Oh yeah, definitely get back to the vet. :-(
I agree that it sounds a lot like your lil' girl has kennel cough. It sucks, but it's not the end of the world... Nikko has it too. Sounds a bit like a cough or throat-clearing followed by a gag. The vet should listen to her lungs, and will probably prescribe an antibiotic to make sure it doesn't turn into pneumonia (if it hasn't already - the foam that often would worry me). I'm actually surprised he didn't prescribe the antibiotic when he first heard her cough. Other than that, kennel cough is just a nasty virus that has to run its course, it's kind of like a really long extended cold is with humans - annoying but usually harmless, unless it turns into pneumonia. Our vet and several people here on YT suggest getting a cheap (we spent $18) hot steam vaporizor, adding vicks stuff to the water, putting it next to her crate, and covering the whole setup with towels or a sheet or whatever to make a steamy sauna cave for Meg. Try to think of her like a human with a cold - if you don't have a vaporizor or can't get one right away, take her crate into the bathroom with you while you take a long hot steamy shower. Keep her warm.
It's great she's drinking water, but did you have the vet take a stool sample? They can reach in to get a little sample to look at if she doesn't poop right at at a time when it's convenient to run up to the vet's (samples are best read as fresh as possible). Vomiting and weird poops would trip me out a little bit, probably in no small part because of the horrible experience Nikko had with stomach parasites when we first got him.
Some people say this is a bad idea because it will spoil her, but if you start to get really stressed about her not eating, you can make her a little plain boiled chicken and plain white rice... not only is this meal pretty delicious, but it's also easy on the tummy. Most dogs, including Nikko when he was feeling sooooo horrible, would eat this little temporary meal when they would eat nothing else. Nikko had no trouble switching from rice/chicken to a prescription soft food from the vet after we took him in, then back to kibble when he felt better, but not all dogs are like that.
Anyways, let us know what the vet says, and how your girl is doing today. Don't worry too much, I'm sure she'll be OK.
Lauren & Nikko |