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My boys were brothers. Genetic predisposition is possible. But there are details of nutritionally linked DCM cases in sibling dogs in the FDA report. There could be some sort of interaction between genetics and food. I learned a lot about the pet food industry and how poorly regulated it is...

Sorry for your loss. I lost my two boys to dilated cardiomyopathy over the winter. We have some similarities. I wish I had done a taurine test (I asked for one but the vets talked me out of it, because my cats weren't on a homemade or vegetarian diet). My boys were also fed Wellness Core in...

I ordered mine from Amazon, since human vitamins can have additives. PetAg Taurine Tablets for cats. I crushed them and added them to food (my cats wouldn't eaten them as is, unlike some of the reviews suggested). My vet wasn't helpful in telling me what brand to get or how much to give. Here...

I don’t think the small amount of butter would be of concern. I sometimes used fish oil on the gel caps for the same reason, then chased with some water. I’ll bet the cardiologist will know more about the specifics of vetmedin. I think getting it down period is more important than giving it...

Generally a furosemide shot would have a short-term effect, similar to the pill, but with a quicker & higher peak effect. It's given for quick relief of fluid, whereas the pill can take about two hours to take effect. If you're comfortable giving SQ shots and after you've learned what normal...

My cats died from DCM and contributed to the FDA report. You're better safe than sorry, until more is known. I suspect there is a reporting bias that is limiting for cats, since people are passing this off as a dog thing, cats hide their symptoms and are more likely to die before diagnosis of a...

I lost my two cats to dilated cardiomyopathy last winter. I'm sorry Spike has been diagnosed with this. One of my boys lost his appetite whenever there was fluid build up in his chest--monitor her respiratory rate when sleeping--it should be around or below 30 breaths/min. Anything higher may...

Several of you mention adding toppers to commercial kibble. My first thought would be that, if pulses/potatoes do make taurine less biologically available, they would still do so for the toppers when it is fed at the same time as the kibble. But perhaps (at some unknown threshold) the...

Some of you may know that the FDA is investigating links between boutique, exotic, and grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy, particularly in dogs. It's not so much the fact that the diets contain exotic proteins or that they have no grains... it's more about the fact that many of these...

I'm so sorry you're going through such a tough time. Making that decision is not at all easy; I just went through it a few days ago with my heart kitty. @mrsgreenjeens posted a link above to Tanya's CKD guide. I know that website has great food nutritional information. You can copy and paste...

Sorry, I stopped writing in the middle of the update and somehow accidentally posted. Even though his lungs were improving, he threw a clot later that night and the vet came back and we let him go. She thought his heart was on the verge of giving out too. I'm so heartbroken. The house is so...

Put my sweet boy to sleep a short while ago. His lungs had filled with fluid again. The vet came over yesterday afternoon and we switched to a different diuretic. His lungs started to clear but he went downhill fast

Sorry for your loss. I'm sure it was not an easy decision to make, but it's the last act of kindness you could offer Winston. :hearthrob:

There are always ups and downs, but you have to keep in mind that there is no avoiding the downward trend with heart failure; you just have to weigh the bad days against the good when you make the decision. Enjoy the good day with her and remember that you're saving her from any more bad days...

Sending much love. I’m going through this with my boy Milo right now, just a few months after putting his brother down for the same. It’s not easy. Just keep watching Winston for behavioral cues; note when he stops eating, stops seeking your attention, etc. Medications can be adjusted to...

Can you find a vet in your area that does house calls? It might cost a bit more, but saving the cat and you some stress is worth the extra expense.

So sorry that you and your kitty are going through this. I’m not a veterinarian, but I’m not sure of any reason why lung xrays would be white other than fluid build up in or around the lungs; I don’t think that changes with age. Especially when combined with the evidence that lasix appeared to...

@FeebysOwner, yes, it's called cardiac cachexia. In humans it may be linked to hormone and immune imbalances that result from heart failure. Part of the muscle loss was due to decreased appetite when he was on the clavamox. He's eating more now, but I don't think he'll regain the muscle. His...

Just thought I would drop in with an update... Milo has been breathing comfortably again since Sunday. He is, however, losing more muscle mass (mainly in his back legs and is often shaky when standing) and sleeps a lot. I still think we're getting close to the end, but we're not there yet and...

@Jem, unfortunately the fluid cannot be drained because it's from pulmonary edema, fluid inside of the lungs, rather than pleural effusion, fluid outside of the lungs.