pooch problems again

[88Nightmare]

Well my oldest pooch, 12 years old, is having breathing difficulty. He has always had a dry cough, like a hacking thing where it was like he was going to vomit, but never does. I guess a dry cough is the best way to describe it. We never worried about it but hes had it for about a year now. But now its really bad. I came home and he was hacking like crazy, almost as if he couldn't catch his breath. Right now he is ok though, he is eating and breathing fine now, but im worried. I made an apt for the vet tomorrow, but they advised me over the phone it could be a potential heart problem, which may = putting him down :crying I hope the visit tomorrow doesn't yield bad news.... :(

[fireguyrick]

Best of luck to you. Hopefully it is nothing huge. What type of dog is it?

Rick

[88Nightmare]

hes a mixed breed, bout 40lbs. Beagle/terrier and a few other things in em.

[Flight_740]

My choclate lab had the EXACT same thing. Ended up being an enlarged heart. They did give us medication to keep him around for another year though.

[88Nightmare]

enlarged heart? how bad was your dog? did the medication help at all?

[Flight_740]

He would cough and hack for a little bit (mainly when real active) then he would be fine.


The medication really helped a lot.

[Prince Valiant]

Sounds, as they suggest, like congestive heart failure...doesn't mean the absolute end though. With diuretics/other meds you can normally get 1, sometimes 2 more good years from the onset of the first symptoms.

[88Nightmare]

well he's had it for about a year. He doesn't cough when he's active, only while sleeping. I have never once heard him cough any other time other then sleep. That is why I am confused...

[whistlin six]

One of my dogs had the same thing and yes, it ended up being congestive heart failure. That means the heart isn't pumping blood as well as it should be, causing his lungs to fill up with fluid. That's what he was trying to hack up, the fluid in the lungs.
We put him on those diuretic pills and that helped quite a bit. Weeks later he stopped eating and drinking and became dehydrated from it, so we ended up putting him out of his misery. He was about 15 years old with no hope in sight anymore so it was the right thing to do.

Good luck with your dog, hopefully there is something the vet can do.

[fireguyrick]

Out of curiousity, does your dog have the Bordetella vaccination? If not, has he been around other dogs recently? Might be lucky and have it be kennel cough.

My 3 y/o Jack Russel has a sort of dry cough every now and again, had the vet check it out a few times (and I trust my vet 100%, more so then anyother vet I have dealt with in the past). Everytime it was nothing, dogs is as healthy as can be, and the vet thought it was just a simple cough.

Rick

[88Nightmare]

he's just around my other two dogs, and those two don't have this problem. I was looking at replies in this thread, and they said they had their dogs with this problem while they were active. My dog only has this problem while hes sleeping. He was just running around in the backyard no problem. He came back in, no problem. But as soon as he goes to sleep, within 20 minutes he'll start coughin again.

[fireguyrick]

he's just around my other two dogs, and those two don't have this problem. I was looking at replies in this thread, and they said they had their dogs with this problem while they were active. My dog only has this problem while hes sleeping. He was just running around in the backyard no problem. He came back in, no problem. But as soon as he goes to sleep, within 20 minutes he'll start coughin again.

You have PM.

Rick

[88Nightmare]

where do you guys go for vets? I go to the Chicago Rd. Vet Clinic in Oak Creek.

[fireguyrick]

I go to the Franklin Vet. Clinic off of Loomis and hwy 100.

Dr. Thebert previously was the head of the Milwaukee Veternarian Medical Society. He is a great Vet imho. Though, if you want the premium vet service, use the Animal Hospital on Silver Spring just west of Concours. They are more of an Emergency place, but they also see pets on a regular basis as primary care. I am considering using them to have my Great Dane's stomach tacked to help prevent bloat (though, that is only if we have him fixed).

Rick

[88Nightmare]

hmm. I haven't had a problem with the one I go to, plus its close. I went to the silver spring hospital once when my old timer ripped his dew claw.

[Korndogg]

the franklin vet is great! Told me exactly what was wrong with my cat when I had it when others couldnt find out what was up. I was going to the one on ryan road right by the OCPD but then I switched.