My 10 year old Lab-chow used to bark loud, he tries to bark but he can't anymore. He scraches the side of his nose and is reverse and regular sneezing all day long. He is throwing up white thick stringy mucus and yellow stuff about 2 times a day. At night he is pretty good maybe a sneeze or 2. He is eating and drinking and is up and around, a bit depressed. It sometme looks like he can't swallow because the mucus in his throat is so thick. It has been going on for a month. The vet has not Idea. His blood work came back normal.

Generally when a dog or human throws up a yellow liquid it means they have an empty stomach, they are throwing up bile.
Seeing as no one here can SEE what he is vomiting, then it would be hard to tell you exactly what is going on.
Sometimes they can puke bile if they have canine stomach ulcers, some other things causing this could be: masses or other growths, gastritis, food allergies, pancreatitis and intestinal obstructions.
Reverse sneezing is usually caused by their pallates being a little longer then normal and when they do a regualr sneeze it irritates it, and it then becomes swollen causing a reverse sneeze. Very common in short snouted breeds. Has the vet checked for nasal mites or worse case scenario, nasal cancer?
The reason he isn't barking could be due to the irritated pallat from the reverse sneezing. You can shorten or end an episode by gently massaging the dog's throat to induce swallowing. You can also briefly pinch the dog's nostrils or place your fingers over its nose so the dog must breathe through its mouth. Although, I wouldn't really consider doing that unless the dog is having unusually long episodes. You could cause more stress on the dog.

And I must ask does this reverse sneeze sound more like a "honking" then a sneeze?
Has your dog gotten into anything that he shouldn't have latley? It almost sounds like he respirated something that is irritating his nose.
Is he up to date on vaccines?

The only thing I can remember is a month or so ago he took a chicken leg out of the garbage, I reached in his throat and it was too late. I retrieved only the anKle part of the leg. The Vet told me he didn't believe the bone had anything to do with the problem and he wasn't going to give the chicken bone another thought. When my dog tries to bark an odd noise does come out, something between a squeek and a grr. Ive been making oatmeal for him because when he eats anything bigger than a small bite size he starts gagging and throws up. There is not much noise to the reverse sneeze except his nostrils fluttering and air sucking in his mouth. The vet did blood work and said the blood work was OK, he sent me home and said see how things go. It has been 3 weeks and slowly getting worse. He is up to date in rabies. The vet tells me when shots are due but e has not had ant in awhile.

Did the vet do x-rays to see if there is anything up there?

Thank you for all of your reponses!No, I just requested that today and he said he would do that next.

good thing, I was going to suggest that you go to another vet. To me it sounds like there is a blockage. You could try feeding him cotton balls to cusion his stomach to help him pass.
I am kind of surprised the vet wouldnt'd have been concerned about the turkey bone...
When does he go into the vet for the x ray?

Tomorrow!

Please let us know how it goes.

Also, we love pictures. :)

It could be kennel cough. Sometimes older dogs will stay sicker longer and get it 10 times worse than a younger dog. If its this bad, you're going to have to get some antibiotics to help kill any bacterial infection. Kennel cough is just like a cold but can turn in to phnemonia very fast. To help sooth the throat you can always give raw honey twice a day along with antibiotics. The live bacteria in raw honey has a lot of healing properties and will help him heal quicker. I use raw honey for kennel cough quite a bit along with antibiotics... usually cepholaxin is prescribed.

This is just a guess...

Please let us know how it goes.

Also, we love pictures. :)

How do I downlove pics on here?

Go to "go advanced" and then there is a little paper clip thingy, you click onthat, and then a screen will pop up allowing you to upload, much like Facebook!

28630

Thanks

Too big! Why do you think?

I don't know the technicalities of the feature LOL,I think you have to resize it.You can resize on this web site IrfanView - Official Homepage - one of the most popular viewers worldwide . But he sure looks CUTE!
The Lab is really prominent eh?
At least in his face.

So... How did the vet visit go?
How did the x rays come back? Was it a blockage?

Well, I got an answer but the doctor says it does not explain the symptoms.
They ex-rayed everything. My dog went under anestesia and they explored everything. The vet found nothing wrong. He ended up giving him a lime disease test which came back positive. He explained to me he gave the test because my dog had been limping and if the lime caused the limping he may have had the disease for a very long time. Starting antibiotics tomorrow! Hope this does the trick. Thanks to all!

Wow lime disease.
Symptoms are un predictable.
Hope he gets better soon! Good luck Coa9492

Since the other symptoms are not usually associated with Lyme Disease I was thinking maybe the other symptoms are happening because his ammune system is breaking down.

Wow, that's a surprising diagnosis. I would never have even considered Lyme disease. I'm so glad that the doctor finally found out what's going on.

By the way, he's a cutie, even if the picture is huge. ;)

Yep, dx is surprising. If lime has been going on for a while, any ideas why your dog wouldn't get IV antibiotics?

No, I wish it would be IV. He is still not eating much, when he tries he throws up before it hits his stomach.
There may be more going on than lyme but the vet can't find it.
He nipped my finger when I was forceing a pill down his throat. It was like I got stuck with a pin. It did bleed, is Lyme contracted by a dog bite in humans?

I watched this documentary on lyme disease in humans, which is completley different from dogs. And I don't know how true it is, but they were syaing there was no cure after it has been in the body for an extended period. And that the side affects from the disease were so unpredictable. Some of the people who were diagnosed (after years of being told that there was nothing wrong with them, and it was a menatl problem) had lost all control of their bodily functions, one was a 40 year old phycology professor, and the affects of the disease had left him pretty much paralyzed almost like the affects of ALS. He couldn't feed himself, wash, talk, etc. And he had the disease for almost 3 years before they went to Canada (he was an American) and a doctor who was studying the disease told him that he was infected. The doctors he was seeing in the US had done almost every test imaginable (except the lyme disease test) and nothing had come up, so they were figuring it was something he was doing to himself. They were suggesting that the family send him to a mental facility. The scary thing about the disease (in humans) was that it was un curable, because the disease constantly mutated. So once the body would build up an anti body to fight the disease it would mutate.
Anyway, I don't think that you can contact from the dog bite, because I know for ticks they have to be in the skin for at least 24 hours to sperad the disease. But I am not a doctor, and I am pretty un familiar with the disease it's self. I do know that it can re-accur after a few month of being cleard from it.
But I pulled up some articloes on the disease if you want to check them out.
Lyme disease in dogs and cats - dog - cat - pet encyclopedia (http://www.pets.ca/encyclopedia/lyme_disease.htm)

WHAT IS LYME DISEASE IN DOGS? - General Topics - ThePetCenter.com - The Internet Animal Hospital (http://www.thepetcenter.com/Article.aspx?id=3513)

Dogs in Canada Lyme disease (http://www.dogsincanada.com/lyme-disease)


I like the last article the best, it's worth a read even if you aren't in Canada.

Thank You very much!

If he's not eating and throwing up, the IV antobiotic is in order.

Pills can be sometimes difficult to give to a dog. Wrapping it into a treat doesn't seem like it would work.

I had to give my dog a thyroid pill forever. Fortunately, the delivery was easy. Drop into his mouth from two feet away. He liked to catch it.

Although dropping it into his mouth and holding it shut sometimes works.

If he still kiles treats like a milk bone dog bisquit, take half of it. And drill a shallow hole in it.

A pilot point drill bit and a variable speed drill would work fine. It leave a flat bottom hole.

Then mix a little bit of flour and water to the consistancy of thick paste.

Use the paste to glue the pill into the bisquit. Use as little as possible. Let dry.

If the drug has to be swallowed whole then this may not work.

I always use a slice or chunk of cheese.
If you have to drop it in his mouth, you can try and rub his throat to stimulate swallowing.

After he recovers we can discuss administering pills, such as for heartworms. Right now he's dehydrated and sick. He needs to be on IV's until he can at least keep water down. You need to tell the vet about the throwing up RIGHT NOW. You can't do this, the vet has to, and almost immediately if the poor animal is to survive.

If you can get him to drink some pedialyte, it would be great,

I agree with Catsmine, he needs vet care now.

As soon as he tries to eat he gags just as it starts to go down causeing my dog to heave and drool and then he has a sneezing fit then back to the gagging and heaving. The food actually does not even in his stomach. I read that if the pharyngeal lymph node is enlarged it can cause this. Im wondering if anyone knows about this and could the lymph node be enlarged from the Lyme Disease.
It also said if a forign object could have gotten in to the pharynx and Manual or endoscopic examination of the interior of the pharynx is necessary.
My vet put my dog under and examined his throat and said everything was fine. He did not know what as causeing the gagging. Does anyone know if a visual exam would show if there was an object in the Pharynx or if an X-ray would show that. What would an Endoscope do that an ex ray would not?

I am thinking that a visual exam would not show this. Endoscopes are more invasive which is good because they can get into nooks and crannies, and show things that a 1-d exray can not.
I may be way off, but do you feel your vet is doing everything possible?
Do you feel that your vet is taking the proper care of your dog that he shouold be? I know that my vet would have never let my dog go home if she were dehydrated, and expenses or not they would have suggestede ANYTHING that may or may not help.
Has the vet considered Laryngeal paralysis from the Lyme disease?

Endoscopy in Dogs (http://www.petplace.com/dogs/endoscopy-in-dogs/page1.aspx)

There is some info on the endoscopic procedure. Basically says it's the next sensible solution when x-rays and exams and blood work doesn't show anything.

Laryngeal paralysis did not cross the Vets mind. In fact I asked a medical doctor what he thought. He thought it could be exactly that. Lyme disease attacks the central nervous system and could cause paralysis.
Two full days on antibiotics, he did drink a good amount of water today in the morning and a few minutes ago.
I tried a variety of meals for him today, mashed boneless chicken and rice,mashed up pancakes, chicken breast hotdogs mashed up and canned condensed milk. He ate half of a pancake and a mashed hot dog without throwing up. YEA!
From what I have read and not being able to walk very well it seems he is in the third stage, not good. I wish the vet thought to test him for this a month ago. I guess the symptons did not fit the disease. Thanks for all of your help and support!

Get him some Pedialyte too.

I hope your dog gets better. It's a rough fight, even for humans. I knew one person who got Lyme disease. It wasn't fun.

Thank you!

Buck is not with us anymore.

Sounds like your dog has laryngeal paralysis! It is the main condition that leads to a change in the bark. It is common in older labradors. Other symptoms include coughing & wretching, especially after eating and drinking. Often dogs will regurgitate food into their nose which can lead to sniffing/ sneezing.
I think kennel cough is less likely at this age, and a cough would be the major symptom. Sometimes the coughing can be followed by a wretch which can be confused with vomiting. Without being controversial, I would be worried if honey did contain bacteria! One propertly of honey is its sterilty in its medicinal use, and typcially antibiotics are not need in kennel cough. Cephalosporins have poor penentration into bronchial fluids so wouldn't be an idea choice - just for your information.
I hope he's feeling better by now.

For some reason the OP's two threads were never merged. On her other thread they explained that their dog Buck passed away from complications from the Lyme disease. And they explained that I the post right before yours.

My sincere apologies. Did not see that Buck had passed away -i am very sorry.

Thank you,I kept telling the vet Buck had Laryngeral Paralysis caused from nerological problems from the Lyme Disease.The vets kept looking for something else wasting valuable time. He was on Doxycycline and was barking and eating again in 4 days,I received a call from my vet,he was changing the meds to Dexamethazone & Clindamycin. I should not have listened but I was so confused.The Vet let me know my dog had Panosteitis which I now know is not possible.I took him to another Vet questioning the steroid. She did every test and decided it was the Lyme. She cut the Steroid med in half to wean him off and now back on Doxycycline. I believe the steroids finished him off. #3 vet took the steroids away it was to late for Buck. He was aspirating water and his bones had deteriated, he was dying. It haunts me when I know he was barking,eating and walking. I didn't follow my heart and keep him on the Doxy.Steroids prevented his recovery .

Thank you,I kept telling the vet Buck had Laryngeral Paralysis caused from nerological problems from the Lyme Disease.The vets kept looking for something else wasting valuable time. He was on Doxycycline and was barking and eating again in 4 days,I received a call from my vet,he was changing the meds to Dexamethazone & Clindamycin. I should not have listened but I was so confused.The Vet let me know my dog had Panosteitis which I now know is not possible.I took him to another Vet questioning the steroid. She did every test and decided it was the Lyme. She cut the Steroid med in half to wean him off and now back on Doxycycline. I believe the steroids finished him off. #3 vet took the steroids away it was to late for Buck. He was aspirating water and his bones had deteriated, he was dying. It haunts me when I know he was barking,eating and walking. I didn't follow my heart and keep him on the Doxy.Steroids prevented his recovery .

I am so sorry Coa. My heart goes out to you.

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's always hard to lose a loved one.

I Remember

I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying. You found it hard to sleep.

I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."

I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times your hands reached down to me.

I was with you at the shops today. Your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.

I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care.
I want to re-assure you, that I'm not lying there.

I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said "It's me."

You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.

It's possible for me to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."

You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew...
in the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

The day is over... I smile and watch you yawning
and say "Good-night, God bless, I'll see you in the morning."

And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side.

I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out... then come home to be with me.

Author unknown

Alty, I'm crying now.(