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Odd Spell Last Night


starhound

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Hello everybody, it's been a few years since I last checked in here. My sweet greyhound Dewey is now 12.5 years old. It feels like just yesterday I adopted him when he was three.

Over the years he has had pretty great health. My only real concerns have been a few years ago when he seemed to have small seizures perhaps once a year. He always recovered great within a few hours. He also has very stiff legs and, over the last few years, a sensitive tummy that makes finding hip and joint supplements that his stomach can handle difficult to come by.

 

Anyway, last night we had an odd episode that I'm still worried about, and of course it happens on a Sunday when the vet isn't open.

He got up to go into the bedroom, but ended up standing for a moment in the hallway. He coughed a little and stared into space, a bit stumbly like the last time he had an 'episode' but the coughing was new. His legs went straight like they were cramping, too.

Today he seems fine. He ate his breakfast and trotted around the garden, but he is still breathing a just a little bit heavy and coughing periodically.

I fully intend to get him into the vet tomorrow morning but has anybody experienced anything like this?

I worry very easily about any of my dogs and my husband is convinced that I'm over-reacting because of Dewey's good state this morning, but I really feel like especially the cough, is not a typical reverse sneeze type cough.

I know that to be a symptom of heart troubles and failures so of course I'll get that checked tomorrow too.

 

Any experiences like this?

I'll let you guys know what the vet says.

Thank you for reading :beatheart

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No personal experiences. Just things I've seen recommended to other people:

If it happens again, video him to have something to show your vet.

Has he had anything new/different to eat? New treats? Dental chews? Even toothpaste? If so, check ingredients. Some ingredients (including herbs like rosemary) can lower the seizure threshold in dogs and people.

 

Try to document what was happening before an episode--how recently he'd eaten, was the weather okay?--and document what happens during and how long it lasts.

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Kathy and Q (CRT Qadeer from Fuzzy's Cannon and CRT Bonnie) and
Jane (WW's Aunt Jane from Trent Lee and Aunt M); photos to come.

Missing Silver (5.19.2005-10.27.2016), Tigger (4.5.2007-3.18.2016),
darling Sam (5.10.2000-8.8.2013), Jacey-Kasey (5.19.2003-8.22.2011), and Oreo (1997-3.30.2006)

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Thanks for the reply.. really, nothing new at all.. He is making minor cough sounds where he usually wouldn't before... I wish E-vet was even an option, there are none near me that are open on Sundays. His breathing is a little heavy / labored but he can still walk and eat okay. I have a video clip to show the vet. I just hope it can wait until tomorrow because I really don't have any other options here but to wait until tomorrow

Edited by starhound
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If he's eating and eliminating and staying hydrated he's probably ok until tomorrow. If you have a thermometer, check his temp. If it's elevated, try and get him cool with wet towels on his belly and neck. Wipe his pads with alcohol.

 

Our boy has episodes just like that, minus the coughing, that our vet says *probably* it's a tiny stroke or TIA. He always has fully recovered, and all his labs are fine, so there's not really much to do at this point.

 

Definitely get him checked out asap though.

Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora)

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Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly

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Thank you so much Greysmom, I think he will be okay until tomorrow but it's good to have other people's opinions to help with my own. I have anxiety disorders and can sometimes fail to see if an emergency is really an emergency.

Gonna get in at the vet ASAP tomorrow morning. Kind of suspecting heart issues at this time with all I've been reading and how his cough seems to match videos I've seen - but I pray it's something as benign as a cold or kennel cough. Fingers crossed.


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My sweet old man (and my two younger maniac rescues in the background)

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What a great photo of him! Love the earsies and the tongue adds the finishing touch.

Hope you can get him in early at the vet.

Miss "England" Carol with whippet lurcher Nutmeg & Zavvi the Chihuahua.

R.I.P. Chancey (Goosetree Chance). 24.1.2009 - 14.4.2022. Bluegrass Banjoman. 25.1.2004 - 25.5.2015 and Ch. Sleepyhollow Aida. 30.9.2000 - 10.1.2014.

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no advice, just prayers all is ok. He is one cute boy :kiss2 :Kiss2

Kim and Bruce - with Rick (Rick Roufus 6/30/16) and missing my sweet greyhound Angels Rainey (LG's Rainey 10/4/2000 - 3/8/2011), Anubis (RJ's Saint Nick 12/25/2001 - 9/12/12) and Zeke (Hey Who Whiz It 4/6/2009 - 7/20/2020) and Larry (PTL Laroach 2/24/2007 - 8/2/2020) -- and Chester (Lab) (8/31/1990 - 5/3/2005), Captain (Schipperke) (10/12/1992 - 6/13/2005) and Remy (GSP) (?/?/1998 - 1/6/2005) at the bridge
"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." -- Ernest Hemmingway

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Thank you guys, he is my soul dog. I adore him no end.

My husband took him to the vet today, I was so anxious it was better I didn't go. (Anybody else have more vet anxiety than their dog? I need to work on that)

 

No heart murmur and no fluid could be heard in lungs... Dewey also had x-rays over his entire body and no signs of any tumours or arthritis of any sort. His heart is on the 'high side' of normal (but greyhounds do have larger hearts than other breeds of dogs? I'm not sure if the vet knows that) Only thing is that the lungs looked a 'little odd' to the vet and that they have 'more opacity' than the vet is used to. The vet is doing some additional research. Said it could be nothing though.

So at the moment I really have no idea what is causing the cough until the vet comes back with a diagnosis. He's running bloodwork right now...

 

My boy was tired from standing for an hour in the vet room so the techs let him lay down in the car where they took blood from him there. Love good vet techs. :beatheart

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Frustrating to not have answers (yet), but at least some bad stuff has been ruled out. One of my old dogs had that “ more opacity” in the lungs. We never could find a reason and it didn’t affect her, my vet just figured it was an old dog thing. Hope that’s all it is for your sweet old man!

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That's comforting Remolacha, thank you... Vet did conclude his heart is a bit big even for a greyhound, but might have always been that way. I'll have to call our old vet offices (We move a lot, military..) and see if he had any other X-rays this vet can compare it to...

Vet concluded allergic bronchitis as his lungs look a bit inflamed. He prescribed some steroids to see if it gets better in a month. Very glad that congestive heart issues were ruled out.

Says he's amazed at how good his spine and hips are for his age which is also a comfort since I saw some recent leg weakness. :beatheart

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Best wishes for full recovery.

 

BTW, adorable pic - and hysterical photobomb of the "maniacs'.... :)

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Robin, EZ (Tribal Track), JJ (What a Story), Dustin (E's Full House) and our beautiful Jack (Mana Black Jack) and Lily (Chip's Little Miss Lily) both at the Bridge
The WFUBCC honors our beautiful friends at the bridge. Godspeed sweet angels.

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I was going to suggest bronchitis. One of our boys, years back had bronchitis which showed up on an x-ray. He took prednisone and cough medication and was fine in a few days.

Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I lost Dewey tonight. My heart is shattered.

He seemed to recover well from the allergic bronchitis but suddenly he deteriorated very badly.

He was found to have a massively enlarged heart. Huge and spherical even by greyhound standards.

His back legs started to go and deteriorate in just a manner of days and he was in unbearable pain.

I'll post a thread for him in remembrance as soon as I can.

Right now I am just beyond broken.

I miss him so much.

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