Heart issues

I haven't been on forever it seems but I have a question I'm hoping to get advice on. Sophie is 10 1/2 and she has developed a heart condition. X-rays show that her heart is slightly enlarged and after a test for her heart rythms, it seems she has a bit of an 'electric glitch' between chambers-basically, when one valve opens it signals the other to open next and so on. It causes a heart skip once in a while. So, this has caused a cough. It started out dry but it's now a flemmy sounding cough that caused her to gag. The vet has put her on a breathing medicine-theopylline-which helps her breathe better, thus cough less, and should make her heart beat better. The medicine does pretty good. I'll be taking her back to the vet next week for a check-up.
I just want to hear from others whos pugs have the same condition and what they did for them. I know it's not a question of cure. My vet is knowlegable but pretty by the book too. I'm thinking we don't need more tests. We know what the problem is. I've been looking into homeopathic things-native pet has a good heart one and allover one.
I'm searching for advice please. Any ideas about what you have done and what helps?
Love to all pugs and their families Sadie

I don't have any experience with this or advice, but I wanted to tell you I'll be sending lots of good thoughts and prayers Sophie's way.

Amber wrote:I don't have any experience with this or advice, but I wanted to tell you I'll be sending lots of good thoughts and prayers Sophie's way.

Likewise from here. Please give her a gentle hug from me.

Did the cough just develop? Or has it been coming on for awhile? Does it seem better or worse at times? What kind of test did they do for her heart? I don't have any answers, but I am interested to find out as much as possible.

Again no advice, just good positve energy sent your way.

Though my Hubby has had congestive heart failure for almost 8 years but has steadily been getting better each year.

Lulu developed an enlarged heart and congestive heart failure when she was 13. With good vet care (& my love), she lived to be over 17. I can't remember the names of the two medicines she took. Buffy is about that age now (a rescue) and she also has the same problem and has had for about 4 years, doing fine on the same two medicines. I think they are Furosamide and Lanapril altho I am spelling them wrong. Good luck!!!

Pugsy developed an enlarged heart in her later years, too. I switched her to Nature's Variety raw & supplemented with Coenzyme Q10, fish oil (1000 mg. daily), and an immune booster/vitamin blend. There's some really good info. and links on heart conditions here: http://www.dogaware.com/health/heart.html . We'll be sending good thoughts for Sophie.

That's a great link, Brenda.

Healing vibes en route for Sophie for best possible outcome.