Social

YouthWorker

My dog has a cough

Posted on: 05/14/2010 09:52

Wasn't sure where to post this as there is no animal section of WonderCafe.

I know there's a lot of dog people out here -- lemme explain what's going on...

My dog, Skittles, went in for surgery a week and a half ago. She had a cracked tooth that needed to be extracted. While she was under, they cleaned her teeth and removed some cysts from her back. (Her breed is susceptible to cysts -- they are harmless, but these ones were kinda big and ugly.)

We brought her home. She seems to be healing nicely.

But she has a cough. This started shortly after the surgery (about mid-last-week).

At first, the vet thought it was irritation of the throat from whatever tubes it is that they put down a dog's throat when she is put under for surgery. The cough-suppressant and the steroids he prescribed seemed to be okay. They'd work for a couple hours (but not the full 8 hours that they should). The steroid ran out and the cough worsened, so we got more steroids.

The cough continued. We ran X-rays to see if it was a heart problem (she has an enlarged heart and, if it gets a lot bigger, it could affect breathing), but that wasn't it. There wasn't any fluid on the lungs either. The other day, he prescribed a diuretic just in case there was a little bit of fluid on the lungs -- not enough to be clear on the X-ray, but enough to cause a problem. That didn't help at all.

For a while, last weekend, it seemed her cough was improving greatly. Now, it is worse than it has ever been.

Skittles coughs all day and all night. It's not a little dainty cough; it's a full-throated and full-bodied deep hacking cough that comes with almost every breath. She works herself up into a tizzy and ends up trying to vomit, but nothing comes. Lately, these coughing fits have been ending in sneezes.

Last night, she had a coughing fit leading up to bedtime (about 11 PM-ish), and then more coughing fits at midnight (at which point we gave her cough suppressant), 2 AM, 3 AM, 4 AM (at which point we gave her more cough suppressant), and 6 AM and has continued to right now where she's coughing beside me now at 9 AM. When I was home all day on Wednesday, she coughed almost non-stop the whole morning and the first half of the afternoon, so I'm sure she's doing it all day when she's home alone.

She is not getting any sleep, I'm sure -- how can she? And her coughs are so loud and she comes to me for comfort that I am not getting any sleep either. I've never been so tired.

There's a lot more to add to the story, but I have to log off now -- we're headed to the vet, yet again...

Has anybody had this happen before?

My mom was googling "trachial cough" (or however trachial is spelled) this morning and is very worried. Apparently, some dogs are genetically susceptible to having a collapsed trachia after a surgery that leads to a lifetime of coughing. As well, in the paper, there was recently an article about a police dog that went in for a tooth extraction and later died of coughing.

If it is the collapsed trachia, the solution is to put a stent in the trachia. This is too much for us -- not really speaking in terms of money -- but in terms of family history. My grandma died a few years ago of esophogeal cancer; she had a stent put in and it didn't help. It led to surgery after surgery and crisis after crisis.

As I mentioned in another thread, I'm about to go on vacation, leaving my mom to deal with Skittles' medical problems by herself and she is unable to take any time off of work to take her to the vet or even to sit at home with her.

Login or register to post comments
Add new comment

Comments

Birthstone

poor puppy - I have no idea,

Posted on: 05/14/2010 10:00

poor puppy - I have no idea, but I know when I lie awake at night worrying about my puppy (I have 2 aging dogs), it breaks my heart. Crossing fingers...

Do you have a friend or someone who is around to dog sit that understands? or even a couple of friends who will come & check on her,so it isn't all on one or 2 people? Maybe something can be worked out with the vet to take her free of charge (since this came up after her surgery) for a couple of overnights?

waterfall

Is this a dry cough or a wet

Posted on: 05/14/2010 10:28

Is this a dry cough or a wet cough? Fever? Is Skittles on antibiotics? If not why not? She may have pneumonia.

This is just a guess from a nurse pretending to be a vet, LOL!

crazyheart

isn't there a cough that dogs

Posted on: 05/14/2010 10:31

isn't there a cough that dogs get in kennels and vet offices when they have surgery that is called "kennel cough". I would contact the vet.

lastpointe

Kennel cough would have been

Posted on: 05/14/2010 11:04

Kennel cough would have been my first guess, antibiotics for sure would have been awarrented.

i would ask for a referral. I forget where you live youth worker but here in Toronto we have an excellent Vet Emergency Clinic that does specialist care. It sounds like your vet is struggling to figure this out.

Giving anyone cough suppressant hourly is not good. It will build up in her system, just like in yours. Most are to be taken every 6 - 8 hours. She could OD.

For people, often eating something helps. Dry crackers or dry bread. It seems that the action of swallowing is what breaks the cough pattern. Almost like your brain gets stuck in cough mode. Perhaps try giving her a Saltene when she coughs?

But a referral seems warrented. ( not cheap though)

in humans dentistry often leads to complications of infection, heart disease so i would have expected the vet to use antibiotics before steriods ( steriods mask the sings of infection)

We worry about our pets just as much as our kids, I am hoping things sort out for you without really major surgery.

myst

Ah YouthWorker, just wanting

Posted on: 05/14/2010 12:27

Ah YouthWorker, just wanting to say that I'm sorry Skittles is going through this - I too understand the worry and care we have for our beloved pets. I have not had a dog who has had kennel cough (or any persistent cough), but kennel cough certainly came to my mind when reading your post. I hope the vet is able to figure this out on your visit today. And I hope you are all able to get some sleep as well. Thinking about you.

YouthWorker

Just got back from the

Posted on: 05/14/2010 12:32

Just got back from the vet...

I think I have the best vet in Winnipeg -- at least that's my opinion. I can talk to him about anything.

So I brought up this idea of trachial collapsing. He is quite confident it's not trachial collapsing because it didn't show up on the X-ray he did last week. He explained what it actually is and what it would look like on the X-ray -- so I think he definitely did look for it last week. As well, he could tell by the sound of the cough that it is not trachial collapsing -- that produces a goose-honk cough and this, I don't know... not goose-honk-y.

It's a dry cough.

It apparently still is trachial irritation. The tube that goes down the throat during surgery causes irritation for some dogs. He said, "If any dog was going to have problems with it, I should have known it would be Skittles." And then, when this does happen to dogs, it tends to disappear within five days or so, to which he said, "If any dog was going to last longer, I should have known it would be Skittles." Skittles apparently has a bit of a reputation. :-)

We're back to a stronger dose of the steroid as it is supposed to help with irritation. But using a steroid weakens the immune system, so we're back on an antibiotic to prevent infection. And since the cough suppressant didn't work, they gave us a different one. (They actually didn't have it there because this one is a controlled substance and is too much trouble for them, so we had to drive over to their partner clinic.)

He did a bunch of probing and poking and listening to Skittles. Her temperature is fine. Some of the throat irritation is gone -- so it looks like this is now irritation from coughing so much, not so much from the tube itself. She's perfectly healthy except for this cough.

But, like I said, I think I have one of the best vets in Winnipeg. Tomorrow, on his day off, he is going to call us to see how Skittles is doing. One thing I really like about this vet is that he takes the time to explain absolutely everything -- so I know Skittle's exact medical history (and all its implications) almost as well as the vet.

We've been going to this vet for ten years. In the past couple years, Skittles has shown the early signs of arthritis, so we've been going in monthly for cartrophen shots, which ease the symptoms of arthritis. Every time we go in, for a simple shot, he does a complimentary thorough exam of all of Skittles' various medical conditions and we have a talk on how Skittles has been doing. So I feel confident this vet knows what he's talking about.

waterfall

So then you just have to get

Posted on: 05/14/2010 12:35

So then you just have to get some ear muffs for your mom before you go!

Glad to hear you've found answers you're happy with.

myst

Good to read this update,

Posted on: 05/14/2010 12:37

Good to read this update, YouthWorker. This sounds positive and it does sound as though you have a very thorough and caring vet. I sure hope the cough lessens real soon and again, that you all get some good sleep!

YouthWorker

Hahaha... he also said that

Posted on: 05/14/2010 12:39

Hahaha... he also said that he has known some dogs who cough for attention.

While this of course doesn't explain the current situation, it certainly wouldn't surprise me if *some* of these coughs are for seeking attention. This is the dog, who, when you don't pay enough attention to her, will sit on the floor, stare intently into your eyes, and cry persistently till you either play with her or yell at her to lie down.

So on the way home, as she coughed, I said, "Your attention-grabbing ploys no longer work on me."

Birthstone

lol - so good to hear this

Posted on: 05/14/2010 15:11

lol - so good to hear this confidence & good prognosis!

Speaking of demanding attention, I have a dog that demands cookies, by punting our legs, or snuffing at us rather decisively. She has me provide a cookie first thing in the morning, and then goes to sit by the bathroom door. When my sweetie has finished his shower, she starts batting the bathroom door, reminding him of his sacred duty to provide another cookie. Certainly by the time he's ready to head of to work, she reinforces this 'slave provides cookie' ritual by demanding a 3rd.

She gets half cookies most of the time, but I think she can tell.

Beloved

Hope Skittles is feeling

Posted on: 05/14/2010 16:09

Hope Skittles is feeling better soon YW. Hope you are able to line up what you need to for care for her so you can go on your holiday and not be worried about how she is doing at home.

YouthWorker

Well, I'd say the new cough

Posted on: 05/14/2010 16:55

Well, I'd say the new cough suppressant is working. With the old one, it worked okay for about two hours (but is supposed to work for six), but they were still a restless two hours and she wouldn't settle down.

I gave her the new one two hours ago. After allowing some time for it to go through her system, she promptly fell into a deep restful sleep. I soon followed her example. I'm awake now (after an hour and a half), but she is still sound asleep. Only time will tell if this new medicine works, but we're off to a phenomenal start.

YouthWorker

Of course, now that I typed

Posted on: 05/14/2010 17:01

Of course, now that I typed that, she woke up and is in the middle of a coughing fit. Oh, I think it just ended...

pommum

Just a bit of info ...

Posted on: 05/14/2010 17:58

Just a bit of info ... tracheal collapse usually affects toy breeds - I'm not sure what breed skittles is, but sometimes doesn't show up on x-ray because it is shown only on inspiration or expiration (can't remember which) and of course you can't control that during a canine x-ray. We were worried Kodi might have tracheal collapse but the diagnosis turned out to be chronic bronchitis.

Hope skittles is doing better and that you both get some sleep!

YouthWorker

Skittles is half-poodle,

Posted on: 05/14/2010 18:48

Skittles is half-poodle, half-bichon frise -- one of the small white dogs. I think she's considered a small breed, but is definitely not a toy breed. Yeah, the vet said that it can be difficult to determine a tracheal collapse on an X-ray for the very reason you stated, but he did tell me what he was looking for. (I guess they are like secondary signs.) The only true way to see it is with, I think it was, a fluoroscope, which is sort of unavailable and likely very pricey. (You have to get it done at a veterinary college.)

Skittles did absolutely wonderful for the three hours before anyone else got home, then she got into a huge coughing fit. It seems to have settled down now (about 30 minutes later).

Because of how the day went, she never had her morning steroid pill, which is what calms the irritation. So hopefully this evening, when she gets her evening steroid pill and later receives her next cough suppressant pill, things will get even better.

Tiger Lily

Hope Skittles is feeling

Posted on: 05/14/2010 18:49

Hope Skittles is feeling better soon.

pommum

Maybe skittles got just

Posted on: 05/14/2010 19:42

Maybe skittles got just excited to see everyone and that got the cough started again. Barking seems to irritate any irritation if you know what I mean. Kodi coughs with his bronchitis if he is excited. He is also on prednisone ans a bronchodilator among other things.

chemgal

I learned today that dogs

Posted on: 05/14/2010 20:21

I learned today that dogs can cough (I don't think I've ever heard a dog cough).

Can dogs have honey? That might at least help with any upper irritation - it works for me! I'm guessing Skittles would enjoy licking a spoonful of honey.

YouthWorker

pommum wrote: Maybe skittles

Posted on: 05/14/2010 20:35

pommum wrote:

I think that's what it was. She coughed for a good half hour and there's been barely a peep out of her since. (About two hours now of silence.)

YouthWorker

chemgal wrote: I learned

Posted on: 05/14/2010 20:36

chemgal wrote:

I learned today that dogs can cough (I don't think I've ever heard a dog cough).

Can dogs have honey? That might at least help with any upper irritation - it works for me! I'm guessing Skittles would enjoy licking a spoonful of honey.

I've been wondering about that too... I'm sure it's okay... Couldn't hurt...

And I totally misread it the first time around. I thought you were making some weird joke and asking me if dogs *produce* honey. Hahaha... I have no idea where that came from, but that's what I thought I saw...

carolla

Hi YW (and Skittles, and

Posted on: 05/14/2010 21:55

Hi YW (and Skittles, and YWMom!) Sorry to hear about this - must be worriesome for you all. You mentioned she is restless (Skittles, not YWMom!) - I wonder if this might be a side effect of the the steroids? When some people take steroids (like Prednisone) they can experience restlessness ... so perhaps little dogs would experience this too? Hopefully as the days tick by, the throat irritation & coughing will resolve. Too bad dogs can't use lozenges!!

(just an aside - I do recall when I had a C-section many years ago, I woke up and my throat felt AWFUL! I was so confused ... surgery on my belly and now I've got a painful throat??? WTF??? It was indeed from the tube during anesthesia ... and lozenges did help, thankfully!!)

Serena

My cat coughed. He also has

Posted on: 05/14/2010 22:19

My cat coughed. He also has asthma. They don't get sick often (animals) but because they can't talk it is sometimes hard to figure out. I am glad everything worked out.

YouthWorker

Serena wrote: My cat

Posted on: 05/14/2010 22:29

Serena wrote:

My cat coughed. He also has asthma. They don't get sick often (animals) but because they can't talk it is sometimes hard to figure out. I am glad everything worked out.

This dog is one never-ending medical problem. So whenever something like this pops up, we tend to panic because it could be a sign of something much worse. She has an enlarged heart, so coughing is often the first sign that a dog has progressed from an enlarged heart to congestive heart failure. Thank God it's not that, yet.

And there are other health issues, too.

The not talking part certainly makes it hard, because it's hard to comfort them and tell them it's okay when they don't understand the words. The comforting sounds help, but the effect of the words is lost. And if they could talk, they'd let us know about these problems long before they get to the stage where we notice.

pommum

Also, you may notice an

Posted on: 05/15/2010 00:54

Also, you may notice an increase in appetite with prednisone ... Kodi has even resorted to trying to clean out his brothers' bowls when they aren't looking.

BethanyK

Sorry to hear about Skittles

Posted on: 05/17/2010 09:03

Sorry to hear about Skittles problems YW. I know you're on your holiday now but I hope things are going well with the new meds for your mom.

YouthWorker

Apparently it's going pretty

Posted on: 05/17/2010 10:03

Apparently it's going pretty good back at home! This new medicine seems to do the trick! She's on it till the end of tomorrow, so hopefully that was long enough.

YouthWorker

Hahaha... so apparently, the

Posted on: 05/17/2010 14:40

Hahaha... so apparently, the latest news is this...

The new cough suppressant pills are working wonders, but she's lethargic now and not eating much. Apparently, these pills are narcotics, so she has to be eased off of them carefully now.

Northwind

I am glad to hear that

Posted on: 05/17/2010 15:18

I am glad to hear that Skittles is improving. It is such a worry when our four legged family members are sick. And Skittles sounds like a character.

I had a cat who used to be a bit of a hypochondriac. Seriously. He was declawed (I would not do that to a cat again for the record) and had some problems with one foot healing. He would favour the foot. Then when it was more or less healed, he would favour it intermittently. He would also let us look at it and touch it. Any cat worth his salt would not let anyone near something that is sore. He was such a fraud! Big macho guy who was a suck.

I hope Skittles is better soon!

pommum

YW ... hoping Skittles is

Posted on: 05/17/2010 21:40

YW ... hoping Skittles is feeling better and not suffering from narcotic withdrawal!!!

Hoping your having a good time too.

Kinst

I know nothing about dogs,

Posted on: 05/19/2010 01:47

I know nothing about dogs, but hope skittles continues to get a lot better YW.

YouthWorker

So -- last I heard... the

Posted on: 05/19/2010 19:18

So -- last I heard... the stitches from the surgery came out and she is being eased off the pills. She is mostly cough free during the day but has a bit of trouble overnight, but it is getting much better really quickly. So it all sounds good!

Thanks for your concern all!

YouthWorker

So, apparently... the dog had

Posted on: 05/22/2010 11:12

So, apparently... the dog had a few good days, but is back to her very bad cough. She's back on the narcotic cough suppressant, the anti-bacs, and the steroids. Sigh...

pommum

Is it possible that he now

Posted on: 05/22/2010 19:28

Is it possible that he now has bronchitis?

Just a thought ... and hope you are enjoying your trip!

YouthWorker

pommum wrote: Is it possible

Posted on: 05/22/2010 21:14

pommum wrote:

Is it possible that he now has bronchitis?

Just a thought ... and hope you are enjoying your trip!

Interesting thought... and one of the reasons I posted all this was cuz I knew there were some experienced dog owners here who might have some ideas -- I'll pass that comment on to my mom and she can bring it up with the vet! Thanks!

And my trip is awesome! I've been here in Northwest Territories for a day and a half now -- Omni and I get along super well now that we're past the awkward stage!

Kappa

Glad to hear you and Omni are

Posted on: 05/24/2010 10:10

Glad to hear you and Omni are getting on like a house on fire. Hope Skittles is all better when you get back.

YouthWorker

So... Skittles had a bad end

Posted on: 05/25/2010 20:12

So... Skittles had a bad end to the week with the cough coming back in full force. (Today now makes three weeks of coughing.)

Skittles is now on the cough suppressant every four hours as well as still on the steroids and antibiotics. The cough is extremely worrying, but the vet is convinced that it is not a super serious issue (like bronchitis or a collapsed trachia), but rather that Skittles is just a very slow healer -- which totally makes sense, actually, when we consider her medical history. With the more frequent medication, she is getting a little better. Sigh... we'll see how it goes...