Severe Coughing-Please Help!!

[JulieBeans58]

Ive been seeing quite a few posts regarding kennel cough, and have a question that apparently goes a bit beyond it...My Daisy has had a chronic cough since I rescued her on Nov. 20th. At first it was nothing too bad, and we took her to the vet where she was treated for Kennel Cough. She was on antibiotics for three weeks, and we saw no improvement. We went back to the vet where she was put on stronger antibiotics, with still little to no improvement. We took her back to the vet and had her chest xrayed and retested for Valley Fever, but there was nothing abnormal. Daisy is STILL coughing, and her coughs have progressed in severity. She is coughing all the time now, and sometimes they are productive, but only with a thick saliva...Not any green discharge. She will wake up in the middle of the night and have coughing fits, and during the day she seems almost to be wheezing and makes this huffing sound. I am quite worried for her, and have a visit with an animal internalist on Monday. Her appetite is still quite strong, however her energy level has dipped some. Im sure the coughing is taking a toll on her. Right now I am begging for information to help my girl. It breaks my heart to hear her cough this way, and after being a rescue baby she deserves so much better! Am I overlooking anything, or could my vet? Has anyone ever had this happen to their boxer? PLEASE HELP!

 

[dharmadoodle]

I don't know why your baby is still coughing like that, but I do know that kennel cough can drag on for ages, & antibiotics don't touch it.

Sending (((healing vibes))).

 

[sgbtab]

could it be something in the house or her surroundings? it might be allergies. so IMO I would look around the house or outside to see if it is that.

kennel cough is a cold for dogs and it usally takes around 3 weeks to get over. the reason your vet would have given an antiboctic would be if she had some bactirea.(sp) you say it is at night. is it only at night? maybe she can not tolarate the blanket you sleep with. these are just questions you need to ask yourself. good luck on monday with the animal internalist. I hope they will have some answers for you.

 

[Net45582]

sorry to hear

this is happening to your rescue baby. I have to ask if this is a Katrina rescue. If so,there were so many toxins in the air,ground and water you may need a test specifically for toxins. I have a Boxer who was prone to coughing for no apparent reason when she was younger. My vet always put her on small doses of prednisone in case ther was something inflamed they couldn't catch with an exam. I hope everything works out for the better and soon. Positive energies being sent your way from ...
Wanda,Kiddo and Chancey

 

[JulieBeans58]

Thank you all for your replies! Daisy is from a rescue in Arizona, but we dont know what environment she was in prior to our home. It had been thought that she might have had exposure to meth labs and could have chemical burns, but that was ruled out...Our vet gave us a list of the things that can potentially cause allergies, and our house is relativly free of the offending items. Im looking forward to what the internist will say. Hopefully, we can begin to treat Daisy! Again, thank you for you insights.

 

[Maddie's dad]

I am going to be rescuing a Boxer this weekend. He also has a severe cough. The shelter he's at does not check for anything, but my suspicions are heartworm. It's probably not as common in Az as it is here, but that is something to consider, too. -Jan

 

[tesster]

You can give the dog Robutussin DM (ONLY DM) to relieve the symptoms until they resolve. As, Trish said, the antibiotics will not cure KC, they only prevent secondary infection. It has to run it's course, if it is KC. Conner had it for about a month.

For him, it was much worse when or after he'd been laying down. Think of how you are when you have a cough. When you lay down, it's worse. Often, I have to sleep propped up to keep the cough at bay. Same with dogs. When he was running around during the day, he was usually OK, but when he laid down, he got really bad.

Kennel cough sounds a lot worse than it is. I think I'd watch her level of energy and food intake. It's very likely she's just got a bad case.

Good luck!
Julie

 

[JulieBeans58]

Any advice on how to give the Robitussin?

 

[Jan]

Honey works well too. Just put it on a spoon and let them lick it off.

 

[Murp.mm]

Oh, I'm so sorry about your babies cough. It was so kind of you to rescue her. I know it is so disturbing to hear them cough or get sick. My brother had a beagle who had a terrible cough but he had gotten into some insulation and ate it. I just hope your baby gets better soon. Take care.