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My sweet little dog who is elderly has developed a really bad cough. It's very raspy and high pitched. Nothing is being produced that I can tell. I took her to the vet about a month ago, and she listened closely to her heart and lungs and felt like it was allergies. The antibiotics haven't worked, and she is much worse this weekend. It is the worst in the first half hour after she wakes up, but she also wakes herself (and her mom) up coughing.

She still has an appetite and otherwise seems to feel fine. But her cough was bad enough last night that I cancelled my plans and stayed home.

Does anyone else have a dog with these symptoms? She hasn't been around other dogs, so kennel cough isn't an option. I started her on a bronchodilator yesterday evening (I found a leftover prescription from one of my former dogs) and am hoping she'll get some relief from that.
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quote:
Originally posted by Smooth operator:
I had 2 dogs with a similar cough that wouldn't go away. Unfortunately, they were both diagnosed with heart worms. This is a devastating disease! Get your dog checked now if you haven't done so already.
I was worried about heartworms, too. But the vet listened closely to her heart and felt like it was allergies. I am taking her back if she doesn't improve over the next 48 hours.
quote:
Originally posted by TPLAW2:
quote:
Originally posted by Smooth operator:
I had 2 dogs with a similar cough that wouldn't go away. Unfortunately, they were both diagnosed with heart worms. This is a devastating disease! Get your dog checked now if you haven't done so already.
I was worried about heartworms, too. But the vet listened closely to her heart and felt like it was allergies. I am taking her back if she doesn't improve over the next 48 hours.


TP, you really need a blood test to be sure about heart worms. I also have an elderly dog that started having a bad cough, and a blood test showed it to be heart worms. She is on medication to strengthen the parts of the heart not affected and increase circulation. Thankfully my other 5 dogs were negative.
Good luck, and I hope it is just allergies.
Not only does she need to be checked for heartworms, but also congestive heart failure. I lost one a year ago, she developed a cough went to the vet and I was told it was bronchitis. She was give cough medicince and antibiotics. She got a little better and then 2 months later she collasped and was then diagnosed with CHF she lived for 2 weeks after that. I miss her dearly every day she was my angel from heaven.
Thanks for everyone's input. I took her back to the vet today, and her heartworm test was negative. Her chest x-ray showed that her heart is slightly enlarged, and there is a little bit of congestion. So she's on heart medication now, which is not at all surprising at her age (did I mention she's almost 16?!). She still believes the cough is allergy related, though, so she'll be taking Robitussin DM twice a day for that.
Try plain old Vasoline for the cough, take a clump on your finger and put it on the tongue of your pet, you may have to hold the mouth closed till it disolves some, when dogs lick themselves they get hair in their throat,called a fur ball, just like cats, this will cause them to cough alot. My dog goes though this sometimes and this works wonders. you can use it several times a day till the cough goes away.

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