[ayashe]

My mom is in town for a holiday visit. She brought with her.. a small sweet little dog named Little Bit whom we rescued last year and took to her as a gift.

We have been to 3 vets, because the dog is coughing. This little 4 pound dog, coughs so hard, her back end comes up toward her head! It is one of the saddest things I have ever seen. It becomes MUCH worse after she consumes water, or is active in any way or gets excited. She is eating fine, doing her potty habits.. but coughs, and "pants"...

The vets took x-rays, prescribed antibiotics and cough syrup and says she has a touch of bronchitis. This all started in another state November 11. The vets in the other state even gave her a certificate of health to fly on a large airliner. So in summary she has been on antibiotics for over a month, and is not getting better. We are going to visit my vet tomorrow, (we just saw her a few days ago) and will most likely get predinsone. All of this coughing started a day or two after a trip to a groomer in my mom's home town.

PLEASE any advice on what we should be asking the vet to look for? It's almost as if the poor baby has something stuck, or obstruction. So sad she sits there coughing while licking your hand, with the most precious puppy dog eyes staring at your for help.

[Sariss]

What kind of dog is it?

Maybe it's collapsing trachea. Does she do it after she exercises?
Does she sometimes make honking noises?

[ayashe]

I haven't heard her honk.. she is only 4 pounds.. so any sounds are sometimes hard to hear. She does it after any kind of "movement" or "excitement" and she really does it hard after drinking water. The vets guess her age between 1 and 2.. But no one can really be sure.. she was found last year wandering by the river in very bad shape. My mom has had her almost a year, and everything has been fine up to now. She is current on shots, worming, medications... everything. The x-rays do show something on her lung, but a month of treatment, she should have been getting better.. she is Caring (?) Terrier and chihuahua, the best we can tell.

[plonak]

Maybe she has kennel cough

[shazamataz]

It is possible that she had kennel cough and it has turned in pneumonia although it is uncommon if the kennel cough was treated when symptoms first showed.

What did the vet say about the abnormality on the lung x-ray?
Did it look like a mass or infection?

[ayashe]

Like bronchitis... no mass... no pneumonia... we are taking her in this afternoon (had a human emergency this morning) I fear she has something stuck that is not showing on x ray or her trach is or has collapsed... very sad

[Alty]

I was going to guess kennel cough as well, it's highly contagious and if one of the dogs at the groomer had it, it's likely your little girl picked it up.

It could be that the meds the vet prescribed aren't powerful enough to cure this infection. Also, you have to make sure to give the recommended doses and finish all the meds prescribed. Not that you didn't, but I know it's often hard to remember to give the meds, so maybe you missed a few? Just a thought.

Please let us know what the vet says. Make sure you give all info to the vet, write it down so you won't forget anything.

Good luck.

[ayashe]

My mom was very faithful with the medications. Her dog is doing MUCH better... we were told it was a collapsed trachea (slight) and her heart is a bit enlarged... Thank you all for you advice

[shazamataz]

I'm glad to hear she is doing better!

[Lucky098]

I would have guess heartworms... But I'm glad your dog is better