What does this mean? (Sniper)

    • Gold Top Dog

    What does this mean? (Sniper)

    Sniper is 9 months old and very healthy as far as I can tell. Now that the weather is getting nicer out, we have been going for walks. I started her out slow, just a few minutes for the first few walks, and have been building it up for a couple of weeks. After a couple of longer walks, she would do this coughing thing afterwards. The spells would only last a few minutes, with maybe 10 coughs total. My vet told me not to worry about it. I just got back from a longer walk today where she did a lot of running off leash, and it is about 65 degrees out. She was fine until we started heading for home where she was really breathing heavy, panting, and kept laying down to rest. I would let her and offer her water, which she took a couple drinks of but was not really interested in. She acted fine and happy, just really exhausted where she was almost dragging her feet. When she got home, she started coughing again, and then almost gagging, and then she would vomit up just a bit of white foam. Again, I offered her water, she took a few drinks and seemed ok. I watched her, she just lay on the kitchen floor still panting. She ate heartily, seemed fine, besides the coughing. She was still coughing and acting like she wanted to vomit up more foam, and couldn't seem to get comfortable when she was lying down, almost like she couldn't catch her breath. This went on for about 3 minutes, and now she is fast asleep. I am very concerned as I have never had one of my dogs do this. Is it she is just out of shape and this walk/run today exhausted her? Should I get her to the vets? What kind of testing would they do? Any ideas??

    • Gold Top Dog

    Hopefully it's nothing, but I'd be concerned too. I'd ask the vet to run some bloodwork on her and see if that shows anything. I'm not sure what other testing they could do, but I'm sure others will have some suggestions.

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    • Gold Top Dog

    I can't say much about the coughing but 65* is pretty darn warm for a dog that is used to the severe winter that you have had.  Bugsy is terrible in the heat and we don't get much of a winter.  But if it is 65*+ and sunny he is panting less than a mile into our normal walk/run.  Most of what you described could be just being overheated.  Try wetting her underneath & chest before your walk and after it too and see if that helps.  If she is walking on pavement try keeping her on the grass.

    Lastly it could be allergies some dogs do seem to get pretty congested.  I would call the vet (weren't you working for one?) and describe the symptoms and see what they say.  The coughing would be my biggest worry.

    Anyway give that pretty girl some belly scritches from me and Bugs!

    And let us know what happens 

    • Gold Top Dog

    Does she pull when on walks?  It sounds like it could be a damaged or collasped trachea to me.

    ETA:  I believe an x-ray could determine whether that were the problem or not.

    • Gold Top Dog

    She never pulls while on leash, stays on a relaxed heel until I release her off leash (unless of course she sees a bird or squirrel!!) (we live in the boonies and have plenty of fields and woods for her to run in) so I don't think it would be her trachea, although I may have x rays done to be sure. I did think maybe it could be from the heat, as we did just come from very cold temps into some warm ones, and maybe she just hasn't adjusted to the change yet.  I like the idea of wetting her down, I will give that a try next time we go out for a walk. Yup, I do work at a vets, so getting her in will be easy enough! I will talk to the doctor tomorrow to see what her thoughts are. She knows that I am a worrier about my dog so usually dismisses my questions as just being too over protective, so I hope she takes me seriously on this and respects my concern. Thanks for your ideas, guys. I truly hope it's nothing more than not being used to the heat and just doing too much too soon, but I will surly keep you updated. She is definitely acting fine now, has been playing with her toys all night and doing zoomies through the living room, you'd never know she was having such a hard time earlier!

    • Gold Top Dog

    Labs (part Lab yes?) CAN have an issue with something called "exercise intolerance" No idea if the symptoms match but there is something to research. I hope it's nothing, tho. Poor sweet Sniper.

    • Gold Top Dog

    GordonsGirl

    She never pulls while on leash, stays on a relaxed heel until I release her off leash (unless of course she sees a bird or squirrel!!) (we live in the boonies and have plenty of fields and woods for her to run in) so I don't think it would be her trachea, although I may have x rays done to be sure. I did think maybe it could be from the heat, as we did just come from very cold temps into some warm ones, and maybe she just hasn't adjusted to the change yet.  I like the idea of wetting her down, I will give that a try next time we go out for a walk. Yup, I do work at a vets, so getting her in will be easy enough! I will talk to the doctor tomorrow to see what her thoughts are. She knows that I am a worrier about my dog so usually dismisses my questions as just being too over protective, so I hope she takes me seriously on this and respects my concern. Thanks for your ideas, guys. I truly hope it's nothing more than not being used to the heat and just doing too much too soon, but I will surly keep you updated. She is definitely acting fine now, has been playing with her toys all night and doing zoomies through the living room, you'd never know she was having such a hard time earlier!

    I didn't mean to imply that it could only be the trachea if she were a puller.  I only asked because pulling could exacerbate the problem, if there were one.  But I believe that exercise alone can trigger the symptoms such as difficulty breathing, tiring easily, and coughing.  My family used to have a dog who had problems with his trachea, especially during or after exercise, so that was just the first thing that came to mind.  I'm glad she's acting normal now, though.  Smile  I hope you find out something tomorrow at the vet.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Has this dog had a definitive heartworm test?

    • Gold Top Dog

     Yeah, that's a good point, Gyspy's mom. I will definitely get that looked into. Yup, she has been heartworm tested negative and is on interceptor monthly at this time. Can the exercise intolerance begin so early in life? I guess I'm so concerned as she is so young, I hate to think it could be anything serious. I will goggle that, as I never heard of exercise intolerance, I'm curious to see what symptoms are and what can be done about it. I am heading into work this morning, so I will let you know what the vet thinks. Thanks again, guys. Smile

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    • Gold Top Dog

    uh I also need some new pictures or your sweet girl - Bugsy asked me to say that Wink 

    • Gold Top Dog

     Dear Bugsy,

     Mama sayz she is home for a wunch brake, but will help me post some picsures of myshelf for you on da photo page when she gets home tonite!

    Luv, Sniper
     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Just a quick update. My doctor took a few x-rays, everything looked good, heart sounded good, couldn't really find anything. I have since taken her out on longer walks several more times and have kept her wet and cool and haven't let her run herself silly and she does much better, no coughing at all. The fields were really dusty the day she had the coughing fit, so it may have been from all of the dust as well as heat and exhaustion. But boy, don't dogs know how to scare their humans sometimes!

    PS. Bugsy, sorry I haven't gotten pictures up for you yet, Sniper is begging me to send some over your way, but I have been crazy busy at work, but I promise I will get some on here soon for you! Big Smile
     

    • Gold Top Dog

    calliecritturs

    Has this dog had a definitive heartworm test?

    that's what I was wondering too. It takes 6 months for heartworms to develope to the point where they would show up positive on a test. Dogs should be tested at 6 months, 1 year and then yearly after that.

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    • Gold Top Dog

    GordonsGirl
    PS. Bugsy, sorry I haven't gotten pictures up for you yet, Sniper is begging me to send some over your way, but I have been crazy busy at work, but I promise I will get some on here soon for you! Big Smile

     

    thank goodness!

     Seriously I am glad she checked out OK