2339. An owner's intuition that her dog's anorexia is not due to heart disease

Drinks a lot. Not eating for 4 days.  14-year-old male Cavalier King Charles.

"I don't think that the cause of my dog not eating for the past 4 days is due to his heart disease," the working lady had been giving her 14-year-old Cavalier King Charles Vetmedin and furosemide for the past 10 months.   "My dog's breathing rate is normal."

This dog had an unusually gigantic submandibular lymph nodes of around 5 cm across. Normal ones are not palpable. So, was there some bacterial infection of the mouth?

BLOOD TEST

Urea 68.2  (4.2-6.3)
Creatinine 511 (89-177)
suggestive of kidney failure

Haemoglobin 9.2  (12-18)
Red cell count  3.9  (5.5 - 8.5)
suggestive of anaemia


Total white cell count 35.5  (6. - 17)  leucocytosis.
N 43.7%  (60-70). Unusually low. Abs 15.5 (3-11.5)  
L 49.6%                                          Abs 17.6
PCV 0.26 (0.37-0.55)

X rays showed enlarged left heart.

So, the owner's intuition is correct. The dog has kidney failure, accounting for thirst and anaemia.

For the past months, no blood tests were done as the owner came for repeat heart disease medication and wants least medical costs.



Oct 23, 2015

The dog had vomited and had diarrhea yesterday. He was very weak and was unable to stand up.
At 9 am, the owner came as a housecall would not be of any help to the dog as he needed an IV drip. He was not able to stand up. "Your dog is very old at 14 years of age. He has heart and kidney disease and septicaemia. Hence there was vomiting and diarrhea. The chances of survival are very slim."

The owner decided to take the dog home after the IV drip. The dog was not able to stand. As she held the dog home in her arms to cross over the overhead bridge to Potong Pasir, the dog had a heart attack and passed away in her arms literally.

She thanked me and Dr Daniel for the efforts in saving her dog.