Why cant my vets tell me what is wrong with my dog?!

Redneck

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OK.. Let me first state that this is reguarding my 15 year old Chihuahua.. He was born June 19th 1995..

I had given my mom the money to take him to the vet about 5 months ago because of a cough.. They gave him some meds.. But I cant for the life of me remember what they were..

Anyways.. They never helped.. So.. What do I do? I take him back to the same vet.. For the same reason.. They say they cant seem to find anything wrong with him.. :?

Thats strange to me.. I can put my ear to his chest and I can hear a crackling sound.. :? He is always coughing.. Like a dry heave.. Any time he sneezes he has some nasty boogers come out of his nose..

So I take him to the same vet AGAIN... They still cant seem to find nothing wrong with him..

OK.. Now I think they are a bunch of idiots that charged me $175 for a bunch of test they "say" they ran.. :rolleyes:

Now I am completely done with that vet...

I had my mom take him to another vet here recently.. I dont know the name of it I didnt go.. She said they took some test and what not.. I have no clue what they are looking for either... Can you guess what they said?

"We are sorry.. But.. We cant seem to find nothing wrong with your dog.." :mad: :? :wall:


Really? Two different vets.. Four different checkups.. Neither one of them can tell me why my dog is coughing.. UGH!

Is it possible that there is nothing wrong with him? Just his old age catching up with him maybe? He still runs around like a pup.. Plays with the younger dogs.. Not really having any bone problems.. No limps.. Nothing..

Just a nasty cough.. The thing about the cough.. He gets to coughing the more excited he gets.. The more he plays with the younger dogs.. The more he coughs.. But after he is done coughing he goes back to playing..

I know he is getting old.. I am going to be torn when I loose this little guy.. :( I hope he has another 20 years left in him.. :eek:

Anyways.. I am only posting this because I know there are some vet techs here & many very knowledgeable dog people to.. What are y'alls opinion? Is it age or are my vets stupid?
 

NikiP

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I don't have any advice, but just wanted to say kudos to you for knowing something is wrong & looking for a second opinion!
 

BeckyB

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The exact same thing is happening to my dog right now. She is only 10 years old (border collie) but my vet did an x-ray on her chest and found a mass. We didn't do any further tests to find out if it was cancer or not because i just want her to live whatever she has left as happy as she can, so it doesn't really matter whether she has cancer or not. She coughs quite badly, wheezes and has mucous that occasionally comes out of her nose and when she coughs. She stopped eating for almost a week and has lost a lot of her fur and has no more weight to lose, so our vet put her on steroids to make her get her appetite back, which worked. She was also on antibiotics for a few weeks which seemed to have cleared up the mucous.

Really all I am getting at that is at this point in her life, whether 10 years old or 15 years old, my opinion is to just do what you can to make her happy, not cause stress for her by going to vets unless they can easily do something to prevent pain, and keep an eye on her so that she doesn't suffer.

I didn't have much luck finding natural remedies for a cough. I did try natural cough medicine from the health food store and it worked a bit.
 

DemonAsh

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The only think I've ever heard of, granted my experience is limitied, is kennel cough. Did you take the little guy in to a vet for a check up, or to a kennel before the problem started?
 

Shell

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Tommy, I would strongly think at that age and the symptoms that you are describing that your dog has some heart issues going on. Of course without all the diagnostic tools at a clinic, I can't fully tell you what exact sort of heart issue, but I feel very cofident in my experience to say a heart condition of some sort.

If we were to diagnose your dog with such, he would usually be put on a diuretic of some sort (we usually used furosemide (lasix) )

He can continue to live a fairly regular life, for the time he has left once he is medicated. Although, his excercise should be decreased a bit, once he starts coughing, that means he has done enough and needs to rest.

Anyway, I don't know what kind of vets you have there, but here, that's a fairly common issue that we diagnose in older dogs.

Edit* Kennel cough is definately a possibilty, however typically it will cause vomiting and diarrhea and lethargy if it goes untreated for a while. Given his age, and breed and the symptoms listed, I'm still inclined to think a heart condition.
 
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Redneck

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The exact same thing is happening to my dog right now. She is only 10 years old (border collie) but my vet did an x-ray on her chest and found a mass. We didn't do any further tests to find out if it was cancer or not because i just want her to live whatever she has left as happy as she can, so it doesn't really matter whether she has cancer or not. She coughs quite badly, wheezes and has mucous that occasionally comes out of her nose and when she coughs. She stopped eating for almost a week and has lost a lot of her fur and has no more weight to lose, so our vet put her on steroids to make her get her appetite back, which worked. She was also on antibiotics for a few weeks which seemed to have cleared up the mucous.

Really all I am getting at that is at this point in her life, whether 10 years old or 15 years old, my opinion is to just do what you can to make her happy, not cause stress for her by going to vets unless they can easily do something to prevent pain, and keep an eye on her so that she doesn't suffer.

I didn't have much luck finding natural remedies for a cough. I did try natural cough medicine from the health food store and it worked a bit.
Wouldnt she be suffering with cancer?


The only think I've ever heard of, granted my experience is limitied, is kennel cough. Did you take the little guy in to a vet for a check up, or to a kennel before the problem started?
He has never stepped one foot in a kennel..

*Edit* Oh yeah.. He didnt not have a checkup for a year.. Then the cough started..
Tommy, I would strongly think at that age and the symptoms that you are describing that your dog has some heart issues going on. Of course without all the diagnostic tools at a clinic, I can't fully tell you what exact sort of heart issue, but I feel very cofident in my experience to say a heart condition of some sort.

If we were to diagnose your dog with such, he would usually be put on a diuretic of some sort (we usually used furosemide (lasix) )

He can continue to live a fairly regular life, for the time he has left once he is medicated. Although, his excercise should be decreased a bit, once he starts coughing, that means he has done enough and needs to rest.

Anyway, I don't know what kind of vets you have there, but here, that's a fairly common issue that we diagnose in older dogs.

Edit* Kennel cough is definately a possibilty, however typically it will cause vomiting and diarrhea and lethargy if it goes untreated for a while. Given his age, and breed and the symptoms listed, I'm still inclined to think a heart condition.
If it is a heart condition.. Is he suffering or in pain? Honestly he does not look like he is in pain.. Every once in a while I can look at him & he looks a little down.. But that is not very often..

Should I look into putting him to sleep? :(
 

Shell

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If it is a heart condition.. Is he suffering or in pain? Honestly he does not look like he is in pain.. Every once in a while I can look at him & he looks a little down.. But that is not very often..

Should I look into putting him to sleep? :(
Tommy, if it's a heart condition then he likely at this point is not in pain. He will get tired easier and cough, but I don't feel at this point you need to euthanize him. It may be worth a try and just ask your vet if you can try some furosemide with him (if it works, it's a lifetime thing.) I am shocked that in an older dog, they didn't do chest xrays, not that they always show it, depending on what type of heart problem he is having.

You will know when it's time to put him down, he won't want to eat, he will be tired all the time and just not seem to enjoy life anymore. I really would call back the vets you dealt with and ask them if they did chest xrays, and what the possibility of a heart condition is. I just can't shake that that is what the problem is. I have seen it numerous times on older dogs, and all with the same symptoms.


Wouldnt she be suffering with cancer?
Yes, at a certain point, they start to have a fair bit of pain and a vet will prescribe something to keep them as comfortable as possible until the time comes. However, at the beginning stages of cancer, there often is no pain. A mass doesn't always equal cancer either, no way of knowing without doing bloodwork and a biopsy.
 

Redneck

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Tommy, if it's a heart condition then he likely at this point is not in pain. He will get tired easier and cough, but I don't feel at this point you need to euthanize him. It may be worth a try and just ask your vet if you can try some furosemide with him (if it works, it's a lifetime thing.) I am shocked that in an older dog, they didn't do chest xrays, not that they always show it, depending on what type of heart problem he is having.

You will know when it's time to put him down, he won't want to eat, he will be tired all the time and just not seem to enjoy life anymore. I really would call back the vets you dealt with and ask them if they did chest xrays, and what the possibility of a heart condition is. I just can't shake that that is what the problem is. I have seen it numerous times on older dogs, and all with the same symptoms.


Yes, at a certain point, they start to have a fair bit of pain and a vet will prescribe something to keep them as comfortable as possible until the time comes. However, at the beginning stages of cancer, there often is no pain. A mass doesn't always equal cancer either, no way of knowing without doing bloodwork and a biopsy.
Thank you for the help Shell.. :eek: I really appreciate it..

Needless to say he has not stopped eating.. He trys to eat the whole bowl of chow before my moms pooch gets near it.. {D He has a good bit of energy most of the time to.. :D

I will have my mom contact the vet she took him to this time to see if they did chest xrays & what not.. If they didnt I will go ahead and take him up there & get some done.. See what they say then.. :eek:

Thanks again Shell! :D
 

Shell

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Thank you for the help Shell.. :eek: I really appreciate it..

Needless to say he has not stopped eating.. He trys to eat the whole bowl of chow before my moms pooch gets near it.. {D He has a good bit of energy most of the time to.. :D

I will have my mom contact the vet she took him to this time to see if they did chest xrays & what not.. If they didnt I will go ahead and take him up there & get some done.. See what they say then.. :eek:

Thanks again Shell! :D
You're welcome Tommy, push them if you have to. You are paying for them to do a workup on your dog and they should be willing to do what you ask. He sounds like he is still a happy little guy and as I said, I really don't think his time is up yet, if it is his heart, meds can keep him comfy for quite some time
 

LeilaNami

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I second the heart condition. My chihuahua mix started coughing around 14 years old. It's because he developed a stage 5 heart murmur from age. He was fine for another 2 1/2 years before he passed away due to kidney failure (unrelated to the heart of course). He coughed whenever he got too excited and got tired easily. I also had to be careful with what medications I gave him and he couldn't be given any anesthesia where he was put completely under.
 

Galapoheros

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Having Heartworms can cause coughing. I'd assumed they checked but I'd make sure they did.
 

Shell

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Having Heartworms can cause coughing. I'd assumed they checked but I'd make sure they did.
That is, of course another possibility. However, heartworm is typically accompanied (not always of course, but usually) with a variety of other symptoms. Including, weight loss, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea. Dogs typically get progressively worse with it also.

Definately a valid point though, and something to check with your vet. Heartworm bloodwork, if not already done, is typically quite cheap.
 

spydrhunter1

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My beagle of 16 years had the same symtoms your describing...as others have said it's probably heart disease. My beagle lived about six years after we started medications.
 

Redneck

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Having Heartworms can cause coughing. I'd assumed they checked but I'd make sure they did.
He is on Heartworm Pills... He takes them every month..
That is, of course another possibility. However, heartworm is typically accompanied (not always of course, but usually) with a variety of other symptoms. Including, weight loss, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea. Dogs typically get progressively worse with it also.

Definately a valid point though, and something to check with your vet. Heartworm bloodwork, if not already done, is typically quite cheap.
My brother had bought a Rottie.. As soon as he had the time he took her to the vet.. The same one I took my Chihuahua to.. They said she had heartworms and treated her.. I think after all tests & treatments were done it costed like $600..
My beagle of 16 years had the same symtoms your describing...as others have said it's probably heart disease. My beagle lived about six years after we started medications.
Wow! Another 6 years? :D Getting me all excited that I will have him for a long time.. :eek:

As long as my little buddy is not suffering or in pain I am happy.. :D
 

Shell

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My brother had bought a Rottie.. As soon as he had the time he took her to the vet.. The same one I took my Chihuahua to.. They said she had heartworms and treated her.. I think after all tests & treatments were done it costed like $600..
Treatment is quite expensive, the blood work alone isn't too bad, if it's just a heartworm test done and not a bunch of other bloodwork (at least here.)

If he is on heartworm meds, then it's HIGHLY unlikely that he has heartworms. Of course it can happen, but it's very, very uncommon, and if it does it's usually the mistake of the owner, giving meds too late one month.
 

Galapoheros

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I'm not a vet but maybe to clear things up a little more for people (and if anybody wants to add or correct something), if your dog has heartworms, the dog has to go through a drawn-out treatment to kill the worms slowly, I'm kind of assuming this is what is so expensive(?) If you give a dog a heartworm "preventative" when it has a bad case of heartworms, it will kill the worms too fast, they will drift through their system and stop up organs, ...like the kidneys and can kill the dog, I've seen that happen. If a dog is on a preventative, the worms don't get the chance to build up in size and numbers. Seems it wouldn't be heartworms if you dog's already on a preventative.
 
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