anywhere else and her heart had no abnormalities and is beating like a champ. So again, I ask where is this fluid coming from? No real answer. The vet said that he has seen this happen to other shelties in the past. The only thing they found then was that it was from this thing that kind of acts like a distribution tube and when the body is processing the food all of the fats go to this thing and it is taken to areas of the body that need the fat cells. He said that it can develop a leak and deposit all of the fluids in the chest. So with that in mind, they drained the remaining amount of fluid from her chest. There was about 3 ounces which he said wasn't much, he has seen far worse. They are going to test it to see if it has the fat cells in it. If it does, then we can start her on a medicine that will reduce the amount that it leaks. If that doesn't work overtime, she will need surgery to tie off this tube. I wish I had better language for it but that's exactly how it was described to me. So we are not out of the woods but the sun is shinning a little brighter and both her and I are breathing easier tonight. Thank you all for the kind words and thoughts!
Ann
Moderator
That is good news Shaun, thanks for letting us know! I hope she's better on the meds. And your new girl is beautiful! Congratulations!
Justicemom
Forums Celebrity
Glad to hear they didn't find any mass and that her heart was fine.
Sounds like they are suspecting Chylothorax. I had a cat patient with it many years ago during my first year of practice. Never found a cause for it, it just happened. I did treat him with meds and a low fat diet for a time but they finally ended up taking him to CSU vet school and he had surgery to tie off the duct and remove a lung lobe that had been scarred down and causing issues and that cured him. It was a long road, we almost lost him a couple times, but at the end he did great. They moved to Az a year later and sent a christmas card and cookies back every year(I keep in touch with the clinic I worked for). He passed 11yrs later at 16yrs old. It was my one and only case I've seen.
Keeping you in my prayers
Sounds like they are suspecting Chylothorax. I had a cat patient with it many years ago during my first year of practice. Never found a cause for it, it just happened. I did treat him with meds and a low fat diet for a time but they finally ended up taking him to CSU vet school and he had surgery to tie off the duct and remove a lung lobe that had been scarred down and causing issues and that cured him. It was a long road, we almost lost him a couple times, but at the end he did great. They moved to Az a year later and sent a christmas card and cookies back every year(I keep in touch with the clinic I worked for). He passed 11yrs later at 16yrs old. It was my one and only case I've seen.
Keeping you in my prayers
Last edited: