dry cough - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Joysie · 12-12-2005, 10:21 AM

Ok..
Straszny is 2 1/2 mo. old, and I have had him for about 3 weeks. I have noticed that he coughs....a LOT. He has sort or a dry cough, but I mentioned this at the vet when he got his 2nd shot, but she said it was probably kennel cough, or a form of it, and in 7-10 days, it would go away. Well, it has been far longer than that, and I called the vet back today, and made another apt. with a different doctor for tomorrow. Straszny seems perfectly fine in all other ways..he is gaining weight well, he is almost 3 pounds and when I got him he was 2, he plays well and sleeps well...getting up once a night to go to the bathroom.

BUT...
he has even gotten to the point where sometimes he will be sleeping and starts this croup like cough...5 times or so, the poor guy looks so distressed, and then he is fine! he acts like nothing happened, and he doesn't cough anything up. I have looked and felt inside of his mouth, and nothing.
I am getting very worried, because I don't know what to do! The receptionist at the vet said sometimes they need medicine to get over the cough if they have it (and it REALLY irritates me that he had this when I got him, he hasn't been around other dogs, so he must have).
I am also worried though that it could be a more serious problem such as his trachea or something of the sort....
Has anyone else dealt with this?

whispersmom2 · 12-12-2005, 01:57 PM

Hopefully, you just need more moisture in the air in your home. Allergies--air-borne or food- could play a part. There could be a wee problem with thesoft palate being a bit long. I always think of collapsing trachea when I hear this described, but antibiotics, cough prep, humidity might clear your baby right up..Let us know what the vet says..

ladyt · 12-12-2005, 02:02 PM

Hopefully they find out what the problem is real soon. Keep us posted.

Bear · 12-12-2005, 03:20 PM

Hey, I am going thru the same thing with Bear. He is 3 months old and has that same dry, hacking cough. My vet has said it is kennel cough and put him on amox. and cough medicine just to be safe. I hope your baby gets well soon. It has been 2 weeks for me also...but everything else checks out fine.

Patti · 12-12-2005, 03:42 PM

Cali has had it since I got her 3 1/2 months ago after 3 series od antibiotics and steaming her and my pom who caught it from her and 4 trips to the vet to check her lungs the vets says it's the kennel cough and it will go away. Cali is fine and has only coughed 2 times in the last 3 days so I'm hoping were over it . Good luck. I would talk to the vet about an antibiotic and check the trachea.

Joysie · 12-12-2005, 08:18 PM

thanks for the replies...I wish I could do more MYSELF for him...
we will see tomorrow. I will post...I just hope and pray that it isn't a condition such as with the trachea.

Joysie · 12-13-2005, 04:24 PM

Well I have good news. It starts out badly, but turns good...

Last night Straszny had some horrible coughing fits...I felt so helpless! I consoled him and gave him water and some food at one point, and then we finally went back to sleep. He slept much longer than he normally does, another clue that something was wrong. I called the vet this morning trying to make my apt. sooner, but the doctor wasn't in until the afternoon.

Anyway, (the good news now) apparently, he just has a cold. It isn't in his lungs at all, just his throat, so I am relieved about that. Also, his trachea is fine!!! The doctor even got to hear him cough/hack a little when Straszny sniffed around on the scale, pressing his throat against it, causing him to cough. The doctor noted this again, saying that it was only in his throat. Straszny's lymph nodes are 3 or 4 times the size that they should be, and the doctor gave me amoxicillin drops to give him.He should be better in about a week.
Thanks to everyone for the caring posts...I am so thankful everything is ok!

parkerpoo · 12-14-2005, 09:29 AM

I'm glad your puppy is better. I was just worried about the same thing. When I rushed him to the hospital about a week ago tomorrow at 1:30 am, they put him on antibiotics. He still wheezes and coughs, so I'm calling the vet back today.

Joysie · 12-14-2005, 10:26 AM

Did they give your puppy amoxi-drops?

parkerpoo · 12-14-2005, 10:31 AM

It is clavamox amoxicillin, 1/2 cc two times a day.

Joysie · 12-18-2005, 09:19 PM

ok...is the amoxicilin helping your puppy? Tomorrow will be 6 days, and I don't really see much of a change at all in Straszny (they said to give it to him for 7-10). I am calling the vet again tomorrow.

parkerpoo · 12-19-2005, 08:18 AM

Well, the cough isn't all gone, and it has been 10 days of faithfully giving the medicine, but I do think that there is an improvement. The cough is more or less and nighttime now. I guess I'm wondering if they can re-infect themselves.

Joysie · 12-20-2005, 01:19 PM

SO...
I called the vet yet again, told him the problem, and considering that this would be the third time that I would be paying for a doctors visit for the same problem, they are going to just let him try the new meds without the visit. They said more than one kind...we will see what they are...

(That amoxicilin did NOTHING...grrrr...)

Joysie · 12-20-2005, 01:27 PM

SO...
I called the vet yet again, told him the problem, and considering that this would be the third time that I would be paying for a doctors visit for the same problem, they are going to just let him try the new meds without the visit. They said more than one kind...we will see what they are...

(That amoxicilin did NOTHING...grrrr...)

Sparkles2005 · 12-20-2005, 02:02 PM

sparkles also went thru clavamox 10 day cycle, but this apparently did not knock out her cough which worsened over the past week or so. with these little guys/gals, if there is a cough it is best to get it checked out.

went to the vet and he said: 1) rarely do young yorkies have a trachea problem, he explained the structure of their trach's etc. which are fairly well built, as far as breeds go.

2) however, there are a lot of bugs going around right now and that's usually where these coughs come from (just like with kids).

he prescribed 10 day cycle on the antibiotic Albon 5%, 1ml per day. Plus if the coughing is persistent, your vet may recommend hycodan, which suppresses the urge to cough and reduces irritation on the windpipe.

12-12-2005, 10:21 AM	#1
Joysie Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 101	dry cough Ok.. Straszny is 2 1/2 mo. old, and I have had him for about 3 weeks. I have noticed that he coughs....a LOT. He has sort or a dry cough, but I mentioned this at the vet when he got his 2nd shot, but she said it was probably kennel cough, or a form of it, and in 7-10 days, it would go away. Well, it has been far longer than that, and I called the vet back today, and made another apt. with a different doctor for tomorrow. Straszny seems perfectly fine in all other ways..he is gaining weight well, he is almost 3 pounds and when I got him he was 2, he plays well and sleeps well...getting up once a night to go to the bathroom. BUT... he has even gotten to the point where sometimes he will be sleeping and starts this croup like cough...5 times or so, the poor guy looks so distressed, and then he is fine! he acts like nothing happened, and he doesn't cough anything up. I have looked and felt inside of his mouth, and nothing. I am getting very worried, because I don't know what to do! The receptionist at the vet said sometimes they need medicine to get over the cough if they have it (and it REALLY irritates me that he had this when I got him, he hasn't been around other dogs, so he must have). I am also worried though that it could be a more serious problem such as his trachea or something of the sort.... Has anyone else dealt with this?

12-12-2005, 02:02 PM	#3
ladyt YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 837	Hopefully they find out what the problem is real soon. Keep us posted. __________________ Ladyt (Tammy) & Kiki There has to be a God, because he made Yorkies!

12-12-2005, 03:42 PM	#5
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	Cali has had it since I got her 3 1/2 months ago after 3 series od antibiotics and steaming her and my pom who caught it from her and 4 trips to the vet to check her lungs the vets says it's the kennel cough and it will go away. Cali is fine and has only coughed 2 times in the last 3 days so I'm hoping were over it . Good luck. I would talk to the vet about an antibiotic and check the trachea. __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

12-14-2005, 09:29 AM	#8
parkerpoo Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: delaware Posts: 75	parker too I'm glad your puppy is better. I was just worried about the same thing. When I rushed him to the hospital about a week ago tomorrow at 1:30 am, they put him on antibiotics. He still wheezes and coughs, so I'm calling the vet back today.

12-20-2005, 02:02 PM	#15
Sparkles2005 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New York Posts: 7	Anti-biotics sparkles also went thru clavamox 10 day cycle, but this apparently did not knock out her cough which worsened over the past week or so. with these little guys/gals, if there is a cough it is best to get it checked out. went to the vet and he said: 1) rarely do young yorkies have a trachea problem, he explained the structure of their trach's etc. which are fairly well built, as far as breeds go. 2) however, there are a lot of bugs going around right now and that's usually where these coughs come from (just like with kids). he prescribed 10 day cycle on the antibiotic Albon 5%, 1ml per day. Plus if the coughing is persistent, your vet may recommend hycodan, which suppresses the urge to cough and reduces irritation on the windpipe.

12-12-2005, 01:57 PM	#2
whispersmom2 Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MD Posts: 2,985	Hopefully, you just need more moisture in the air in your home. Allergies--air-borne or food- could play a part. There could be a wee problem with thesoft palate being a bit long. I always think of collapsing trachea when I hear this described, but antibiotics, cough prep, humidity might clear your baby right up..Let us know what the vet says..

12-12-2005, 03:20 PM	#4
Bear YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: texas Posts: 1	Hey, I am going thru the same thing with Bear. He is 3 months old and has that same dry, hacking cough. My vet has said it is kennel cough and put him on amox. and cough medicine just to be safe. I hope your baby gets well soon. It has been 2 weeks for me also...but everything else checks out fine.

12-12-2005, 08:18 PM	#6
Joysie Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 101	thanks for the replies...I wish I could do more MYSELF for him... we will see tomorrow. I will post...I just hope and pray that it isn't a condition such as with the trachea.

12-13-2005, 04:24 PM	#7
Joysie Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 101	Well I have good news. It starts out badly, but turns good... Last night Straszny had some horrible coughing fits...I felt so helpless! I consoled him and gave him water and some food at one point, and then we finally went back to sleep. He slept much longer than he normally does, another clue that something was wrong. I called the vet this morning trying to make my apt. sooner, but the doctor wasn't in until the afternoon. Anyway, (the good news now) apparently, he just has a cold. It isn't in his lungs at all, just his throat, so I am relieved about that. Also, his trachea is fine!!! The doctor even got to hear him cough/hack a little when Straszny sniffed around on the scale, pressing his throat against it, causing him to cough. The doctor noted this again, saying that it was only in his throat. Straszny's lymph nodes are 3 or 4 times the size that they should be, and the doctor gave me amoxicillin drops to give him.He should be better in about a week. Thanks to everyone for the caring posts...I am so thankful everything is ok!

12-14-2005, 10:26 AM	#9
Joysie Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 101	Did they give your puppy amoxi-drops?

12-14-2005, 10:31 AM	#10
parkerpoo Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: delaware Posts: 75	It is clavamox amoxicillin, 1/2 cc two times a day.

12-18-2005, 09:19 PM	#11
Joysie Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 101	ok...is the amoxicilin helping your puppy? Tomorrow will be 6 days, and I don't really see much of a change at all in Straszny (they said to give it to him for 7-10). I am calling the vet again tomorrow.

12-19-2005, 08:18 AM	#12
parkerpoo Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: delaware Posts: 75	Well, the cough isn't all gone, and it has been 10 days of faithfully giving the medicine, but I do think that there is an improvement. The cough is more or less and nighttime now. I guess I'm wondering if they can re-infect themselves.

12-20-2005, 01:19 PM	#13
Joysie Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 101	SO... I called the vet yet again, told him the problem, and considering that this would be the third time that I would be paying for a doctors visit for the same problem, they are going to just let him try the new meds without the visit. They said more than one kind...we will see what they are... (That amoxicilin did NOTHING...grrrr...)

12-20-2005, 01:27 PM	#14
Joysie Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 101	SO... I called the vet yet again, told him the problem, and considering that this would be the third time that I would be paying for a doctors visit for the same problem, they are going to just let him try the new meds without the visit. They said more than one kind...we will see what they are... (That amoxicilin did NOTHING...grrrr...)