Herschel Choking, Seizures, Or...?

[Coach]

Herschel is 8. We have always fed him kibble
With no issues. In the past year he has began to have bouts with either choking, seizures or something else while eating. At first i thought seizure for sure. Then I noticed this always happens when he's eating or just finished eating so I thought maybe choking. He's had x rays and the vet has found nothing. Last night was his worst one yet and we almost lost him.
Anyone with experience with this? Do bulldogs tongues change as they get older? Should we switch to soft food? TIA

 

[2BullyMama]

Have they evaluated his palate??


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[Coach]

Have they evaluated his palate??


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They have made mention of it through the years because he is a very loud breather. She did not offer it as a reason for the issue. What would the vet be evaluating?

 

[helsonwheels]

They have made mention of it through the years because he is a very loud breather. She did not offer it as a reason for the issue. What would the vet be evaluating?

In a nutshell……

 

[oscarmayer]

What would the vet be evaluating?

Evaluating a narrow airway…possibly hypoplastic trachea or elongated palate.
If he is a fast eater I highly recommend a slow feed bowl. Try this one…the medium size works for our rapid eater.
Until you get a slow feed bowl try feeding him on a baking sheet so he will have to chase the food around and cannot gulp it. It’s a messy way to feed but it works to slow them down so they don’t choke.

https://www.amazon.com/OurPets-DuraPet-Premium-Stainless-Steel/dp/B001NJ4PVW/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=Slow%2Bfeed%2Bbowl&qid=1624759474&sr=8-11&th=1

 

[2BullyMama]

They have made mention of it through the years because he is a very loud breather. She did not offer it as a reason for the issue. What would the vet be evaluating?

what Chip and Helen have stated… if your boy is a loud breather he most likely has an elongated palate

 

[beanie807]

what Chip and Helen have stated… if your boy is a loud breather he most likely has an elongated palate

That surgery a lot of vets do not recommend as it also grows back… are there suggestions beyond this? I like the slow feeder bowl and I’ve had these instances my Boomer literally passed out I thought we lost him I put my hand in to scoop out anything I could and he came to, very scary!

 

[chauncey_pancakes]

My senior bulldog has had this issue since 2013. He is is 12 years old is on prescription eye drops, supplements and antifungal wipes for his paws. No other current medications and is about 40 lbs.

We have had many ER visits and scary fainting/collapsing/urinating episodes (might also look up 'syncopal fainting episodes' which is common in bulldog breeds) For my dog, he would begin gagging, vomiting, fainting/choking, collapsing, then bowel movement. Every time he needs assistance to help breathing because of his oversized tongue prevents him from recovering (turns blue). It is very scary. He did have maybe 2 or 3 seizures when he around 4 or 5 but stopped since. He now has sleep apnea also so we have someone with him 24/7 and we monitor him on a home camera when we are away. I'm not sure what exactly causes the episodes, but i'm sure he has some type of airway syndrome. It took many vets, medications, methods to develop a good plan for him and he's finally in a happy healthy state. Hopefully our experience might give you some insight. We've tried so many things, but the frequency of the episodes greatly reduced when we did three major things.

1. Dental check up revealed infected teeth that were inflaming his sinuses and severely exacerbating his allergies. The Extraction and regular dental cleanings have changed his life. This year we have decided not to undergo sedated dental cleaning unless it is absolutely necessary due to his age so we've upped his home cleanings (try using a waterpik!)

2. Diet Change/Allergy management. This one took year and years. We found a good dry kibble in 2015, but i noticed his allergies/GI/stool were still causing issues and he was gaining weight/elevated protein levels. He wasn't excited about food and would often starve himself to the point of vomiting (triggering another episode). I also noticed certain dog treats/jerky would trigger episodes. Beef and Pork seemed to make it worse, we had to try a lot of different brands and combinations. I switched him to fresh food on 02/17/22 and i noticed instant results. He has lost over 5 pounds and his allergies/GI/stool/appetite/energy have improved trifold. His dry eye has also improved by over 75% (no more crazy boogers!) Its unfortunate i only discovered this 2 months ago. Fresh food is very pricey but it has helped in my vet costs and i do want to give him the best last years of his life and he is now obsessed with his new food.

3. Find good quality supplements. We use Prudence Hip and Joint High Potency Soft chews and Vet's Best Allergy chews which contains sea kelp. No slouchy hips here! Ask your local holistic dog feed store team they helped me with references on food brand and local vets that specialize in certain breeds.

I have also gotten him an elevated angled feeding bowl and have spread his feedings out to 3 to 4 times a day to avoid low blood sugar (another trigger) / bloating / aspiration.

Wishing you all the best with your pal.