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My 19 month old dog has been told she has an enlarged heart which was picked up following an xray. She was taken to the vets because she had no energy (very unusual) and off food, vet said she had a very high temperature and was given antibiotics which seemed to work and she was fine. As soon as she came off the antibiotics she went down hill again, vet did an xray and saw that her heart was enlarged. Blood has been taken for analysis but again she's been given some other antibiotics and is absolutely fine again? Her appetite is fine and she seems in perfect health, any advice would be appreciated?

Submitted: 31 days and 14 hours ago.

Category: Dog

Value: $17

Status: CLOSED

Pet's Sex: Female
Pet's Age: 2

Already Tried:
Visited the vet and she has been given antibiotics.

Posted by Drew 31 days and 14 hours ago.

Info Request

Hi, thanks for your question. What breed of dog is she? Has she been vomiting, or having diarrhea? Any coughing?

31 days and 14 hours ago.

Reply

No she's had no vomiting, diarrhea or coughing, some blood tests were carried out which confirmed she was fighting an infection but the vet is unsure as to where the infection is.

Posted by Drew 31 days and 14 hours ago.

Info Request

OK, thank you for the reply. What breed of dog is she, please?

31 days and 14 hours ago.

Reply

Sorry, her mum is a Springer Spaniel and her dad a Labrador.

Posted by Drew 31 days and 14 hours ago.

Info Request

Thank you for the reply. Do you know how high her fever was? Does she ever get bitten by ticks?

31 days and 14 hours ago.

Reply

Her temperature was ranging from 103 to 106 at one point I believe but has come down dramatically. I'm not aware of her being bitten by anything. Her heart was compared to a Golden Retriever and is approximately 50% larger, if this helps.

Accepted Answer

OK, thank you for the additional information! It is possible, that she could have a case of bacterial endocarditis, which is an infection of the lining of the heart, often caused by bacteria. We usually recommend a Blood Culture, which will allow for the determination of what type of bacteria are causing the problem, along with a guideline for what antibiotic can be used for treatment. If antibiotics have already been started, it may make the Blood Culture appear falsely negative, but it's worth trying nonetheless.

I would recommend an echocardiogram - this is a sonogram of the heart, which will allow for the determination of why the heart may be enlarged, and if it's related to the fever and lethargy, or if it's a completely different problem.

Also, if she is not yet spayed, she needs to be checked for Pyometra, which is a serious, life threatening, infection of the uterus, and requires emergency surgery to prevent serious complications.

Accepts:
Expert:	Drew
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Answered:	10/22/2009

Veterinarian

Canine Medicine and Surgery

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Optional Information

Pet's Sex: Female
Pet's Age: 2

Already Tried:
Visited the vet and she has been given antibiotics.

Info Request

Hi, thanks for your question. What breed of dog is she? Has she been vomiting, or having diarrhea? Any coughing?

Reply

No she's had no vomiting, diarrhea or coughing, some blood tests were carried out which confirmed she was fighting an infection but the vet is unsure as to where the infection is.

Info Request

OK, thank you for the reply. What breed of dog is she, please?

Reply

Sorry, her mum is a Springer Spaniel and her dad a Labrador.

Info Request

Thank you for the reply. Do you know how high her fever was? Does she ever get bitten by ticks?

Reply

Her temperature was ranging from 103 to 106 at one point I believe but has come down dramatically. I'm not aware of her being bitten by anything. Her heart was compared to a Golden Retriever and is approximately 50% larger, if this helps.

Accepted Answer

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Optional Information

Pet's Sex: FemalePet's Age: 2 Already Tried: Visited the vet and she has been given antibiotics.

Info Request

Hi, thanks for your question. What breed of dog is she? Has she been vomiting, or having diarrhea? Any coughing?

Reply

No she's had no vomiting, diarrhea or coughing, some blood tests were carried out which confirmed she was fighting an infection but the vet is unsure as to where the infection is.

Info Request

OK, thank you for the reply. What breed of dog is she, please?

Reply

Sorry, her mum is a Springer Spaniel and her dad a Labrador.

Info Request

Thank you for the reply. Do you know how high her fever was? Does she ever get bitten by ticks?

Reply

Her temperature was ranging from 103 to 106 at one point I believe but has come down dramatically. I'm not aware of her being bitten by anything. Her heart was compared to a Golden Retriever and is approximately 50% larger, if this helps.

Accepted Answer

Related Dog Questions

Pet's Sex: Female
Pet's Age: 2

Already Tried:
Visited the vet and she has been given antibiotics.