3.5 month puppy wakes us up dry heaving / coughing / gagging

[CliffandGriff]

Ugh. This past week we keep getting awoken by our 3.5 month puppy making this strange dry heaving / coughing / or gagging sound... it is kind of hard to describe. It seems to happen throughout the night and only during the night, not during the day. His energy levels are great, appetitite, etc. During the day he seems absolutely great.

It sounds like he's going to vomit but doesn't. Initially we wrote it off but are starting to worry b/c the past couple of nights it's been happening quite a bit. It's like he needs to cough up a hairball or something. He did throw up one time during the night last week but from what I remember he wasn't dry heaving then repeatedly like he is now.

Any ideas on this? I'm wondering if it could be a sinus drip or something... but also wonder if it could be an elongated palate that gets in his way of breathing when he sleeps.

I know bulldogs are prone to breathing issues so I'm not sure what this could be. I already have a message out to the vet but figured you all might offer some great insight.

Thanks so much. I love this puppy and want to make sure he is okay.

 

[izstigspunks]

I'd go to a trusty bulldog vet to have it checked out. When Stig had dry heaves and coughing, he caught the kennel cough bug from somewhere. And, yes, they can catch it even though they've been vaccinated for it. It's like the flu, there are just too many strains out there.

Even if it's not kennel cough, I'd still go to the vets so you'll be able to get some answers. Poor guy, must not be sleeping so well.

 

[CliffandGriff]

Thanks for your help. Yeah I was wondering about Kennel Cough. When yours had it was the cough during the day and night or just night?

 

[izstigspunks]

Can't exactly remember. He would cough here and there in the beginning, but not often enough that there was a concern. Then it just escalated until it cleared after a couple of weeks. When it did escalate, he was coughing day and night.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

Yes..I agree..take him to the vets. Anything with coughing and bulldogs needs to be checked! Good luck and let us know!

 

[Davidh]

I would check with your vet too, it may be nothing but sinus drip, but better safe than sorry. My Beagle does that sometimes when she sleeps if her sinus's are acting up. Plus do you keep water in his crate at night? If not I would, may just be a dry throat from snoring and a little water may solve the problem. Keep us posted.

 

[2BullyMama]

Could be a few things, but with it being a puppy do not chance it -- take him to the vet as you do not want it to be something that can get worse. Let us know how you make out.

 

[LucysMum]

Hey, I'm going to suggest something completely different than the others--(except take the baby to the vet. I never took any chances when Lucy was a baby.)

Anyway, I'm wondering if feeding the pup a snack before bed would help. Lucy used to wake up in the middle of the night when she was a pup either heaving or she would vomit a little greenish "foamy" substance. Once I started giving a snack before bed it stopped. My vet said that when she had an empty stomach for too long her stomach would get upset causing her to vomit. Maybe this is the case here.

I still feed her two times a day and she still gets a "snack" before bed. She is 3 now. I am from the school "if it ain't broke..."

Good luck with the check up and let us know how you make out at the vet!

 

[Vicaroo1000]

[MENTION=3524]CliffandGriff[/MENTION] - Update? How's the baby doing?

 

[nyerathrt]

Could he be on the back end of kennel cough? If at one point he was coughing day and night...and a cough sounds somewhere between a cough and gagging sound. Scared tge crap outta me the first ime i heard it...i thought jameson was choking.

 

[Lindathedogsmaid]

this should be a simple fix!!! Bulldogs need to have some thing in their tummys a regular time opposite the other feeding-example , if you feed the first meal of the day at 7 AM the other meal should be at & PM, or closer to bedtime. but not within a hr of bedtime, what happens is the tummy is so empty that the Bulldogs start heaving from being on empty!! but not much in there so up comes a green foamy type of vomit, that is actually the lining of the stomach, ( not to worry) but what I did was (and it was because one of mine needed pallet surgery and couldn't get it till she was at least 10 months old, so she swallowed to much air trying to catch her breath and created to much saliva, so her system was not resting the way it should. now this is the simple part--I use childrens circus cookies for treats(I know what in these- I don't in dog biscuits) but un frosted circus cookies are small enough to break in two and still please. keep a small container close to the dogs sleeping area, and at the first sign of retching go in a give them even as few as 2 . and they will stop the dry heaves. let me know how this works. it is just an empty tummy for to long!!
and keep pepcid AC around for dogs as one of them will work miracles in an hour for an upset tummy!

 

[korikelly]

Hey, I'm going to suggest something completely different than the others--(except take the baby to the vet. I never took any chances when Lucy was a baby.)

Anyway, I'm wondering if feeding the pup a snack before bed would help. Lucy used to wake up in the middle of the night when she was a pup either heaving or she would vomit a little greenish "foamy" substance. Once I started giving a snack before bed it stopped. My vet said that when she had an empty stomach for too long her stomach would get upset causing her to vomit. Maybe this is the case here.

I still feed her two times a day and she still gets a "snack" before bed. She is 3 now. I am from the school "if it ain't broke..."

Good luck with the check up and let us know how you make out at the vet!

This is exactly what we went through with Lola as a younger pup. The vet said empty stomach. The snacks really did help, and it's the best medicine she ever had :D She is 10 months now, and it still happens occasionally, especially if her dinner is late or something.

 

[GatorRay]

What great creative suggestions!

 

[CliffandGriff]

Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions! I called our vet shortly after posting this and he thought it was post nasal drip. He recommended I give Cliff Benadryl. Cliff's symptoms actually got worse over the weekend... sneezing constantly during the day. gagging, and then he started getting yellow/greenish nasal discharge.

We took him to the vet yesterday. He concluded that he has a sinus infection which would be caused by some type of upper respiratory infection. He sent off a nasal swab to find out exactly what type of infection and the best type of antibiotics to treat it. That will take 5 days to get back.

In the meantime, he gave us 7 days worth of a broad spectrum antibiotic and told us to continue giving the Benadryl as well. After seeing the nasal discharge, I was very concerned about distemper even though he's been vaccinated. Our vet wasn't concerned though because he doesn't have a fever, has plenty of energy, is eating, stool is fine, etc. Phew!

He's on day 2 of the antibiotics and seems to be improving a bit. He still had quite a bit of nasal discharge this morning but the sneezing and coughing/gagging seems to be less frequent.

Thanks again for everyone's help!

 

[CliffandGriff]

Okay so I have another update. The vet had him on Clavamox. He is doing much better now. Less gagging, little to no mucus and if there is any it is clear, less sneezing, etc.

However, we just found out that he had 2 infections. 1 was treated by the Clavamox, but the other is a bacteria called Pseudomonas which apparently is very hard to get rid of.

There are apparently only a few antibiotics that will help him but they have risks/side effects. There are injections we could do but run the risk of kidney infections.

The other is Baytril. Our vet is recommending that but mentioned that Baytril can cause cartiledge problems in growing puppies. Ours is only 4 months old... but the vet thinks this is the best option.

I've read that Pseudomonas is so hard to treat.

Has anyone ever run into this bacteria? How old was your dog and how was it treated?

Thanks!