Add me to the list of trips to the vet!!!

[Kristie Wilder]

My 13.5 yo who we figured has laryngeal paralysis (have posted before) has been doing GREAT all summer. He's a relatively permanent housedog, but he gets out 4-5 times a day and he runs and plays when it's cooler. And he plays with toys in the house (isn't it awesome when old dogs play like puppies???). So he's been feeling great.

Today we took him and a few others for a quick walk in the shade by the lake to air around 3pm. It was much drier today and the temps weren't terrible. We were only out maybe 10 mins.

Came back in, he was fine... Maybe 30-60 mins later, he has a congested cough. I didn't think much else. He peacefully went back to sleep. but after that, he had a short coughing fit about every 15 mins or so. And it seemed to be getting worse instead of better.

A little after 5pm, I called my vet and put in a msg for a return call. Then I called a vet friend. We decided to keep an eye on it. But just before I hung up with her, he had another cough and she said it sounded pretty severe. I called my vet back (now 5:45, they close at 6 and are about 25 mins away) and he said he'd wait...

So.... We rush Woodie to the vet. He slept most of the way. Did chest x-rays, and GUESS WHAT???

Not sure if he has laryngeal paralysis or not, but what he DOES have is a **collapsed trachea**. Vet said that it's usually reserved for small dogs and you don't see it often in large breeds. There was fluid in his lungs and the trachea was preventing anything from being very productive I guess...

Good news is we pumped him up with some goodies and he hasn't coughed much at all since we got home.

We go back in a week just to see what's there after the fluid clears. I'm not particularly worried about it; neither was the vet. But even if we were to find some tumors or something, he's having a blast and doing great and we just hope it lasts a lot longer...

Hopefully it's just a bunch of junk brought on by the trachea condition.

-K

[1st retriever]

Hope he feels better!

[Vicky Trainor]

Glad the boy is doing OK!!! It's so scary when something happens to them!

I'll keep him in my prayers for a good report next week.

[windycanyon]

Kristie,

I think collapsed tracheas are more common than many vets think in our big dogs. How many of us were using choke chains in training way back when? They can do some damage from all I read... it made me change to prong and ecollars for that reason.

Anyhow, it seems to me that the time I was on the LP list on behalf of my first girl, some folks did do a trach tube of sorts for dogs w/ collapsed tracheas. I don't think it's near as involved as tieback surgery but could be wrong. Something to look into anyhow. It's really heartbreaking to watch a dog go into respiratory distress. Anne

[birdthrower51]

I think we need to send up this big doggy prayer that covers all our dogs, sheesh, too many emergencies. Hoping the meds clear everything up.

[canebrake]

How is Woodie? Hope he is better. Sending good thoughts your way.

[Kristie Wilder]

How is Woodie? Hope he is better. Sending good thoughts your way.

Actually, he hasn't had one coughing fit since the cortizone/baytril injection at the vet. He's on baytril and cephalexin...

I just plan on staring at him all day every day until we do the next x-rays.

Every time he's laying there, we find ourselves staring at him to make sure he's breathing...

He's actually doing great!

-K

[jeff t.]

Is he on any meds for the LP ?

[Kristie Wilder]

Is he on any meds for the LP ?

no, hasn't needed any. He really does great, no problem; unless he overdoes it. But we don't let him anymore...

[MooseGooser]

Kristie

Sorry to hear about this.

Hope He mends Fast!!

It IS great to see the Senior dogs still wanting to Play!!


Prayers sent


Gooser