Hi. All the complaints you mentioned seem to be due to heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy. As the heart is not pumping properly, excess fluid gets accumulated at multiple sites in the body. So there will be ankle swelling, difficult breathing (fluid accumulated in lungs), loss of appetite (fluid accumulated in liver). Please show him to a cardiologist as early as possible to prevent further deterioration in his health. Hope this helps. Dr Chandrashekhar Munjewar, Mumbai www.thefitheart.in