Pomeranian Having Trouble Breathing

[yellowgirl]

Hi everyone,

We had a very badly neglected Pomeranian boy come into care about two weeks ago. At the time he had a nasal infection and was put on Clavulox antibiotics. After 10 days with no improvement we had a nasal swab done. It came back as nothing particularly serious but was resistant to Clavulox, so he's been on Baytril since Tuesday, as well as Mucodyne tablets to help break down the mucous. I've also bought a vaporiser and had that going 24/7 for the past 4 days. He was at the emergency vet in the early hours of Tuesday morning after really struggling to breathe and having two seizures. There wasn't much they could do except give him an anti inflammatory injection which didn't make much difference anyway.

His breathing is worse at night time, he really struggles for breath and has been having at least one seizure a night. I thought at first that it was when he closed his mouth that his nose being blocked didn't allow him to get enough oxygen, but even when I hold him upright so his mouth is open, he still struggles for breath. He has had a little bit of discharge from his nose and last night he was snoring a bit and breathing through his nose to some degree but still struggled all night and also had 2 seizures The vet thinks it's all due to his nose being blocked but I think there has to be something else going on here. Our last foster had a really bad nasal infection but had no trouble sleeping and the Baytril knocked it on the head after about 2 days (she'd also had a nasal swab after the Clavulox hadn't worked and she actually had a pretty serious infection).

Does anyone have any ideas or advice? This little guy is just breaking my heart and I can't stand to see him like this. There should have been some improvement by now if it was just a blocked nose, surely? I want to take him to the vet first thing on Monday, does anyone have any ideas of what else can be done for him? Does it sound like more than just a blocked nose to you? If so, what else could we be looking at and what do I need to ask my vet on Monday?

Not sure if this is related but he was malnourished when he came in and still has trouble using his front left leg properly. He's on Nutro puppy tinned and dry food (all natural, no preservatives), he has additional omega and vitamin E oils as well as Nutrigel with each meal.

The steam you can see is from the vaporiser. You can also see discharge from his nose, so it can't be completely blocked.

This video shows the trouble he has drinking. He's okay when he eats though. Don't worry about watching it to the end, I was trying to get close up to see if he had any discharge from his nose.

Could he have issues with his sinus, throat or palate? It was very hard for the vets to do a proper examination as Chester was very snarly during the examinations and the best we could work out was that he had two teeth!

edited to add that he also has a short and misaligned bottom jaw.

Also that he's on puppy food at the moment for the extra nutrients but he's actually a senior boy and would be at least 10 years of age.

There's more information on Chester on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LittleLegsDogRescue

Edited July 8, 2013 by yellowgirl

[gillbear]

That is one seriously ill boy, he will get much worse when he runs out of energy. Are you sure it isn't his heart, he may be in heart failure. If he was mine I would be straight to the vets.

Edited July 6, 2013 by gillbear

[Tara and Sam]

I have been watching Chester on FB

I am not a Vet but someone mentioned Croup on the page and might be worth a check with the vet

I dont recall if you have mentioned a cough with him on there

but the way he takes deep breaths in the first video , seems like he doesnt appear to be getting enough air in causeing his deep breaths

maybe he doesnt have the nasty cough , but more in the trachea are causing his breathing issue

the 2nd video he licking alot , does he appear stressed ? as when my girl gets anxious or stressed she licks like Chester does

and sinus problems could taker few days to clear between ear / nose and throat area

can you hear him breathing through his nose ok ?

the vaporiser is good idea , but have you tried him in the bathroom with steam from hot shower

I know that helped me as a child with croup , eased the nose and throat

plus the old fashion remedy for humans

Hope he gets bettter soon , and you doing a great job with him :)

Croup refers to an infection of the upper airway, generally in children, which obstructs breathing and causes a characteristic barking cough.

The cough and other symptoms of croup are the result of inflammation around the vocal cords (larynx), windpipe (trachea) and bronchial tubes (bronchi). When a cough forces air through this narrowed passage, the swollen vocal cords produce a noise similar to a seal barking. Likewise, taking a breath often produces a high-pitched whistling sound (stridor).

[yellowgirl]

That is one seriously ill boy, he will get much worse when he runs out of energy. Are you sure it isn't his heart, he may be in heart failure. If he was mine I would be straight to the vets.

His heart is really good gillbear. xx

[gillbear]

That is one seriously ill boy, he will get much worse when he runs out of energy. Are you sure it isn't his heart, he may be in heart failure. If he was mine I would be straight to the vets.

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?

Edited July 6, 2013 by gillbear

[yellowgirl]

I have been watching Chester on FB

I am not a Vet but someone mentioned Croup on the page and might be worth a check with the vet

I dont recall if you have mentioned a cough with him on there

but the way he takes deep breaths in the first video , seems like he doesnt appear to be getting enough air in causeing his deep breaths

maybe he doesnt have the nasty cough , but more in the trachea are causing his breathing issue

the 2nd video he licking alot , does he appear stressed ? as when my girl gets anxious or stressed she licks like Chester does

and sinus problems could taker few days to clear between ear / nose and throat area

can you hear him breathing through his nose ok ?

the vaporiser is good idea , but have you tried him in the bathroom with steam from hot shower

I know that helped me as a child with croup , eased the nose and throat

plus the old fashion remedy for humans

Hope he gets bettter soon , and you doing a great job with him :)

Croup refers to an infection of the upper airway, generally in children, which obstructs breathing and causes a characteristic barking cough.

The cough and other symptoms of croup are the result of inflammation around the vocal cords (larynx), windpipe (trachea) and bronchial tubes (bronchi). When a cough forces air through this narrowed passage, the swollen vocal cords produce a noise similar to a seal barking. Likewise, taking a breath often produces a high-pitched whistling sound (stridor).

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

[yellowgirl]

That is one seriously ill boy, he will get much worse when he runs out of energy. Are you sure it isn't his heart, he may be in heart failure. If he was mine I would be straight to the vets.

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?

Edited July 6, 2013 by yellowgirl

[Tara and Sam]

Another thought also to ask vet

maybe a antihistamine might help with Sinus ? congestion for him

I know with some sinus sufferer's ( and I ) that antihistamines eases the sinus tracks , and as gillbear suggested Benadryl is good

Poor darling having a rough trot with it

[yellowgirl]

Another thought also to ask vet

maybe a antihistamine might help with Sinus ? congestion for him

I know with some sinus sufferer's ( and I ) that antihistamines eases the sinus tracks , and as gillbear suggested Benadryl is good

Poor darling having a rough trot with it

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.

[Tara and Sam]

That is one seriously ill boy, he will get much worse when he runs out of energy. Are you sure it isn't his heart, he may be in heart failure. If he was mine I would be straight to the vets.

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?

If he has a sinus infection

starting from the nose and post nasal drip etc then it goes to chest or lung area

so clearing it or breaking it up from the chest area is good but also needs to stop it dripping down throat to chest

yes those breathing issues can be from a sinus attack

nose blocked from congestion , also dripping down throat into chest also collecting mucas , heavy mucas then causing breathing problems

Benadryl can be given at night time , just for easing problems so can sleep easier

did the vet say his lungs were rattly or clear ?

and sinus infections can get worse at night due to cold air

check it out with vet

[Tara and Sam]

Another thought also to ask vet

maybe a antihistamine might help with Sinus ? congestion for him

I know with some sinus sufferer's ( and I ) that antihistamines eases the sinus tracks , and as gillbear suggested Benadryl is good

Poor darling having a rough trot with it

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

[yellowgirl]

If he has a sinus infection

starting from the nose and post nasal drip etc then it goes to chest or lung area

so clearing it or breaking it up from the chest area is good but also needs to stop it dripping down throat to chest

yes those breathing issues can be from a sinus attack

nose blocked from congestion , also dripping down throat into chest also collecting mucas , heavy mucas then causing breathing problems

Benadryl can be given at night time , just for easing problems so can sleep easier

did the vet say his lungs were rattly or clear ?

and sinus infections can get worse at night due to cold air

check it out with vet

It would make him cough if it was going into his lungs though wouldn't it?

His heart and lungs were both good.

Another thought also to ask vet

maybe a antihistamine might help with Sinus ? congestion for him

I know with some sinus sufferer's ( and I ) that antihistamines eases the sinus tracks , and as gillbear suggested Benadryl is good

Poor darling having a rough trot with it

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.

[Tara and Sam]

As I said before I not a vet but have suffered croup and sinus over years and know how uncomfortable it can be

It would make him cough if it was going into his lungs though wouldn't it?

His heart and lungs were both good

Not always . like a person has bronchitis , the muscos can settle but only have a slight cough ,depending how congested it is

Vet said lungs were clear so "maybe " the mucos from the nose is " clogging" up the throat area ( like a froggy throat we humans can get )

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

Might be a good idea if they can make Chester more comfortable

2nd opnions certainly dont hurt when worried

[yellowgirl]

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.

[gillbear]

Show the vet the videos if you can yg. That way they will be able to see what he is doing when he is relaxed. Good luck

[Tara and Sam]

Dont forget to mention aspiration or ask about it as gillbear mentioned also

Good luck and hopefully they can make Chester feel more comfortable

[Guest donatella]

Good luck little Chester, poor mite, keep us posted

[yellowgirl]

Show the vet the videos if you can yg. That way they will be able to see what he is doing when he is relaxed. Good luck

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.

Good luck little Chester, poor mite, keep us posted

Thanks donatella. xx

Dont forget to mention aspiration or ask about it as gillbear mentioned also

Good luck and hopefully they can make Chester feel more comfortable

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.

Edited July 6, 2013 by yellowgirl

[megan_]

Just a random tip. Make sure his water isn't cold (this triggers my asthma) and occasionally give him some warm homemade chicken stock).

[yellowgirl]

Just a random tip. Make sure his water isn't cold (this triggers my asthma) and occasionally give him some warm homemade chicken stock).

Thanks megan, always happy to have random tips :)