Help Needed! Vet again - what are we missing?

LoveBug

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Hi All,

Have a vet appointment for Bug this afternoon. A little back story then on to the current issue.. We finally had a two clear sets of chest x-rays (verified by two vets and specialist radiologists) on Monday 4/16/18 from two bouts of pneumonia. Everything was great - Bug was typical 5.5 month old puppy up to the usual puppy mischievousness. So this past Saturday (4/21) when I went to let her out of her crate after the night - she had thrown up and was lethargic :ohmy:. Got her out - cleaned her up and made some rice for a bland breakfast. She did eat and drink but was still tired. After second breakfast (she eats small meals 4 x a day to reduce the possibility of aspirating) she started coming back to her normal crazy self :rundog:

Rest of Saturday, all day Sunday and Monday (yesterday) she was fine. Kept her on the bland diet (rice and boiled hamburger) through yesterday morning. Yesterday evening she had the remainder of bland and her normal food mixed. Second dinner was all her normal food. This morning, heard her clearing her throat a few times (no vomit - just phlegmy) got up to let her out of her crate and she wouldn't come out. Made coffee, brushed my teeth, fed the other dog and cats and she did eventually come out on her own but didn't want to eat. Long story short - I did convince her to eat both first and second breakfast. She did go outside and had normal looking bms and peed. Gave her a squirt of lemon juice for the phlegm and it got better. BUT she wasn't acting like herself at all ( tired, uninterested in what was going on)so I called the vet and scheduled an appointment. I just called home to see how she is and my son said she is still phlegmy but had gone outside to go potty and barked at the neighbors.

Any thoughts? I know they will check for pneumonia again but the last two times she went down fast - it was so obvious she was really sick. Should I ask them to do blood work? Should we just keep her on the bland diet until after her palate and nare surgery (potentially May 1st but still waiting on surgical confirmation) - or is that too long for bland diet?

You know I really am not an alarmist but this puppy sure has me worried :pray:

Are you comfy.jpg
 

Hankster

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following and wishing for some answers for you. danged if they cant scare us to death!!! Keep us posted and hopfully someone will have some help here too.
 

2BullyMama

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Pneumonia is a tough nut to beat... keep her calm and continue any treatments you were doing till you get back to the vet. I would do blood work just to rule any other issues out.

What is her normal food?
 
OP
LoveBug

LoveBug

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Update: When home to get her to go to the vet and she was her normal crazy self again. My son is off today so I had him hold her so I could taker temp - 100.9f so perfectly normal. I cancelled the appointment for today and we'll see how she does :confused: Maybe I need to put the rolled towels back in her bed at night to keep her more upright?
 
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LoveBug

LoveBug

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Pneumonia is a tough nut to beat... keep her calm and continue any treatments you were doing till you get back to the vet. I would do blood work just to rule any other issues out.

What is her normal food?

Cancelled the vet - the crazy girl is back to her normal self and her temp is fine. Her normal food is Natures Domain beef and sweet potato. Not the best food but that's what her breeder used and she has been fine on it (if you don't count the pneumonia).

If she has more symptoms or wakes up like that again - already spoke to the vet and we are doing blood work.
 

2BullyMama

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Update: When home to get her to go to the vet and she was her normal crazy self again. My son is off today so I had him hold her so I could taker temp - 100.9f so perfectly normal. I cancelled the appointment for today and we'll see how she does :confused: Maybe I need to put the rolled towels back in her bed at night to keep her more upright?

WOW... what a roller coaters! try the towels.. see if it makes a difference
 
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LoveBug

LoveBug

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Well it's morning - been up since 3:30 with her. Coughing and phlegmy. Did the lemon juice and steam in the bathroom. Have the diffuser going and we did coupage. She is breathing normally now but scared me half to death :bigeyes: We will be going to the vet today no matter how she acts later. I want another chest x-ray and blood-work. Her surgery has been confirmed for next Tuesday and we need to know if the pneumonia is back. Will update as the day goes on.

Update: It's 6am and she took a nap for about 40 minutes. Woke up, chased the cats, running around like normal and just ate 1st breakfast. Soaking 2nd breakfast right now. The vet opens at 8am so will call and make an appointment then. Sheesh!

So it's apparent that she builds up phlegm overnight - now the questions is why
 
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rjisaterp

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Well it's morning - been up since 3:30 with her. Coughing and phlegmy. Did the lemon juice and steam in the bathroom. Have the diffuser going and we did coupage. She is breathing normally now but scared me half to death :bigeyes: We will be going to the vet today no matter how she acts later. I want another chest x-ray and blood-work. Her surgery has been confirmed for next Tuesday and we need to know if the pneumonia is back. Will update as the day goes on.

Update: It's 6am and she took a nap for about 40 minutes. Woke up, chased the cats, running around like normal and just ate 1st breakfast. Soaking 2nd breakfast right now. The vet opens at 8am so will call and make an appointment then. Sheesh!

So it's apparent that she builds up phlegm overnight - now the questions is why

????Allergies??????
 

Texas Carol

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Brutus & Cami live in Heaven
NOT SURE THEY SHOULD SCHEDULE ANY SURGERY
RIGHT NOW?

SEEMS TO ME THAT SHE COULD BE AT RISK TO ASPIRATE?

AM PRAYING OVER HER...HUGS!
 

Manydogs

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[MENTION=18186]LoveBug[/MENTION] Has the vet checked for the possibility of Mega E?...

"But megaesophagus pups may not exhibit all of these symptoms, or even any of them to a significant degree. Sometimes the only clinical signs may be repeated episodes of aspiration pneumonia, or a wet cough that fails to clear up. Some pups grow out of the disorder, whether by resumption of normal esophageal function, or a loosening of the stricture that previously prohibited food from entering the stomach. It is not clear at the time of diagnosis which pups will grow out of it and go on to enjoy a normal quality of life, and which pups will continue to be significantly affected." ..... Just something that came to mind. [MENTION=15364]oscarmayer[/MENTION]
 

Texas Carol

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GREAT CALL, LYNN!

IT WOULDN'T COME TO MY MIND
BUT IT WAS THIS NAGGING THERE.
 

Manydogs

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Just scanning my brain to think of certain symptoms......what little brain is left.
I personally would wait on surgery until the answer is found. [MENTION=18186]LoveBug[/MENTION]
 
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LoveBug

LoveBug

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[MENTION=18186]LoveBug[/MENTION] Has the vet checked for the possibility of Mega E?...

"But megaesophagus pups may not exhibit all of these symptoms, or even any of them to a significant degree. Sometimes the only clinical signs may be repeated episodes of aspiration pneumonia, or a wet cough that fails to clear up. Some pups grow out of the disorder, whether by resumption of normal esophageal function, or a loosening of the stricture that previously prohibited food from entering the stomach. It is not clear at the time of diagnosis which pups will grow out of it and go on to enjoy a normal quality of life, and which pups will continue to be significantly affected." ..... Just something that came to mind. [MENTION=15364]oscarmayer[/MENTION]

We did talk about it after her initial aspiration pneumonia. I will bring it up again today. We use an elevated slow feeder, wet her food and feed 4 small meals instead of 2 - all as a precaution.
 

oscarmayer

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Easiest way to tell is by observing the "puking". If the dog heaves several times and then pukes then that is NOT Mega E.
Symptom of Mega E is regurgitation, the sudden evacuation of the large "floppy part" of the esophagus. There is no heaving involved whatsoever.
 

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