My 18 week yorkie keeps coughing... - YorkieTalk.com Forums

mer1007 · 10-07-2006, 04:36 AM

I brought my yorkie home in August and she is now 18 weeks. Since the day I picked her up she has had this cough that has not gone away (I've had her for six weeks and she coughs every day). It is always when she wakes up in the morning or from a nap during the day. More recently I have also noticed she coughs when she meets new people and is very excited. My vet has tried three antibiotics treating her for kennel cough because she never received the vaccination. Since she hasn't gotten any better (or worse) I had them take x-rays to make sure it wasn't a collapsed trachea and it is not. Her x-rays show that her trachea is fine. I don't know what to do. My vet is saying she may want to try yet another antibiotic but I'm not sure how many more antibiotics I should give her. If she had kennel cough is it possible that it still hasn't gone away??? I've been reading online that it is common for yorkies to cough...is that true? Anyone who has experience with this, I would appreciate any advice/feedback! Thanks!

chachi · 10-07-2006, 05:36 AM

If its kennel cough that can take a long time to get rid of

DaisyMaesMom · 10-07-2006, 05:58 AM

Yes, kennel cough can take a long time to go away and from what my vet told me when my first came home with it, antibiotics don't work..

Lorraine · 10-07-2006, 07:58 AM

Kennel cough is a virus, antibiotics don't work. It has to run its course. For relief for the coughing, in the past I have done steams three times a day puting Vicks vaporub in the steaming water just as you would for a child with a cold.
You drape a large towel over your head and hold the pup under there with you with a bowl or pot of boiled steaming water with a good dollop of vaporub in the bowl. Abour 10 min at a time three times a day should help a lot.
Be careful to keep the pup from whacking the bowl and flipping it.

Lacy's Mom · 10-07-2006, 09:33 AM

Why your vet keeps trying new antibiotics is beyond me - like others have said kennel cough cannot be cured with antibiotics it is a virus. The only reason antibiotics are given are to prevent secondary bacteria infections like pneumonia. The body's own immune system (which is probably being weakened by the antibiotics) must overcome it on it's own. Look for an immune system booster supplement. Also give Benebac (good bacteria sold in tubes) to restore the good bacteria the antibiotics have destroyed.

Any diarrhea, worms migrating up the windpipe also cause coughing.
Hope your baby gets well soon.

yorkienewbie · 10-11-2006, 05:00 AM

My puppy has had a cough since July and it's still there now(Oct).She's also been treated with antibiotics and cough suppressant several times but nothing.Then the vet took x ray to make sure it was not collapsed trachea but he said it wasn't.Well, as of now he told me to stop giving her medicines and wait for a couple of weeks and see how she does. She has been coughing a little less than before but it's still there. So now i am waiting for her next checkup in a couple of day and see what the vet says.

Lorraine · 10-11-2006, 08:32 AM

I had almost forgotten Matthew's story. He was about a year old and had a persistent cough. I was sure it was not kennel cough. I went to two different Vets, couldnt seem to stop the coughing. I took him to another Vet, a wonderful Vet a lot of breeders go to. It took him less than 5 minutes to diagnose tonsilitis. He gave him a shot of some kind of penicillin, can't remember which and I believe he told me to follow up with Clavamox. He was fine in less that 10 days.
The Vet was able to open his mouth and look down, saw the redness in the tonsil area. I think he suspected it from the history I told him of what we had already tried and didn't work.
Might be the case with yours. Not many Vets are good at diagnosing tonsilitis nor its treatment.

Daytha · 10-13-2006, 09:08 AM

It has been my experience with 3 yorkies, that they do cough from time to time. Mine do whenever they get a drink or get overly excited. It could also be the tonsils. My vet has given my yorkies a shot for tonsil infection which got rid of it quickly. My first yorkie started coughing, after getting too excited playing with her sister, which resulted in collapsed trachea. This is a horrible thing to go thru, believe me!!! Saddly, she passed away from it after 48 hours of trying to catch her breath and being in an oxygen tent. (we rushed her to VSEC animals specialists in Kansas City after our own vet said she could do no more for her) Her little heart just gave out. Just keep an eye on the coughing and have your baby's tonsils checked out by your vet. Just getting a shot of antibiotics could help it.

mer1007 · 10-13-2006, 01:15 PM

Thanks so much everyone for your advice...my baby is still coughing and I called another vet to see if she thinks I should bring her in for a second opinion. I explained everything and she asked me the name of every antibiotic she had been given and she said that what my vet was doing wasn't anything she would not do. She said she would be glad to see Bella but also didn't want me wasting time bringing her from vet to vet and getting no response. She said she would recommend to go to an internal medicine specialist if her cough does not go away. My vet wants to put her on a small dosage of zithromax (for humans I guess?) for 5 days. She said it is used for very resistant coughs. She said she did some research and that is the last antibiotic she is going to put her on. I am not sure if I should try this antibiotic...especially since a lot of people say they don't work. I just wish this cough would go away so she can wake up from her naps peacefully. I'll post again if there are any changes!

SweetCuteness · 10-13-2006, 01:46 PM

Hmmmm, I'd be pretty weary of putting my pup on a 4th antibiotic when 3 others didn't do anything. Like Lacy's Mom sais, her immune system is going to be depleted - putting her at risk for a much more serious infection.

Daytha · 10-14-2006, 06:03 AM

You may want to check your yorkie for allergies also. All of my yorkies have had allergies to the grass, which brings on lots of licking on the paws, rubbing eyes on the carpet, coughing and scratching. My vet told me to give them half of a childrens Benadryl chewable pill OR half tsp. of childrens Benadryl liquid twice a day. It could even be a allergy to the food your using. Eukanuba, Science Diet or Yorkshire 99 are all good foods to use. My first yorkie had bad allergies and was coughing a lot also, especially after getting a drink or when she got excited. She did that reverse sneezing which sounds like a goose honking. I was always asking the vet if she had a collapsed trachea, to which the answer was always, NO. Unfortunately, this is what she DIED from!!!!! The coughing started, which turned into a honking that never stopped and got worse til her little heart finally gave out. She was only 5 years old!!! The exrays showed where the collapse was. It was just so bad, nothing could be done, even by the specialists at KU Med. animal clinic.

mer1007 · 10-14-2006, 06:16 AM

The breeder did say to me that she might have allergies but then again she also told me that Bella never coughed before. I found that hard to believe that she just started coughing the day I picked her up. That is so sad that your baby died from collapsed trachea. Did the vet ever take x-rays to determine if she had it or did she just say she doesn't have it? I was afraid something may be wrong with Bella's trachea so I had the vet take x-rays and she showed me that the trachea was fine and she did not have collapsed trachea. I use the Eukanuba brand puppy food for small breeds. Also, she is almost always inside except for a couple of times when she has gone out with me or that I have taken her for a short walk. But she has been coughing since the day I brought her home (Aug. 18th). It is mostly only when she wakes up in the morning and from naps during the day. And recently I noticed that she did start coughing when she meets new people (because she is so excited, she loves meeting people). Zithromax is what my vet says she wants to try next...I am not sure if I should try it. She hasn't been on any antibiotics for about 3 weeks now and nothing has changed. She also said that this would be the last antibiotic and after that if she didn't get better the thing to do would be a tracheal wash or something like that?? But she would have to put her on anesthesia and I guess take a swab of the saliva in the throat and examine it. She did say that Bella may be too small right now to be put on anesthesia.

I just want her to get better because I am afraid that coughing for a long time could eventually lead to collapsed trachea later in life. Thanks for your advice.

Lacy's Mom · 10-14-2006, 10:15 AM

Yikes, tracheal wash, definitely do a lot of research before you consent.
Read this thread and do a search for more.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...=tracheal+wash

Natural Immune System Boosters:

Fish: Especially saltwater fish, have a number of nutritional benefits. Ingestion of as little as one ounce of saltwater fish daily is known to boost the immune system, inhibit cancer, combat kidney disease and increase mental alertness.

Kelp: It is usually sold dried and ground to a fine powder, often encased in gel capsules. Kelp is an excellent mineral supplement as it is high in iodine, calcium and potassium as well as other trace minerals. Kelp is also known to boost the immune system, kill bacteria and add iron for the blood.

Yogurt: Besides being a nourishing food on its own, yogurt contains beneficial bacteria that improve bowel function. These bacteria help prevent intestinal infections, prevent diarrhea and kill problem causing bacteria. Yogurt is also known to boost the immune system and is thought to have anticancer properties.

Natural Bee Pollen: While not an herb, natural bee pollen is known to boost the immune system. It is also said to provide some pain relief for dogs as well. This is a by-product of the honey industry.

Echinacea: Is an herb known by experts to stimulate the immune system, so much that physicians are even recommending it to patients during flu season.

ShelbyKate · 10-21-2006, 01:25 PM

How is your baby doing?

mer1007 · 10-21-2006, 02:11 PM

Thanks for asking about Bella! She is doing fantastic! I decided to try one last antibiotic (zithromax) and she has been on it for 5 days and doing better! She hardly ever coughs now! And she still has another 5 days to go on it! She used to cough every single time she woke up and whenever she got excited and maybe once or twice she will cough but it is very soft not at all like it was before! I talked to my vet and she said she would not be contagious anymore so today we went to our first yorkie meetup in Boston and it was great! There were about twenty other yorkies and Bella seemed to be more interested in making human friends than doggie friends...she is sooo friendly and just loves people. She went around the room sitting on different people's laps and giving them kisses!! She didn't cough once and we were there for two hours with all the excitement! Thanks everyone for the advice...I took Lacys Mom's advice to give her some yogurt for the good bacteria so that may have helped too because I have been giving her some daily and she loves it! I am sure in another five days Bella will be rid of that terrible cough completely!

10-07-2006, 04:36 AM	#1
mer1007 Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: MA Posts: 15	My 18 week yorkie keeps coughing... I brought my yorkie home in August and she is now 18 weeks. Since the day I picked her up she has had this cough that has not gone away (I've had her for six weeks and she coughs every day). It is always when she wakes up in the morning or from a nap during the day. More recently I have also noticed she coughs when she meets new people and is very excited. My vet has tried three antibiotics treating her for kennel cough because she never received the vaccination. Since she hasn't gotten any better (or worse) I had them take x-rays to make sure it wasn't a collapsed trachea and it is not. Her x-rays show that her trachea is fine. I don't know what to do. My vet is saying she may want to try yet another antibiotic but I'm not sure how many more antibiotics I should give her. If she had kennel cough is it possible that it still hasn't gone away??? I've been reading online that it is common for yorkies to cough...is that true? Anyone who has experience with this, I would appreciate any advice/feedback! Thanks!

10-07-2006, 05:36 AM	#2
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	If its kennel cough that can take a long time to get rid of __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

10-07-2006, 07:58 AM	#4
Lorraine Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Abbotsford, BC Posts: 2,060	Kennel cough is a virus, antibiotics don't work. It has to run its course. For relief for the coughing, in the past I have done steams three times a day puting Vicks vaporub in the steaming water just as you would for a child with a cold. You drape a large towel over your head and hold the pup under there with you with a bowl or pot of boiled steaming water with a good dollop of vaporub in the bowl. Abour 10 min at a time three times a day should help a lot. Be careful to keep the pup from whacking the bowl and flipping it. __________________ Lorraine www.loribenyorkies.com Canada

10-11-2006, 08:32 AM	#7
Lorraine Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Abbotsford, BC Posts: 2,060	I had almost forgotten Matthew's story. He was about a year old and had a persistent cough. I was sure it was not kennel cough. I went to two different Vets, couldnt seem to stop the coughing. I took him to another Vet, a wonderful Vet a lot of breeders go to. It took him less than 5 minutes to diagnose tonsilitis. He gave him a shot of some kind of penicillin, can't remember which and I believe he told me to follow up with Clavamox. He was fine in less that 10 days. The Vet was able to open his mouth and look down, saw the redness in the tonsil area. I think he suspected it from the history I told him of what we had already tried and didn't work. Might be the case with yours. Not many Vets are good at diagnosing tonsilitis nor its treatment. __________________ Lorraine www.loribenyorkies.com Canada

10-13-2006, 01:15 PM	#9
mer1007 Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: MA Posts: 15	Thanks so much everyone for your advice...my baby is still coughing and I called another vet to see if she thinks I should bring her in for a second opinion. I explained everything and she asked me the name of every antibiotic she had been given and she said that what my vet was doing wasn't anything she would not do. She said she would be glad to see Bella but also didn't want me wasting time bringing her from vet to vet and getting no response. She said she would recommend to go to an internal medicine specialist if her cough does not go away. My vet wants to put her on a small dosage of zithromax (for humans I guess?) for 5 days. She said it is used for very resistant coughs. She said she did some research and that is the last antibiotic she is going to put her on. I am not sure if I should try this antibiotic...especially since a lot of people say they don't work. I just wish this cough would go away so she can wake up from her naps peacefully. I'll post again if there are any changes! __________________ Miriam & Bella http://www.dogster.com/?402500

10-07-2006, 05:58 AM	#3
DaisyMaesMom and Ty too! Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Denver, Nope, not Colorado Posts: 1,235	Yes, kennel cough can take a long time to go away and from what my vet told me when my first came home with it, antibiotics don't work..

10-07-2006, 09:33 AM	#5
Lacy's Mom YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 3,065	Why your vet keeps trying new antibiotics is beyond me - like others have said kennel cough cannot be cured with antibiotics it is a virus. The only reason antibiotics are given are to prevent secondary bacteria infections like pneumonia. The body's own immune system (which is probably being weakened by the antibiotics) must overcome it on it's own. Look for an immune system booster supplement. Also give Benebac (good bacteria sold in tubes) to restore the good bacteria the antibiotics have destroyed. Any diarrhea, worms migrating up the windpipe also cause coughing. Hope your baby gets well soon.

10-11-2006, 05:00 AM	#6
yorkienewbie Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 120	My puppy has had a cough since July and it's still there now(Oct).She's also been treated with antibiotics and cough suppressant several times but nothing.Then the vet took x ray to make sure it was not collapsed trachea but he said it wasn't.Well, as of now he told me to stop giving her medicines and wait for a couple of weeks and see how she does. She has been coughing a little less than before but it's still there. So now i am waiting for her next checkup in a couple of day and see what the vet says.

10-13-2006, 09:08 AM	#8
Daytha Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Leavenworth, Kansas Posts: 11	It has been my experience with 3 yorkies, that they do cough from time to time. Mine do whenever they get a drink or get overly excited. It could also be the tonsils. My vet has given my yorkies a shot for tonsil infection which got rid of it quickly. My first yorkie started coughing, after getting too excited playing with her sister, which resulted in collapsed trachea. This is a horrible thing to go thru, believe me!!! Saddly, she passed away from it after 48 hours of trying to catch her breath and being in an oxygen tent. (we rushed her to VSEC animals specialists in Kansas City after our own vet said she could do no more for her) Her little heart just gave out. Just keep an eye on the coughing and have your baby's tonsils checked out by your vet. Just getting a shot of antibiotics could help it.

10-13-2006, 01:46 PM	#10
SweetCuteness I <3 Ferdinand Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,444	Hmmmm, I'd be pretty weary of putting my pup on a 4th antibiotic when 3 others didn't do anything. Like Lacy's Mom sais, her immune system is going to be depleted - putting her at risk for a much more serious infection. __________________ Britta ...and Ferdinand too

10-14-2006, 06:03 AM	#11
Daytha Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Leavenworth, Kansas Posts: 11	Coughing You may want to check your yorkie for allergies also. All of my yorkies have had allergies to the grass, which brings on lots of licking on the paws, rubbing eyes on the carpet, coughing and scratching. My vet told me to give them half of a childrens Benadryl chewable pill OR half tsp. of childrens Benadryl liquid twice a day. It could even be a allergy to the food your using. Eukanuba, Science Diet or Yorkshire 99 are all good foods to use. My first yorkie had bad allergies and was coughing a lot also, especially after getting a drink or when she got excited. She did that reverse sneezing which sounds like a goose honking. I was always asking the vet if she had a collapsed trachea, to which the answer was always, NO. Unfortunately, this is what she DIED from!!!!! The coughing started, which turned into a honking that never stopped and got worse til her little heart finally gave out. She was only 5 years old!!! The exrays showed where the collapse was. It was just so bad, nothing could be done, even by the specialists at KU Med. animal clinic.

10-14-2006, 06:16 AM	#12
mer1007 Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: MA Posts: 15	The breeder did say to me that she might have allergies but then again she also told me that Bella never coughed before. I found that hard to believe that she just started coughing the day I picked her up. That is so sad that your baby died from collapsed trachea. Did the vet ever take x-rays to determine if she had it or did she just say she doesn't have it? I was afraid something may be wrong with Bella's trachea so I had the vet take x-rays and she showed me that the trachea was fine and she did not have collapsed trachea. I use the Eukanuba brand puppy food for small breeds. Also, she is almost always inside except for a couple of times when she has gone out with me or that I have taken her for a short walk. But she has been coughing since the day I brought her home (Aug. 18th). It is mostly only when she wakes up in the morning and from naps during the day. And recently I noticed that she did start coughing when she meets new people (because she is so excited, she loves meeting people). Zithromax is what my vet says she wants to try next...I am not sure if I should try it. She hasn't been on any antibiotics for about 3 weeks now and nothing has changed. She also said that this would be the last antibiotic and after that if she didn't get better the thing to do would be a tracheal wash or something like that?? But she would have to put her on anesthesia and I guess take a swab of the saliva in the throat and examine it. She did say that Bella may be too small right now to be put on anesthesia. I just want her to get better because I am afraid that coughing for a long time could eventually lead to collapsed trachea later in life. Thanks for your advice. __________________ Miriam & Bella http://www.dogster.com/?402500

10-14-2006, 10:15 AM	#13
Lacy's Mom YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 3,065	Yikes, tracheal wash, definitely do a lot of research before you consent. Read this thread and do a search for more. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...=tracheal+wash Natural Immune System Boosters: Fish: Especially saltwater fish, have a number of nutritional benefits. Ingestion of as little as one ounce of saltwater fish daily is known to boost the immune system, inhibit cancer, combat kidney disease and increase mental alertness. Kelp: It is usually sold dried and ground to a fine powder, often encased in gel capsules. Kelp is an excellent mineral supplement as it is high in iodine, calcium and potassium as well as other trace minerals. Kelp is also known to boost the immune system, kill bacteria and add iron for the blood. Yogurt: Besides being a nourishing food on its own, yogurt contains beneficial bacteria that improve bowel function. These bacteria help prevent intestinal infections, prevent diarrhea and kill problem causing bacteria. Yogurt is also known to boost the immune system and is thought to have anticancer properties. Natural Bee Pollen: While not an herb, natural bee pollen is known to boost the immune system. It is also said to provide some pain relief for dogs as well. This is a by-product of the honey industry. Echinacea: Is an herb known by experts to stimulate the immune system, so much that physicians are even recommending it to patients during flu season.

10-21-2006, 01:25 PM	#14
ShelbyKate Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alabama Posts: 48	How is your baby doing?

10-21-2006, 02:11 PM	#15
mer1007 Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: MA Posts: 15	Thanks for asking about Bella! She is doing fantastic! I decided to try one last antibiotic (zithromax) and she has been on it for 5 days and doing better! She hardly ever coughs now! And she still has another 5 days to go on it! She used to cough every single time she woke up and whenever she got excited and maybe once or twice she will cough but it is very soft not at all like it was before! I talked to my vet and she said she would not be contagious anymore so today we went to our first yorkie meetup in Boston and it was great! There were about twenty other yorkies and Bella seemed to be more interested in making human friends than doggie friends...she is sooo friendly and just loves people. She went around the room sitting on different people's laps and giving them kisses!! She didn't cough once and we were there for two hours with all the excitement! Thanks everyone for the advice...I took Lacys Mom's advice to give her some yogurt for the good bacteria so that may have helped too because I have been giving her some daily and she loves it! I am sure in another five days Bella will be rid of that terrible cough completely! __________________ Miriam & Bella http://www.dogster.com/?402500