Mitral valve insufficiency・・・・
It is a chain of unfamiliar words, but this is a disease often seen in small dogs.
With the present state of medicine, it is hard to cure completely, and once it is diagnosed, the dog has to rely on medications for the rest of its life.
"Mitral valve insufficiency in dogs (a heart valve disease)"
[Symptoms] The dog has a light, dry cough during the night and into the early morning. The intervals between coughing spells gradually become shorter, and as the disease progresses, it leads to trouble breathing; the dog becomes anemic and may even collapse.
[Cause] With age, the mitral valve ceases to close completely and the blood flows back, raising the pressure in the left ventricle and giving rise to symptoms. This puts stress on the lungs and results in pulmonary edema and trouble breathing.
[The most susceptible breeds] This is a disease often seen in small dogs such as Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, and Pomeranians.
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This is the message.
Are these the effects of Pinfenon, or another medicine being given with it?
I'm not sure, but...
●Message of July 25, 2006
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, female, 9 years old
[The problem]
When she was tested recently because she had a heart murmur, she was diagnosed with mitral valve insufficiency (and an enlarged heart as well).
She is scheduled to begin taking heart medicine this weekend.
I have heard that it is all right to give Pinfenon along with medicine, but is it all right in this case?
For your reference, she is about to start taking 5 mg of the prescription medicine Pharpril once a day.
I would also like to know the daily dosage of Pinfenon.
●Message of August 28
This is my second order.
I am at present giving it to a nine-year-old female Cavalier that is being treated for mitral valve insufficiency.
As she has just started on heart medicine prescribed by the hospital, it is hard to tell whether it is the medicine or Pinfenon that is working; but her condition seems to have improved, so I am going to keep doing what I have been doing and keep watching to see how she does.
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It is perfectly all right to give both Pinfenon and the medicine.
Pinfenon may actually increase the effectiveness of the medicine, and it protects the cells from being damaged (harming the liver function) by the toxicity of the medicine and other ill effects.