# Update: its pneumonia Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?



## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

For about the last week Berkeley has had the occasional cough. Two nights ago he woke up at about 3am and threw up some food, a little thin stick, and what looked like little pieces of a leaf. He hasn't throw up since and his coughing wasn't getting worse.

Until today, we went to the dog park like usual and now he all of a sudden seems to have gotten worse. He is gagging a bit, nothing is coming up (even after he ate lunch). Now he is being very tired/lathargic and has bouts of shaking. At first we thought he was just shivering from being out in the cold but it keeps coming and going. I went to the store to get a humidifier to see if that helps with the coughing.

He also seems to be breathing a bit hard, not panting but noticeable.

The vet is closed today or I would call them. It doesn't seem like the time to call the emergency number but any advice from you guys would be appreciated.

He hasn't been boarded anywhere recently but he did go to a dog swimming pool a couple times in the last couple weeks and regularly goes to the dog park.

As we speak, he just threw up his lunch from a couple hours ago, looks like the whole cup full too.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

*Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?*

As soon as your Vet's office opens up in the morning, I think you should take Berkeley in. Call them and see if they can't fit you in somehow.

It could be kennel cough, I suppose. I don't know. The vet will be able to figure that out. OR Berkeley could have something stuck in his GI track and have a blockage. If he threw up a little piece of stick, he could have a bigger piece of stick somehow lodged in there. We know something's not right, and it's always better to err on the side of caution. I wouldn't just hope it gets better by itself. So off to the vet with Berkeley. Hope he feels better soon!! 

p.s. I know you probably would have taken him in anyway... Please keep us posted.


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

*Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?*

Do you think we should call the emergency number?

The stick piece didn't seem like part of a bigger one, it was more of a shaving, they are all over the place in the dog park we go to, but I suppose it could be another one.

Unless he is back to normal by the morning we will be calling at 8:00am. It seams like he is acting like a human would with a cold. Do dogs get colds?

His stools have been normal too lately.


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## DixiesMom (Feb 5, 2009)

*Help! Possible kennel cough?*

The lethargy and chills concern me. One of my girls recently had kennel cough, the phlemy cough being the only symptom. I wow at least call the ER vet and explain what's going on.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

*Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?*

Yes, dogs get colds! A coworker's 4 year old golden recently got a cold. 

http://www.petmd.com/dog/seasonal/evr_dg_cold_germs_and_your_dog 


Call the vet and get it checked out!


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## Kay92 (Oct 19, 2012)

*Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?*

This sounds just like Riley when he had kennel cough. You should definitely talk to your vet first thing in the morning.


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

*Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?*

UPDATE:

We called the vet's emergency number just to talk to him and he said it sounded like a light case of pneumonia and since he is 35lbs he could probably wait until the morning but he said if we were worried we could call the 24 hour hospital they are affiliated with.

For our own sanity we took him up to the emergency hospital and they did some x-rays, sure enough its pneumonia. He said "there was more than I would have expected from the way he looks, so there is definitely some pneumonia in there". It didnt sound terminal or anything by the way he was talking so thats good.

But they are keeping him overnight and doing a culture, IV fluids, and IV antibiotics. We are going to transfer him down to our regular vet in the morning. $2100 . . . so far. 

Not a fun night.


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## KB87 (Jan 30, 2012)

*Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?*

Poor Berkeley! Glad you were able to get him in and get answers. He's in the right place and is getting what he needs to kick this. Unfortunately those ER vets are SO expensive. Any chance you have insurance for him?

I feel like any that could go wrong with a pup on this forum always happens when the vet is closed.


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

*Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?*

No insurance unfortunately.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

*Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?*

YIKES!! $2100. seems like a LOT! But you know what's the matter now, and the problem can be addressed... so that's worth a lot. Glad you found out! Please keep us posted and let us know how his recovery is going, giandaliajr.


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

*Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?*

UPDATE:

We picked up the berk-ster this morning and he was looking a bit better. We took him down to our regular vet and he is staying there for the day and hopefully coming home tonight. The vet said something interesting, that pneumonia is pretty rare for vizsla's. He said that berkeley didnt look like a sick dog, which is good. I think he is a strong little guy.

The consensus is that he had kennel cough last week and it turned into pneumonia. The emergency vet said that even if we had him treated for his cough it wouldnt make a difference. I guess that although its the same bacteria it just went into his lungs and that's what created the pneumonia. Interesting to keep in mind in the future. I highly doubt our regular vet (who errors on the side of not putting unneeded substances in pets) would have even treated the kennel cough.

The other theory is that when he threw up a few days ago in the middle of the night he may have inhaled some of it into his lungs and that started it. I think we will know more after we talk to our normal vet again later on today.


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## KB87 (Jan 30, 2012)

*Re: Help! Possible kennel cough?*

I wonder if pneumonia is rare in Vs period, or if seeing a V is rare itself, let alone one with pneumonia. Just thinking out loud.

Glad Berkeley is on his way to his normal vet. He'll be ready to snuggle as soon as he gets home!


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

Please hear me some ;D

and yes with the medications maybe was CEPHALLEXIN on this is a must

Remember these medications kill the good stuff and wellness as well and can kill the bug in the lung and make the pup weaker

You must add flora ProBiotics back.

You keep him or her on these his comeback 4x faster

and Vets tell you none on why this happens just take the drugs :

We wins let him take some time on his comeback

spoil the mates some


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## Emily1970 (Apr 21, 2011)

The same thing happened to our Riley when he was about 8 months. He developed kennel cough, we took him to the vet and were told that it would run its course. They gave us meds to control the cough and sent us home. Two days later we're rushing him in and he had pneumonia. He was on meds for 2 months. I sure hope your V gets better soon!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Rudy said:


> Please hear me some ;D
> 
> and yes with the medications maybe was CEPHALLEXIN on this is a must
> 
> ...


 I guess my vet is not normal then. 
She always tell me to do this if the dogs are placed on antibiotics.
You've gotta keep the dogs digestive system strong.


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

GREAT THATS GOOD NEWS ;D

WESTERN MEDS IS ABOUT 20 YEARS BEHIND THE 8 BALL

AND TEX THANKS FOR SHARING THIS WITH US 

THE LIVER THE GUTS THE PARTS AND STARTER TO THE BUS 

NOT JUST FOODS, VETS, HANDLES OR BLOOD 

CHAMPS COME FROM DOING ;D


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

UPDATE:

So we brought Berkeley home last night and he was acting great. I would say 80/90% of normal. He did well last night, slept though the night. Versus 10% normal the night we took him in. He was running a fever of 103.1 so I have a feeling thats the main reason why he was very lethargic. The fever went down by the morning. 

I attached the hospital invoice that details what they did to him for future searchers. I didnt find a lot on pneumonia when i tried to search the form so hopefully this helps someone.

But he had a total of three doses of UNASYN (antibiotic), two at the hospital and one at our regular vet thought an IV. Our vet switched him to an oral so we could do it at home. Right now he is taking BAYTRIL (chewable flavored tab - but Berk just swallowed that thing whole no questions asked like all of his other treats) and AZITHROMYCIN (cherry flavored liquid that gets squirted in his mouth) once a day until the culture comes back and they figure out if he should continue taking them, just one, or a different combination.

Luckily our vet is looking out for us, so it was only another $300 but he will have to go back in in 7-14 days to get a follow-up x-ray to be compared to the original. 

He said the dog park most likely caused the initial infection and he has seen a few cases of respiratory infection lately. He still didnt know if it was the kennel cough that developed into the lungs or if it was from aspiration after he vomited from coughing a couple days prior. Either way it started with KC at the dog park.


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