Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Dear Dr. Tobin,

I just got Chloe's Echocardiogram results back. The comments say, "No masses, no effussions, heart definitely worsening. Left and right atria enlargement. Needs to stay on benazapril for life! Repeat echo in 4 months. Radiograph shows enlarged heart. No pulmonary fluid noted." I'm linking to her results as compared to her last 2 ultrasounds.

When you view the image, please note that Chloe has only been on a raw, holistic diet since April of 2006. She was on Lasix regularly, but never benazepril - only Ginkgo as you recommended. The vet scrapped the lasix recently.

Do you have a second opinion?

Are you still giving her the CoQ10 and the Jiao gu lan as we originally discussed? If so, some other things to consider are Hawthorn, feeding raw beef hearts, taurine and carnitine, cardiotrophin PMG, and homeopathic Arsenicum album. Let me know all that she has been taking.

Indeed I've been giving her the COQ10 and Jiaogulin as follows. I am not familiar with the other items you mentioned, but the carnitine and taurine come with the COQ10 supplement I give her. Here's her regime:

Jiaogulan, 205mg every other day (now every day)
Ginkgo Biloba (1:1), 10 drops 2x/day
Probiotics, 1/2 tsp 2x/day

Cardio-Strength, 1/2 capsule every other day (now every day)

Cardio-Strength contains the following:
L-Carnitine, 250mg
L-Taurine, 250mg
N,N-Dimethylglycine HCl, 50mg
Vitamin E, 30IU
EPA, 25mg
COQ10, 20mg
Gamma Linolenic Acid, 10mg
Folic Acid, 0.9mg
Magnesium, 0.5mg
Potassium, 0.1mg
Selenium, 0.007mg
vegetable stearate

Add at least another 30mg CoQ10 daily, and boosting the other supplements to daily administration should help.