My dog has heart failure and ascites. What to expect at end of life?

Question

My Shnoodle is 15.5 years and has been diagnosed with ascitis and heart failure. The vet was quite surprised at how fast his deterioration was - very skinny neck and haunches and distended abdomen. She has given us the option of putting him on heart meds and diuretics after blood tests,but cannot tell how or if he will respond to them. My question is - if we decided to make our home his 'hospice' and let him get to a point where we see he is in pain or too much discomfort, what can we expect. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 14 years and 4 months old | 21 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

These decisions are certainly not easy to make and I'm sorry that you and Pepper are going through this. While I can't examine Pepper to speak to his current state of respiratory distress or discomfort, anytime ascites and respiratory changes consistent with heart failure are present, the animal is generally uncomfortable. With heart failure, animals accumulate fluid in and around the lungs and do not appropriately perfuse oxygenated blood, causing a weakened state with difficulty breathing. In cases of heart failure, I would recommend either trying appropriate diuretics and other medications (possibly enalapril/benazapril and pimobendan, as indicated) or euthanizing. Without reducing the fluid in the chest and improving heart contractility to allow for better oxygenation, animals have a diminished quality of life. Closely monitor Pepper for more effort in his breathing, coughing, inappetance and lethargy. I'm sorry you're going through this and I hope this helps.

My dog has heart failure and ascites. What to expect at end of life?

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