I did everything I could to help her, but her quality of life seemed to be going. She had went to ER bc she passed out etc and that's how I found out about her fluid around her heart. I didn't have the money to get the fluid drained more than a couple times. She was on these pills for about 10 months and was getting worse. One started with a V and came in an orange box. She was on 3 diff pills and one was lasix and forgot the other two names. My dog was 16, almost 17 when I had her put down due to fluid build up. Of course, as with any procedure involving the heart especially, there are risks and the possibility of failure. In the instance of an infection, parasitic invasion, or underlying disease process, the appropriate measures in the form of antibiotics or medication will be addressed. It should be noted that both of these procedures can have a good to poor prognosis, depending on the body’s response to the treatment. A pericardiectomy involves making a window in the sac which allows the continuous flow of liquid to move into the chest cavity. Some canines will need surgery if the effusion returns. In cases where there is fluid in the abdomen as well, this will be taken out in addition. A needle or catheter is inserted into the sac around the heart, aspirating the liquid. Right side heart failure can occur, which promotes the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. The removal of fluid is done by a procedure called a pericardiocentesis. Cardiac tamponade for example, is when the fluid causes compression to the heart, a very severe situation resulting from the fluid buildup. However, as simple as it sounds, it can be complicated if the amount of fluid has caused further developments and damage to the body of your dog. The treatment for pericardial effusion is pretty straightforward in that the essential need is to remove the excess fluid from the sac surrounding the heart. An electrocardiograph will tell the veterinarian the state of electrical activity in your pet’s heart. An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound that can clearly identify fluid buildup and determine present functioning state of the heart, and can show other problems such as a hernia.

Abdominal x-rays could show fluid in the abdomen as well, and thoracic x-rays can show the heart size and signs of metastatic disease if this is the case. Tests that will give further diagnostic leads are radiographs. Standard tests that will be ordered are the blood chemical profile, complete blood count, and urinalysis.

If there is right side heart failure, there may be jugular vein distortion apparent during the exam. The heart sounds that the veterinarian is trying to distinguish will most likely be of a muffled nature because of the volume of fluid buildup. The pulse of your dog will most likely be poor or low if he is in a state of advanced pericardial effusion. The physical examination performed by the veterinarian will include listening to the heart and taking the pulse, two indicators of the heart’s performance.

Fluid around heart