yellowgirl

At the time, all I had were pretty much what you've got vet, meds, nebuliser, 4litres of cola to keep me awake and a manual restart whenever he needed it. I even set up a little tented area like you have! :) The vaporiser faced directly at him during the worst part, it seemed to help him a tiny bit more. Since then the rescue owns a nebuliser and it's worth it. With most of your rescues being quite tiny and elderly compromised animals I'd look into it. :) Baytril can be nebulised too afaik. I really appreciate you posting Powerlegs, I know you're busy with your own special seniors but it's so great to have someone with your experience and understanding of the issues checking in on our little Chester. It really does mean a lot, thank you :) xx And THIS is why we do what we do He is just the sweetest thing Powerlegs! Wonderful, wonderful job. xx just noticed that his name is Lucky. He sure was :)

Chester walking around. You can see that his front left leg is still quite weak and he's still a bit wobbly in general. The yawn/lip licking is because of me sticking the camera in his face. Chester when he's awake/resting.

I agree Nekhbet, the last time we had a dog with a nasal infection the Baytril knocked it within two days. It's been 5 days now and there's no noticeable improvement. I've added your suggestions to my notes. xx

Thank you so much for posting Powerlegs. I know how much you would have gone through to get your boy healthy. If Chester does have a similar issue, I feel a bit more positive about getting him better. I'll ask the vet about a nebuliser - did you use one for your boy or was it just a matter of manually keeping him upright and breathing? Thanks Marg, all good thoughts are appreciated :)

Such a severe infection could also probably warrant IV antibiotics and a drip to ensure a proper dose is being received. Thank you so much Nekhbet, I've printed this out for the vet tomorrow.xx I agree, it's a great link, thank you mita. I've printed off all the headings for my vet to look through. xx Such a severe infection could also probably warrant IV antibiotics and a drip to ensure a proper dose is being received. I looked up Morganella too... and the nasal swab tests indicated which drugs seemed to smack it about - the ones that had 2 S's might be effective... Poor little man... I sure hope the vet can make him feel better soon - if only to let him get some much needed uninterrupted sleep. YG - can you plant a kiss on his forehead from me please? And tell him that Aunty Tracey says he's got to be nice to the vet so he can help him get better soon. T. He's on Baytril, tdierikx, it's 50mg Enroflaxacin (has 2 S's) and he has a quarter tab at night. I will certainly give him a kiss from you, Aunty Tracey, and will pass on the message :)

My computer is slow today, looks like the videos will take about an hour to load. I'll get the bubs fed and medicated and read some of the links in the meantime. xx

Thanks for the link, mita, I'll have a look when I get a minute. I have a couple of bubs here that also like a pillow, or their head resting higher up, same as your girl, no reason, they just like it :)

Me too. xx

Thank you so much for your message Marion, I really appreciate it. Sorry I haven't managed to reply yet, I'm glad you posted it here though as it may be helpful for anyone else who's going through something similar. I'm hoping to have Chester fully and completely checked under anaesthetic tomorrow. I'm so very sorry for what you and your little one went through *hugs*. xx I'll grab some more blankets, tdierikx, and make a bit of a surrounding pillow for him. xx

I'm going to ask for xrays tomorrow westiemum. I would also like him to be sedated for a thorough nose/throat check. I want proper answers now, there's something wrong and I'm worried that it's more than just a nasal infection. I haven't caught up with what's happened with your darling Mac but I will check the thread a little later. I should add too that your thread helped me a lot with Raffi's onset of dementia and he's now on Vivitonin. xx That poor dog and his poor owners Chester's breathing is different to this and it's not constant. I've taken a couple more videos and will upload them shortly.xx It's hard to see his gums Cody as he gets quite stressed when anyone fiddles with his mouth. I know he can't do too much damage with his two teeth but it stresses him out to the point that he can't breath. I'll get the vet to check properly tomorrow. His tongue is pink if that helps. xx You've had such a rough time with Mac lately westiemum, he's so lucky to have you I think he's more comfortable upright because his mouth is open a bit that way, mita, although you may be right, it could also be the position he's in which makes it easier for him to get more air. I have another little Pom here as well, another senior boy with all sorts of issues including night time seizures. Luckily we've been able to get to the bottom of everything and he's on all the right meds. He's not technically adoptable, but he has a great quality of life now. I was advised by some people to have him put to sleep because we struggled for a while getting to the bottom of his issues. The expense, the heartache, the sleepless nights, they were all worth it, and he's very happy and pretty healthy now, especially considering how sick he was before, I just want the same thing for Chester. xx Don't know, Cody. But I notice there's saliva dripping. Laryngeal paralysis wouldn't make it easy to swallow. It's also constant. Not coming in episodes because the paralysis exists all the time. Yes blue is a symptom as is high CO2 levels. These dogs are not getting O2 which can lead to all sorts of things eg fainting. Actually paralysis can be progressive - it can be underlying until its suddenly clinically obvious. So it can seem episodic to start with - particularly if there is an underlying more generalised neurological cause as is starting to be seen in these dogs - GOLPP. Swallowing is an eosaphageal not tracheal function although the 'cap' at the top of the trachea ( airway) - the epiglottis- covers the top of the airway during swallowing to prevent solids and liquids entering the airway. Hope that helps. ( I'm an ex- Speechie ) Chester doesn't have saliva dripping, but that's not to say that he's not actually experiencing some form of laryngeal paralysis. Thanks for the extra info westiemum. xx

Thank you Cody. xx I'll ask our vet tomorrow Gallomph. As you say, correct pressures, etc would need to be considered. I'm glad it worked for your little one and he pulled though :) Chester is currently in a covered crate with the front open for the steam to come through as well as air flow. xx Not suggesting it.... but just out of interest ... Pets America sell pet oxygen masks. I notice on their list, someone from Victoria bought one. Interesting video of 2 fire emergency officers demonstrating how to use one. With a big cooperative dog! http://www.petsamerica.org/programs.html Here's hoping that Chester can get a clear diagnosis. I would get one in a second if I thought Chester would be the slightest bit cooperative, mita. He would fight to the death if anything was put over his face poor little love. xx

Thank you Anne. xx

Sometimes it just takes one little thing to make you smile to get you through the rest of the day ... here's Chester in his own cosy little ICU area... and Madeline, Sarge, Pepper, Jordie, Dreamy, Jimmy and Daisy stuffed into one dog bed :) Our other dear little old Pom boy, Raffi, seems to be the only one who's worked out that there are heat pads in the dog beds in the lounge room - and he's the one with dementia :)

I'll ask our vet tomorrow Gallomph. As you say, correct pressures, etc would need to be considered. I'm glad it worked for your little one and he pulled though :) Chester is currently in a covered crate with the front open for the steam to come through as well as air flow. xx

Here's the results of Chester's nasal swab... And his blood panel results... I hope you can see the details properly. Happy to re-write anything that needs clarification. xx eta. there should be a little magnifying glass at the bottom that will enlarge the pics.

I was thinking that myself but you need to do a bronchial lavage and as it's highly risky you'd probably want him a little more stable. Is it worth asking them to run an ECG while he's there? Gawd, that sounds pretty intense SnT. I have Aspergillus on my list now so I'll ask the vet about it tomorrow. I'll ask the vet to run any and every test that Chester might need if it will help him. xx

This is always the hardest and most expensive part of the process Kirislin.. but these little ones are so worth it I always have a little bit of $$ set aside for emergencies but I think a fundraiser might be in order in the very near future. Would you believe that the emergency vet didn't even charge me this time?? The receptionist was only doing her job by saying that Chester should come in if he's having breathing difficulties but the vet felt bad that they couldn't do any more for him than last time. I was still very glad that I took him in, the vet did put my mind at ease that I was doing everything possible for him until we can see our own vet tomorrow. I've given her some beautiful karma :) xx He won't sleep on his side by himself tdierikx, only if he's on my lap. He seems most comfortable when I hold him upright. The emergency vet mentioned apnoea but it's not true apnoea, it's because he's not getting enough oxygen and he's so tired. He only has two teeth but our vet was able to get a better look at them when he had his blood tests and they're not infected. They do need a clean as they have some tartar buildup but there's no gum disease and they can wait until he's under for desexing. Yep, it is like torture watching him and not being able to do anything except make sure he's awake enough to get enough breath. I think he's a pretty tough little bloke though and if it's something we're able to fix and manage, he'll be okay. xx I'm not sure schnauzer, is it a separate test? I have the results of his nasal swab here, I'll post them in a minute. xx Thanks sas, he is a little fighter. Based on the condition he was in when he came in, he's been neglected for a very long time, but his plucky little spirit is still there and I want him to have every chance possible of recovery. Thank you for the Separation Anxiety info you sent a little while ago too, sorry I didn't get a chance to thank you earlier. xx Me too. I didn't watch the videos . Bless you, yellowgirl. Your courage, care and compassion are truly exemplary. Wish there were more like you. :love: Get better, little Pom. You are in truly loving hands now. Thank you Danny's Darling. If there's a chance of him getting better we'll find it. These frail little ones get my heart every time and I'm so glad that Chester is here and finally has someone to care about him. xx Thank you dogmad, I know you understand what I do and why and I appreciate your support. xx Thank you for the prayers Rosetta, I'll take whatever I can get at the moment. The emergency vet didn't think it was tracheal related, especially after watching him drink on the video. I've had a couple of bubs with collapsing tracheas and their symptoms are different to Chester's. Will definitely get the vet to check properly tomorrow though. xx

One little bit of good news is that Chester weighed 2.1kgs today. He was 1.6kgs when he first came into care.

Thanks megan, always happy to have random tips :)

Thank goodness I kept them on my camera, the vet found them very helpful. I also had a video on there of him passing out and having to be 'revived', and having the start of a seizure when he came out of it. It's too distressing to post but it shows what happens when he doesn't wake himself up and how he can go into a seizure from lack of oxygen. All three videos gave the vet quite a lot of information on what was happening. Thanks donatella. xx Unfortunately there was nothing they could do The vet said that I was doing everything that she would have recommended to keep him comfortable until Monday. He's not aspirating, and it's not croup or collapsing trachea. His nasal issues may be a secondary infection, possibly masking the main problem - whatever that may be. The only way to find out is to put him under anaesthetic and do a thorough search of his nose and throat. Hopefully I can get him in on Monday for this with our regular vet. The emergency vet felt that he would be okay until Monday, particularly as he's been coping with the symptoms for quite a while already. I need to keep him upright as much as possible as he finds it easier to breath in that position. Oh, I forgot to add that the vet didn't want to give him any other medication due to the fact that we don't actually know for sure what may be causing the problem or how other meds might affect what he's currently on. Anything that might cause drowsiness or have a sedative effect is out of the question. All I can do is keep him as comfortable as possible and make sure that he's getting enough oxygen.

Thanks T&S. Okay, we're heading off to the emergency vet, I just can't wait helplessly until Monday. I hope they can at least help make him more comfortable this time.

It would make him cough if it was going into his lungs though wouldn't it? His heart and lungs were both good. I'll ring the emergency vet now and ask about antihistamines and bendryl. They would have his records there from Tuesday's visit and should have some idea of what would be safe to try for the weekend. I hate the thought of having to wait yet another day for our regular vet to see him. Yeah , better to ask them now if can :) so both of you can get some rest infected sinus can be terrible Emergency vet couldn't recommend anything except to bring him in. I said that he was worse on Tuesday when I brought him in before and they couldn't find anything specific or do anything for him then except give him an anti inflammatory injection. I asked if they could do anything for him if I brought him in now and the receptionist said she thought that there would be options to make him more comfortable. I'm thinking of just going in again, at least I'll feel like I'm doing something.

I'll ring the emergency vet now and ask about antihistamines and bendryl. They would have his records there from Tuesday's visit and should have some idea of what would be safe to try for the weekend. I hate the thought of having to wait yet another day for our regular vet to see him.

His heart is really good gillbear. xx That's good. He may be seizing due to lack of oxygen. I use children's benadryl @ .2ml/kg for kennel cough. Maybe give him something that will dry up the secretions for the night. If it is a serious sinus infection there may be a large cavity involved. Good luck, I hope he can be put right very soon. Does he cough after drinking? You may be looking at an aspiration? It's not knowing exactly what he needs that's so hard gillbear. He's on Mucodyne to help break up any mucous, so I'm not sure that we should be drying it up while we're trying to clear his nose out. I'm hesitant to give him anything else without talking to our vet first. He does cough after drinking, aspiration is another good suggestion for Monday, thank you. edited to add - yes, the seizures are due to the lack of oxygen. Would a sinus infection cause this kind of trouble with breathing?

Hi T&S, I discussed croup with the emergency vet, the symptoms don't fit and he doesn't have the right cough. He occasionally has a bit of a cough after taking his deep breaths but not the hacking/barking cough of croup. He's certainly not getting enough air especially when he's asleep. He does lick a lot after eating and most especially after drinking. He also does it after a bad attack. Often there's some nasal discharge at these times as well. He seems to be breathing through his nose more than before but it's still extremely snuffly and definitely not enough air going in. The vet said the vaporiser will do the same job as shower steam. I did have him in the bathroom with me the other night when I was in desperate need of one of those ultra long, hot showers and got the whole bathroom really steamed up, but it made no more difference than the vaporiser. Good suggestion about possible tracheal issues, I'll mention it to the vet on Monday. xx