I would consider heartworm. Not sure how it is diagnosed.

I think they had a heartworm test last month, before the vet gave them the heartworm meds-- isn't that standard, before they start on heartworm pills?

Have the vet check an x ray for something she might have ingested other than that, constant coughing - check heart.

Something is being missed. Given the age of the pup, it could get worse. Your parents vet is taking an over dose of stupid pills, not only for allowing this to continue unresolved for this amount of time, but for treating your parents this way.

This type of things just really get's my colon in a twist. (yes it's a rant). What is the vet thinking??? A pup is having severe coughing episodes to the point where it can't breath. GEEZ.

Your parents need to go to another vet. I learned long ago after much frustration and money, if a vet switches meds more than once, and it does not work, vet probably does not know what is going on. A specific date on when medication should start to work is a must. If by that date things are not going well, vet is missing something.

Your parents need to take the upper hand with this. Google research about what may be causing the problem will help.

They also need to tell the vet, today, that the way things are going is unacceptable, and if the situation does not take a different, very immediate, improved turn, they will find another vet.

Vet also needs to be scolded for this. He/she should know very well that pups this age are prone to all sorts of disease and other issues. These types of problems can easily and quickly get out of control and be irreversible.

The immediate concern is to get this under control. Given the situation, I would consider taking the dog to an emergency clinic.

SG

With all due respect, SG, I am familiar with your apparent distaste for most vets, and in this case, ranting about how the vet should be "scolded" is not the kind of help I'm looking for. My parents live in the boonies, and this particular vet clinic is the best one within a two-hour drive. Not only that, but their pets have received top-notch care at this clinic for the time they've been patients, particularly when they had to have their 16-year old border collie PTS last spring. It's NOT a bad vet.

They tried to treat for the most obvious diagnosis, and it didn't work, so now they're testing for other possibilities. How is that indicative of an awful vet?? I'm just looking for other ideas here-- I don't care whether it's a vet or a human doctor, NONE of them are perfect or all-knowing; hence, I'm trying to do some reaearch of my own, too.

cnvh,

I agree completely with you. The vet (or human physician) has to go with the most likely diagnosis first. I suspect we would hear a lot of ranting it a dog was sent for xrays and mris and exploratory surgery every time it coughed, don't you think???

Anyway, having just gone through two mild cases of kennel cough, the initial symptoms sound to me very much like kennel cough - the coughing, even until they seem to be choking, the white frothy stuff. The vet treated accordingly. Our vet told us that as long as they were eating and drinking normally, we should treat with a cough suppressant if necessary but otherwise let it run its course. Now, the difference is ours was very mild and ran its course in about three or four days.

Kennel cough can actually be caused by either bacteria or viruses (or a combination). The bacterial form, which is what we vaccinate against, can be treated with antibiotics. The viral form cannot. It's very similar to human colds. Your vet treated with antibiotics in case that was the cause, and the cough suppressant to relieve the symptoms.

I am not a vet (I am a microbiologist though) and do not know what other causes there might be for this cough. But I would have to say that based on my experiences, I think the vet has taken the appropriate course and is now prepared to delve further with the xray.

Let us know how the pup does, it is so hard to see them uncomfortable.

Is there aq test for kennel cough, other than just diagnosing symptoms?

I've been doing some reasearch on my own, and it sounds like it could be a kind of lungworm, which is treated by Ivermectin. Anyone have any experiences with lungworm?

Is there aq test for kennel cough, other than just diagnosing symptoms?

I don't think so, really. I know that the vet should be able to "massage" the dog's throat and produce the cough, but I don't believe there is a specific test. Maybe they could culture out the bacteria, IF it's bacterially caused, but I'm not even sure about that.

If it's lungworm, I believe the white blood cells should be elevated. You could ask the vet to do a CBC.

I also think that heartworm would have additional symptoms, such as abnormal sounding lungs and heart. I assume the vet listened to lungs and heart.

I was hoping Meghann or Chickadee would check in as they usually have a lot more info.

My lab had kennel cough when I brought her home. Horrible thing.

If the heart isn't working properly the lungs can't clear fluid, causing coughing, congestion etc. Though a vet listens and feels the heart and lungs, if those seemed normal, then he would go with the infection, cough suppression route.

It could be allergies also. Food, carpeting, the stuff we clean our floors and carpets with are right where puppy is breathing in fumes...getting exposed more than we do.

Poor Pup, I hope he gets to feeling better soon.

They tested for heartworm within the last month and she tested negative.

The point about viral vs. bacterial kennel cough is interesting-- would explain why the antibiotics haven't affected it.

Still waiting on word from my parents-- nothing yet. Pup has been at the vet's all day for the anasthesia/x-ray. They're supposed to be picking her up this afternoon.

I made my comments imagining that the situation involved an infant gasping for air, about the same age.

If this were the case, I would have said the same thing.

Sorry I offended, to me there is no room for error when one can't breath.

SG

Given the age, it's probably kennel cough. Sometimes it takes 3 different antibiotics to get rid of it. KC can be stubborn. My puppy had it when I brought her home from the breeder. It turned into pneumonia ( I insisted on a chest x-ray, because I felt rales when I carried her outside. The vets didn't hear anything! I got 2 opinions. Go figure.). Her pneumonia looked weird. Sort of like she could have aspirated something. Anyway, I think she was on 3-4 different antibiotics, before she got 100% better. It took almost a month to eradicate it. Granted, she was only 9 weeks old, and probably around puppies with KC, at the breeder's.

Let's hope that's all it is. A dog should not be coughing...Things with heart, lungs, tumors....all come to mind in a mid-older age dog coughing.

I think you can bring KC home to your dogs on your clothes, or they can pick it up in the park. That's why if your dog is not immunized for KC, you shouldn't play with puppies at the pet stores...

My parents' dog came home from the vet tonight... chest x-ray showed that one whole lobe is completely congested. She has pneumonia and bronchitis; vet still can't figure out the cause. They sent the lab work to Cornell for review (they also did another test-- some sort of trachaeal swab or something, not sure what exactly), so that will take 5 days to come back. They also tested for lungworm, among other things.

Vet said that if the lab work comes back inconclusive, they'll have to refer to a specialist.

For now, puppy's on two new kinds of antibiotics, hoping to knock out the pneumonia. Hopefully the antibiotics will help, and/or the lab work will come back with an answer. Please keep their puppy in your thoughts; apparently her condition is quite serious. My parents are understandably beside themselves.

Poor pup! Hope he gets better, soon!

I'm guessing the tracheal swab is to try to culture whatever is causing the problem. Poor puppy, I sure hope she gets better quickly. And yes, I can believe your parents are probably frantic. Let us know how she does.

The tracheal wash allows 2 things, one to look at the cells involved and to see if there is a causative agent involved. They will also perform a culture and sensitivity to see what antibiotics (if any) will help. Different causes of cough produce different types of inflammatory reactions, so it may help direct the next step of diagnostics. Good for your vet to do the rads and tracheal wash- most just keep throwing Abx at it and give up when the problem doesn't resolve.

There are MANY causes of chronic cough. They range from parasites (including lungworms and heartworms), bacteria, fungus, aspiration pneumonia, allergic bronchitis, viral infections, congenital defects, cancer and more. Hopefully her problem is easy to cure and the poor pup starts feeling better very soon.