She takes a drug call Vetmedin. I don't know if this would help Winston or not but she has been taking it for a year and a half now.









You think dogs will not be in Heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us.

Robert Louis Stevenson

CHF varies in severity. It is manageable with meds. You'll need some further work up to determine the best course of action.
The arthritis is another manageable chronic condition. Weight control, joint supplement, anti-inflammatories/pain management, physical therapy, etc are all options. My Kano has severe arthritis, and you would never know it.
Good thoughts for Winston.

Olivia/Kano/Q-Ball

your going through this, I guess one thought since he has been fine as he is 8 years old, will this affect him right away or later, is this what caused him to go to the vet? How much stress can winston deal with as far as or if there is some type of procedure to go through. I really dont know anything about it, these are questions I would ask myself if I had to deal with it. Hope he will be ok and you get some good answers.

lynn k may be able to help you. she has had dogs with chf. i hope you do ok bud, you sure are a handsome fella......



Mack 'n' TMaeMack

good thoughts and prayers heading your way. sorry i have no knowledge on this. hope he feels better soon. smooches sweet boy.....

Lots of prayers coming his way! If he is in fact in congestive heart failure a really good medicine is Pimobendan(also called Vetmedin), it is not cheap(can't remember exactly how much it cost, thinking $50 for 50 and she took sometimes 2 and sometimes 4 a day according to how she was acting and doing) but it works really good. My Calli was on it and she had pulmonic stenosis and was in right sided congestive heart failure, she was only 3 when she died but she lived a lot longer then what the cardiologist expected.The Pimobendan gave her more energy. Again I am so sorry to hear about Winston but hopefully he can get on some meds soon and feel much better.

Wait and speak to your vet. Those emergency hospital vets are not always right and they tend to make quick diagnosis with very few facts. A regular xray would not necessarily show any blockage. He would need a barium xray.

Could he have aspirated some of his food? Did the vet put him on an antibiotic?

Most bulldogs have a little arthritis when they get older. He may just need some supplements for that. Your vet will do a more thorough check-up and have better answers for you.








I don't rescue animals because I want to feel better about myself, or morally superior to anyone. The best part of my life with animals is the humility they teach and the humanity the foster.
Jon Katz "Soul of a Dog"

My Mother's poodle lived with CHF for several years. She was on lasix and enalapril for several years and then on Vetmedin for the last several months of her life. She passed last year at age 16. Depending on the severity of the CHF, the meds can help them live quite comfortably.

For the arthritis, I suggest Adequan.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

I hope he gets some great meds that work miracles for him. Good luck.





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I don't know about CHF, but my girl had heart disease with an enlarged heart. She was on medication for years and lived to be over 12 years old

Of course every dog is different. We are thinking of you and sending our best thoughts your way

Sherryl, Onslow and Buttercup

But I will be praying for Winston. I hope you are doing better..I think of you often and wonder how things are going.

Best wishes to you all.

Amy and Sophia