Copd ?

[Laur]

Does anyone have experience with an elderly greyhound with COPD ?

[greysmom]

Is this a speculation based on symptoms or a diagnosis from a vet??

[Laur]

Both.

Vet is convinced it is.

Have not undergone tests as the pupper becomes so stressed.

Today is a good day, Yesterday evening we had to go to the vets for a nail trim and it set him off badly.

[silverfish]

I had an elderly greyhound - Jack - who's breathing began to get distressed while exercising. I took him to the vet thinking he might have laryngeal paralysis, because it was a raspy, laboured type of breathing - very noisy. There would be an episode now and then, which didn't last too long, and the rest of the time he'd be OK, breathing with closed mouth while resting, but panting (normally) while exercising a bit more than most.

 

The vet was convinced it was his heart, even though he could detect no particular problem. I kept telling him that it seemed to be to be lung/throat but he wouldn't listen. I wish to heaven I had insisted on a referral because yes, this was a misdiagnosis.

 

One day, he had a bad episode and I thought I was going to lose him in a field. I rang home and told DH to get us an emergency appointment and my vets were useless. They did see him that day, but the raspy, bug-eyed breathing had settled and his tongue was no longer blue. This time at least he was x-rayed and that was the diagnosis - he called it 'Chronic Airway Disease' but I believe it's the same thing. He gave him no treatment.

A few days later, Jack had another, worse episode at 1am. He'd asked to go outside and literally collapsed, gasping for breath on the way in, getting disoriented and falling about. I got him in, somehow, and he defecated all over the place. Rang the vet for an emergency call-out .. and they didn't come. The vet on duty lived about 13 miles away and there was snow on the ground. He said by the time he got there, it would probably be too late and we should try to get a vet out from another, nearer practice. I was shocked. Why have a vet on duty so far away that they couldn't actually HELP in an emergency?

Anyway, to cut a long story short, after being refused by three or four practices on the grounds that we were not their clients (!), we finally found one who would see us and heaved poor Jack into the car and got him into town. They were incredibly kind and good with him and are now our vets. But they couldn't save him. They said that he had begun to throw clots. They tried for three days and then we were advised to let him go.

 

My one consolation is that he was 13 1/2 and he'd been totally knocked sideways after losing his housemate five months earlier - he seemed to have given up living. But I wish I'd asked for a specialist consult - and I think that's what I would advise you to do.

 

I have a friend with COPD. I know there is a lot they can do for people, and I would imagine there are also treatments for animals.

Edited March 15, 2014 by silverfish

[Laur]

Silverfish, I am so sorry about Jack .

Your situation is extremely similiar to mine...although in my case the vet wishes to send him for a lot of tests and procedures and my houndie, who is 4 months shy of his 14th birthday has white coat syndrome in a big way.

Just knowing he is going in the vehicle...or thinking the vehicle, or more specifically I might be going somewhere without him is enough 'excitement ' to launch an attack.

He will settle in the vehicle...at the vets he does not, it escalates and is terrifying.

At home he is calm, no attacks unless he is too warm, eats too fast, or gets too stressed about going out.

He sleeps quietly, has a good appetite.

Getting an xray will be difficult, let alone into the vet office and he could stress himself fatally in the process

His worst attack to date was begun as we headed 2 mins away to the vet for a routine nail trim in a quiet, no other patients , end of hours vet clinic . 6:45- 9 pm it lasted. He was home 1/2 hour when it ceased.

[Guest grey_dreams]

This thread has sparked my curiosity, because my newest boy, who is extremely shy/spooky, always pants excessively whenever we do anything, and when the temperature is above 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit (18-21 degrees Celsius), and it usually takes a very long time for him to stop panting. I've had him 14 months now, he is 6 years old. At first it rather alarmed me, but then I was thinking that's just the way he is. Now I'm wondering if this could be an early symptom of something else? He recently had several full vet exams and all his bloodwork is good. The vet said he was in good shape. Do you think this kind of panting may be something else?

[duncan41]

This thread has sparked my curiosity, because my newest boy, who is extremely shy/spooky, always pants excessively whenever we do anything, and when the temperature is above 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit (18-21 degrees Celsius), and it usually takes a very long time for him to stop panting. I've had him 14 months now, he is 6 years old. At first it rather alarmed me, but then I was thinking that's just the way he is. Now I'm wondering if this could be an early symptom of something else? He recently had several full vet exams and all his bloodwork is good. The vet said he was in good shape. Do you think this kind of panting may be something else?

 

My girl has always been like that. We had her litter sister who would pant for a few minutes and be fine and 45 minutes later, Fuzz was still panting. She has been examined by three different Vets along the way, once specifically for the prolonged panting and no abnormal findings. She will be 10 next month. I have found over the years that because she's not a big water drinker, I have to add additional water even to her new raw food diet (which is an excellent source of moisture) and I offer water mixed with chicken broth as the weather warms up. I try to make sure she is well hydrated before activities and it seems to help a little bit.

[silverfish]

Silverfish, I am so sorry about Jack .

Your situation is extremely similiar to mine...although in my case the vet wishes to send him for a lot of tests and procedures and my houndie, who is 4 months shy of his 14th birthday has white coat syndrome in a big way.

Just knowing he is going in the vehicle...or thinking the vehicle, or more specifically I might be going somewhere without him is enough 'excitement ' to launch an attack.

He will settle in the vehicle...at the vets he does not, it escalates and is terrifying.

At home he is calm, no attacks unless he is too warm, eats too fast, or gets too stressed about going out.

He sleeps quietly, has a good appetite.

Getting an xray will be difficult, let alone into the vet office and he could stress himself fatally in the process

His worst attack to date was begun as we headed 2 mins away to the vet for a routine nail trim in a quiet, no other patients , end of hours vet clinic . 6:45- 9 pm it lasted. He was home 1/2 hour when it ceased.

 

Thank you so much for the sympathy. It took me a long, long time to get past that. It happened early in 2009 and it still makes me so, so sad.

 

I'm so sorry about your boy. White coat syndrome is no joke - I know this because I have it, and even though I can talk about it, and people can talk me through things, It still affects me badly and had me on more BP meds than I really needed at one time (till I convinced them!) because my BP just shoots up the minute I step in the surgery.

 

The only thing I can suggest is that you get the vet to come to you, without any fuss, and in ordinary clothes and be very slow and gentle about the exams. If you can't get an x-ray, well, since the outcome probably can't be changed it's not the end of the world and perhaps he'll be willing to treat your boy symptomatically and give drugs on a 'suck it and see' basis.

 

Or maybe the vet could give you some sedatives to give him and really knock him out so that when he gets examined he won't care?

 

I hope you find a way to help him, poor boy - but it seems as if you are managing him nicely.

 

This thread has sparked my curiosity, because my newest boy, who is extremely shy/spooky, always pants excessively whenever we do anything, and when the temperature is above 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit (18-21 degrees Celsius), and it usually takes a very long time for him to stop panting. I've had him 14 months now, he is 6 years old. At first it rather alarmed me, but then I was thinking that's just the way he is. Now I'm wondering if this could be an early symptom of something else? He recently had several full vet exams and all his bloodwork is good. The vet said he was in good shape. Do you think this kind of panting may be something else?

 

My only experience with this was with Jack. In his case there was very little warning that anything was wrong. I think it might be one of those diseases with a 'tipping point' where the dog manages perfectly well until it's progressed to a certain stage and then it shows itself. If your new boy is shy/spooky, that could be the complete explanation. Excessive panting certainly can put the temperature up, without anything else being wrong.

 

If you are worried, ask for a chest x-ray. The damage is pretty clear, on that.

[Guest grey_dreams]

Thanks for your information and advice. I'm sorry you lost your Jack under such circumstances. Laur, I hope you can find a vet to come to your house, like Silverfish suggests, or another way to help him. Linda, I always add a lot of water and raw goat's milk to their food. In fact, with Zhivaya, I have to watch his water consumption because he will stand there and slurp a whole bowl of water at once, and then he gets sick. It seems to be a kind of anxiety/calming response. I have to give him only part of a bowl of water at a time. I add so much water to their food that Zariel has no interest to drink water. So I just have to manage it for Zhivaya.

[Laur]

So far so good...as long as his routine is kept the same, lol as in his choices...then he is calm.

He had one more attack when he was made to come out of the bedroom and sleep in his dog bed , so a human could have the room.

He kept getting up to stare in the direction of the closed door and worked himself up to a full fledged attack...throwing up and a major ** storm, heaving sides , eyes bulging....horriific.

The human came out, duvet in tow and camped on the floor and pupper got the bedroom, bed and fan back to himself ! And the universe smiled.

He routine is to come out to eat, potty , wag his tail, say hello...thn retreat back to the bed !.

[silverfish]

I think it's a question of management. With people, they do steroids and inhalers and nebulisers etc I believe. Not sure what it would be for dogs, but I imagine the vet would know. If not, see if you can get a specialist referral. The specialist often have access to newer, better treatments than local vets do. Good luck with him! And ... build another bedroom!