I
am looking for help in getting the word out to vets and pet owners
about a recent experience we had with our Boston Terrier (Bodhi).
Bodhi is 12 years old and about two months ago he had cataract removal
surgery on both eves. The eye surgery went well however, two days
later we noticed his stomach looked larger (distended) so we took
him to our local vet. A paracentesis was performed and fluid was pulled
out of the abdomen. The vet then took chest x-rays that revealed an
enlarged cardiac silhouette and a following cardiac ultrasound revealed
a heart-based tumor. According to the cardiologist, and several other
local vets that were consulted, it was agreed that the tumor was pressing
on the main arteries and veins leading into and out of the heart as
well as pressing on the right atria, and causing a build up of fluid
between the heart and the pericardial sac surrounding the heart. This
interference with the flow of blood into and out of the heart has
caused right-sided heart failure, hence the fluid on the abdomen.
The
veterinarians agreed the tumor was not operable and disturbing the
tumor could potentially quickens its' growth and facilitate its' spread
through out the body. The only recommendation was to do surgery to
remove the pericardial sac. This would possibly reduce some of the
pressure on the heart and possibly decrease the fluid build up on
the abdomen. The surgery is obviously very invasive and requires at
least a week in the emergency clinic ICU as well as chest tubes etc.
We chose not to put Bodhi through this surgery, we felt he could not
tolerate the stress, and we did not want his last days to be filled
with hospitals, strangers, and pain.
We decided
to take him in for draining of the abdominal fluid (paracentesis)
as needed (usually every four days, when it started interfering with
his breathing because of the pressure on his diaphragm) and to keep
him comfortable at home. We also increased his protein intake by only
feeding him chicken and beef (he loses a lot of protein in the draining
process). We had followed this plan for aprox. two months when he
developed a tooth abscess. We did not want to put him under anesthesia
to have the tooth pulled, so we chose to give him antibiotics. Our
vet prescribed clindamycin twice a day along with his regular lasix
dose. Since starting the clindamycin we have not had to drain him,
his energy level has increased, he is eating better and seems to feel
better. We spoke to our vet about the improvement and she agreed it
could be related to the clindamycin and that other tumor such as bladder
tumors have been proven to respond some to antibiotics. We will continue
the antibiotic for an additional 2-3 weeks and repeat the ultrasound.
We think
this information is important and requires further study. We also
understand that the antibiotic (clindamycin) is definitely not a cure
but if it can possibly extend a pets life while making them more comfortable,
it is worth trying.
If you
have comments or questions regarding this post, please email us at:
lallen32@lycos.com.
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