Need input- daughter's pom at ER

[addy]

My daughter’s 16 year old Pomeranian is at ER. He was sleeping in his bed, suddenly got up, started running in circles, rubbing his head and body, his eyes were watering and he was distressed. He does have a bit of collapsing trachea but there was no coughing, honking or gaging. His gums were pink. He then started drooling a lot and threw up. That seemed to make him feel better and he calmed down and even ate some of his food. He was not panting heavily or breathing hard but it seemed like he was having trouble breathing and whenever he went to put his head down, it was like he could not breath and would pick it back up. The xrays showed nothing, they are going to look down his throat next. His heart is fine. He is on oxygen and now yellow stuff is starting to come out of his nose. My daughter thought he is having an allergic reaction and ER says no because there is no swelling.

Any ideas?
They don’t know what is wrong with the little guy. I am heading there as soon as I get out of work.

[labblab]

Allergic reaction is the very first thing I thought of, too! And I still wonder if that's not it. Don't know if you saw a reply of mine on Squirt's thread, but my Luna had a hyperacute allergic reaction last Friday. Suddenly jumped off the couch after having been asleep, pawed at her face, raced into a corner, she did hack several times, but also had mucousy slime coming out of her mouth. The hacking didn't last long, but we could tell she didn't feel right even afterwards. And the thing is, her face did end up swelling, but not until the next morning. Both she and Peg have had weird episodes of excessive drooling lately, too. When I told the vet about this stuff, she said it all could be related to allergic reactions and that maybe they both are getting into something in the yard when I turn them out. So I still really wonder if that's what's going on with your daughter's baby. We gave Luna an antihistamine and the vet gave her a steroid injection and she was remarkably improved within just a little while. She came home on prednisone that we didn't even end up using because she recovered so quickly once she got that antihistamine and anti-inflammatory.

Marianne

[molly muffin]

Could he have gotten into something that poisoned him? That yellow stuff coming out of nose sounds horridly scary. Do they tummy pump dogs? that is so hard though if they have trachea issues I'd think. I really don't know, allergy or poison is the only thing I can think of.

I hope you get some good results and get to the bottom of it.
hugs,
Sharlene

[addy]

What a bloody mess, they insist it is not allergic reaction, they sedated him and pulled some teeth, sent him home on morphine and he is still breathing weird, what a dang mess, poor Chewy.

Gotta run

[molly muffin]

:( Why are they so convinced it's not allergies??

Sharlene

[labblab]

What the heck?????? Where did the teeth come into this?? He's having trouble breathing, and they pull teeth??? :confused: :mad: :mad:

[molly muffin]

I wonder if they found an infection in his teeth. It sort of sounds like that is what they think, well, one hopes since they pulled teeth that they actually had a reason to do so.
So, maybe his sinus passages are infected too and that would be why yellow was coming out the nose?
I'm really grasping at straws here. Just seems to be the only thing that makes sense.

Sharlene

[labblab]

Thank you for that suggestion, Sharlene! That, at least, makes some sense!!!!! Although if the little guy is having trouble breathing, I'd wonder whether depressing respiration further with the morphine is such a great idea...??

[molly muffin]

Addy, definitely watch the morphine tonight. Is there no other drug they could have given him for pain?!
Morphine is not a good option with respiratory problems. Did they by any chance also put him on antibiotics?

If they didn't we might have to go over and kick some ER butt.

yellow usually is either bile or infection, they must give antibiotics for I think it is at least 2 week supply with infected teeth and I am pretty sure it is given when any teeth are pulled due to the very high possibility of infection occurring. (my neighbors westie has had an awful time with her teeth and I am sure that is what they told me about the antibiotics)

[addy]

Okay, I am back. He is making a high pitched wheezing sound and sounds congested. I googled stridor and it said it could come from a bacteria infection and blocked nasal passges which they think is secondary from his bad teeth they pulled. It can also can come from his trachea or larynx. I sat with him for half an hour. He wants to put his head down and he cant and he like stretches his neck which they mentioned in the article I found. My daughter is to check his breaths per minute and has Tramadol for pain which he can start tonight before bed.

So that makes sense with the yellow stuff in his nose but why would it start so suddenly? He was perfectly fine this morning when Chris left for work.

This whole thing is so bizarre and my oldest granddaughter is sobbing her heart out. I told her she has to be brave for Chewy so he does not get scared and we had a nice talk and she seemed better when I left them.

I feel so badly for them and for little Chewy. I'm hoping against all hope the anitbiotics help with this and his regular vet can come out to the house to check him next week.

I told Chris to keep monitoring his breathing. She is a medical technican so she knows.

Well, Zoe's up for potty break. I'll make sure she has two weeks of antibiotics. Thanks guys, love you!!!!!!!!:):):)

[molly muffin]

Hi addy its at least 2 weeks of antibiotics. Could be longer. I will check on that with my friend. Okay so assume someone will be taking turns staying up with Chewy? I don't know if he would try to put his head down or not. A small pillow that he could rest his head just a tiny bit elevated on would be good. You want to keep the airway clear till the infection clears enough for him to be able to be able to breathe easily.
The infection has probably been there for awhile. You know how resilient these little guys can be. If I guessed I'd say a pus pocket of infection might have ruptured. If that happened it could have caused the symptoms to come on pretty fast.
Just watch him and if at any point there is a worry don't be afraid to he'd back to the ER.
Oh your granddaughter sounds like such a brave girl :).
Maybe there is something she can do to help and that would make her feel better and not be so scared and worried.
Wow took me a long time to type this on tablet!
We love you too addy
Big hugs
Sharlene

[Bo's Mom]

How is Chewy?

[Squirt's Mom]

Mornin' Addy,

What a scary night ya'll had! I hope little Chewy is doing better this morning. Elevating his head was something I was thinking about too that might help him get some rest. Let us know how things are going.

You're a good Mom and Grandmom all the way 'round, sweetie.
Hugs,
Leslie

[addy]

Morning Guys,

I am waiting to hear from my daughter to see how Chewy made it through the night. She was giving him a Tramadol at nine and putting him to bed. He did get up and did not seem so groggy and ate a bit of food. She was going to count his breaths after the Tramadol.

I bought him a dog bed a few years ago because my pups loved theirs so much, I wanted Chewy to have the same bed, so we took that and propped part of it up against the side of an upholstered chair so he could rest his head on it.

He was drooling so bad, his little chest was all wet. My daughter still thinks he is have an allergic reaction and is just not convinced about the teeth being the cause. I emailed her the article I found about "Sidor". He was diagnosed with Sidor due to dental disease and his trachea.

She spoke to her vet last night about the whole issue.

It was hard because the kids were off of school and home when this started, Chris and I were at work so we both kept getting frantic calls from the kids and I could not leave because my boss was in a meeting, so Chris left work and ran home. I spent most of the afternoon fielding her calls from home and ER so it was hard for me to assess the situation and the facts seemed garbled.

I couldn't sleep last night, I just kept worrying about Chewy. I hope she calls me soon.

[infoviewer]

Addy: I hope Chewy is better this morning. Maybe he will be since he ate a little. I am sure your daughter and family are taking good care of him and the antibiotics will help whatever it is. Sending loving thoughts to your whole family and puppies. Love, JoAnne

[addy]

Chewy is not as doped up today but is about the same wheezing wise. He had a quiet night on his Tramadol which is good. We are now trying to rethink his food as he cant eat his dry food and if he eats only his wet food without the dry he gets loose stools.

So I'll fix this problem for him and we'll see how he does today. He is not worse so that is a good thing:):):):) Daughter will not give him the Tramadol unless he really needs it. We dont want him too sedated.

Thanks for all the caring and support, you are all great!!!!!

[molly muffin]

A good report on Chewy Addy. Glad he had a good night. Each day past the episode will lessen the worry I think. :)

hugs,
Sharlene and MollyMuffin

[Trish]

Gosh I always forget to come to this board, and look what I missed. Poor Chewy, poor daughter and you too, your Grandog, hope Chewy is feeling better later today and the wheezing settles. Hope its not dog flu Addy, kisses for Chewy and hugs for all of you
Trish xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Simba's Mom]

Sending hugs and prayers your way!

[Harley PoMMom]

So sorry to hear about Chewy and hoping he is feeling much better soon.

Concerning his dry food, maybe soaking it in water to make it very moist for him???

Sending huge, healing and loving hugs, Lori

[milosmom]

hope all is well addy,keeping my eyes on the follow up of your grandbaby ...patty(milo)meka xoxox

[StarDeb55]

Addy, I'm awfully sorry that poor little Chewy is having such a struggle right now. I did want to comment on Sharlene's thought about a severe dental infection, maybe even an abscessed tooth, causing a sinus infection which has triggered all of Chewy's problems. I can tell you that from a human point of view this is entirely possible, so I would guess it can happen in our pups.

A number of years ago I had a badly abscess molar on my upper right jaw that required a root canal. The endodontist said it was one of the worst abscesses he had said of recent month. Almost at the same time, I developed an absolutely horrible sinus infection. After I was sent for sinus x-rays & a sinus CT, much to my surprise, I found out that the abscess had gotten so severe that it had punched a hole into one of the sinuses on the right side of my face, simply to try to start draining since it had no where else to go. The right side of my face got badly swollen right after the root canal which no one could figure out why, until they sent me for the x-rays/CT.

The one thing I would suggest is your daughter needs to make sure that the antibiotic that Chewy was given is appropriate for both respiratory issues along with bone infections. Not all routine antibiotics will work as well in a situation where the infection may be also in the bone.

I really hope that Chewy gets to feeling better quickly.

Debbie

[addy]

Thank you guys,

I agree Deb, especially after I read this:

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/respiratory/c_dg_noisy_breathing

I am posting the link in case anyone else has to ever wonder about noisy breathing.

Wow, Deb, that must have been an awful experience for you and so painful. I know how bad I feel with sinus infections and yours was over the top:eek::eek::eek:

He ate dinner last night so I am happy about that and Lori, thanks for the useful suggestion about soaking his dry food. I did not think of that.

He is sixteen years old but I do want to help him so anyway I can increase his odds without causing him harm, I'll do though I know I cant step on daughter's toes either. Gentle suggestions without being intrusive for my grandkids and grand pup.

Trish, I loved you said my grand-dog for that is exactly what he is.:D:D

[Bailey's Mom]

Wow....you blink and the world passes you by! I'm so sorry Addy for Chewy. Only thing I thought of that wasn't mentioned is to soak the dry in something with flavor....bouillon or some sauce. Bailey, for the first time in her entire life, has begun eating regularly. I give her a small handful of dry and put some moist on top. I microwave it for a few seconds, as it usually comes out of the refrigerator and then I mix the top and bottom parts together. This is the first time EVER in her entire life that I could relax about her getting nourishment via food. It's so soothing.

I'll hijack your thread to answer you from my thread.....Bailey did very well at camp. They groomed her and tried to blend the long parts down to the short parts. They actually did a pretty nice job, but her head hair is just too long. She is now looking like that lion. I'll post some pictures. The limp is all gone. She is walking beautifully.

We had a nice trip, nice visit with relatives. It was a very nice day but boy we were both wiped out yesterday. It's amazing the contrast between activity side effects from today's activities vs. 20 years ago. I feel like I should get a shawl and some scuffs.

Onward to another new month and a new week.

Love,
Sus

Hug to Chewy.

[Trish]

How is wee Chewy today, hope it has settled down with the antibiotics kicking in today. Always a good sign when they eat eh! I feel much less panicky if Flynn is under the weather when he eats a good dinner :)

He is sweet sixteen!! Still some fun to be had in life for Chewy!

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[addy]

Grandpup is eating and walking around a bit. :) He is not drooling any more.:) His stridor sounds a bit better but his collapsing trachia is acting up, he is doing that gaging, clearing the throat thing they do and he cant bark.

He is on 14 days of Clavamox. I thought there were meds we could give to a pup with collapsing trachea, they did not give him any.:(

Poor Chewy:(

[Bo's Mom]

Keeping the healing thoughts for Chewy.

[infoviewer]

Addy: Chewy is such a strong little dog to have improved so much in a day or two and to have reached the age of 16. Your daughter and family are such good furbaby parents. Sending healing thoughts. Love, JoAnne

[Harley PoMMom]

Grandpup is eating and walking around a bit. :) He is not drooling any more.:) His stridor sounds a bit better but his collapsing trachia is acting up, he is doing that gaging, clearing the throat thing they do and he cant bark.

He is on 14 days of Clavamox. I thought there were meds we could give to a pup with collapsing trachea, they did not give him any.:(

Poor Chewy:(

Glad Chewy is feeling better.

My Bear is on hydrocodone-homatropine (cough suppressant) and terbutaline sulfate (it relaxes the airways and makes breathing easier) for his trachea issue.

[Squirt's Mom]

Glad to hear that Chewy is doing better, Addy. I hope he gets better with each passing day!

[addy]

He ate some of Koko's Embark for a snack I sent over and he pooped:D:D:D

His doctor is coming to the house Wednesday and mentioned the meds, Lori thank you for sharing, raising his food bowl and hot steam from the shower will help him too. I feel so much better she is coming to see him:D:D:D:D

Hold on Chewy, we are not giving up yet!!!:D:D:D:D

[molly muffin]

Hold on Chewy, we are not giving up yet!!!:D:D:D:D

The one thing you can count on here beyond a shadow of a doubt, is this group, NEVER gives up. We might get frustrated, we might bang our heads against the wall, but we're in it for the long haul.
I'd want this group on my side, no matter what the issue might be!! Go Chewy!!!

super duper huggers and a scritch to Chewy

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[milosmom]

so nice to read this sharlene............the best thing that happened to me for my milo.....always supportive,loving,nurturing and present.....forever thankful... patty (milo)meka xoxox

[addy]

He barked this morning:):)

Raspy but it was a bark, stridor has eased up a bit more. So far all good improvements. Friday it was like watching and hearing a dog having an asthma attack and all the drooling was scary.:eek:

Older granddaughter had to write a poem for school, I helped her write one about Chewy. Her teacher loved it. :)

All things positive, kids feeling much better about their dog.

Big RELIEF!!! because:

sick grand pup and sobbing grand kids= unhappy Nana:

:):):):):):):)

[milosmom]

i will add in another smile here :) ...happy to read this addy !!! patty(milo)meka xoxox

[molly muffin]

yay, love the good update Addy!

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Harley PoMMom]

So happy to hear that Chewy is feeling much better! YAAA!!! :D:D

[Trish]

Yay, glad she had the energy for a bark! Thats a great sign, hope she improves every day till she is back to her old self!
xxx

[Bo's Mom]

Such good news!!

[Squirt's Mom]

Hope Chewy is even better today! :)

[infoviewer]

Yay Chewy! Hugs, JoAnne

[addy]

Thanks guys, waiting for daughter's update with the vet.

[molly muffin]

Checking in on Chewy before heading to dentist. I'll pop back in when I get back! Hope for a good report from vet/daughter!

Sharlene

[Bailey's Mom]

How is Chewy doing? No posts here in 4 days. Any news?

Love,
sus

[addy]

Did not mean to leave you hanging, been a busy few days and I have a bad cough now.

Chewy's stridor is gone, he is eating and pooing and drinking, conjestion is gone but in the middle of the night he wakes up and does this gaging, clearing of the throat thing. Daughter will try to tape record it for his vet.

He may have to have the rest of his teeth pulled or if his blood work show a reason for concern about putting him out, they will pulse him on and off antibiotics.

I have to go over there to see him, I had hoped to go today but couldnt. The girls sometimes forget to tell me important details.

I wonder if it is acid reflux in the middle of the night?

So he is much better except for this gagging, clearing of the throat thing.

[molly muffin]

Yay, glad to hear that Chewy is better, but that coughing is just exhausting.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Bailey's Mom]

Any news on Chewy? Still gagging?

-s