Leslief2309
New member
- May 25, 2024
- 2
- 1
- Country
- United States
- Bulldog(s) Names
- Lulu
Hi everyone!
I am a first time English Bulldog owner and looking for guidance...
My Lulu just turned 1 this past week. In December she had a few episodes where she would get sick and throw up. It was always early morning and I felt due to empty stomach. The issue was every time she would throw up, it would affect her breathing and she would pass out. She would come to very quickly. I decided to switch to a vet who had more experience with bulldogs. Vet said she was not getting enough air due to her nares. He then brought up her palate and that she would eventually need surgery to reduce but would like to hold off as long as possible due to regrowth because of her age...that waiting until 2 yrs old would be best. A x-ray was also done to check heart and airway. He said her heart looked good but she does have a narrow trachea. She had nares surgery 2 weeks later and it made a huge difference. No more snoring, she slept better, and no more episodes of passing out.
3 weeks ago she didn't seem like herself. She just wanted to lay around and started what sounded like her trying to clear her throat. She also had a runny nose. The pollen here was horrible at the time so I thought maybe it was her allergies. The next morning she was asleep on the couch and when she woke up she immediately almost passed out and urinated on herself. I took her the emergency vet to get checked out. Vet said heart and lungs sounded good..could not find cause for concern. She was normal the rest of the day but started having bad diarrhea on Monday. I followed up with our regular vet on the following Tuesday,5/7, which is when she was diagnosed with aspirational pneumonia and bacterial colitis. I was told the colitis was due to the stress caused by the pneumonia. She was prescribed antibiotics for both. During the visit with her regular vet, we talked about her now needing palate surgery but of course could not be performed until pneumonia was cleared up. On 5/16 she was playing and got really excited. Her breathing got really heavy like she wasn't getting enough air and she collapsed but did not pass out. This happened 3 more times and I attributed it to her palate. I called the vet to schedule a recheck for the pneumonia so that we could proceed with palate surgery. During the vet visit on 5/20, x-rays were done to check her heart and her lungs. Her lungs were clear but there was he thought her heart looked a little enlarged. I agreed to have then sent to a radiologist to determine if an echo needed to be done. Vet called next morning to say radiologist said her heart looks good and no need for echo. I asked about scheduling the palate surgery but vet sa.id no because wanted to wait due to age and that I should try to keep her as calm as possible to keep her from having episodes. I hung up feeling so confused. Since the vet visit she has had an episode any time she does anything that affects her breathing. I try to keep her calm as much as possible but even her getting excited to me coming home causes it to happen. I am frustrated because there is only so much I can control. I cry everyday because it breaks my heart for her. She no longer can play with her toys, she can't play with my other dog, she can't play with my son...she cannot be normal dog. I cringe anytime she moves quickly. I now carry her up our stairs for fear it will happen and she will fall backwards down the stairs. She's started snoring again and when I don't hear her snoring throughout the night I check to make sure she is still breathing.
I am looking for another vet to get a second opinion. I cannot accept that this is her reality and we just have to wait until she is 2.
Thanks for taking the time to read...I know it's a lot. Is there anything else other than getting a second opinion, I should be doing?
I am a first time English Bulldog owner and looking for guidance...
My Lulu just turned 1 this past week. In December she had a few episodes where she would get sick and throw up. It was always early morning and I felt due to empty stomach. The issue was every time she would throw up, it would affect her breathing and she would pass out. She would come to very quickly. I decided to switch to a vet who had more experience with bulldogs. Vet said she was not getting enough air due to her nares. He then brought up her palate and that she would eventually need surgery to reduce but would like to hold off as long as possible due to regrowth because of her age...that waiting until 2 yrs old would be best. A x-ray was also done to check heart and airway. He said her heart looked good but she does have a narrow trachea. She had nares surgery 2 weeks later and it made a huge difference. No more snoring, she slept better, and no more episodes of passing out.
3 weeks ago she didn't seem like herself. She just wanted to lay around and started what sounded like her trying to clear her throat. She also had a runny nose. The pollen here was horrible at the time so I thought maybe it was her allergies. The next morning she was asleep on the couch and when she woke up she immediately almost passed out and urinated on herself. I took her the emergency vet to get checked out. Vet said heart and lungs sounded good..could not find cause for concern. She was normal the rest of the day but started having bad diarrhea on Monday. I followed up with our regular vet on the following Tuesday,5/7, which is when she was diagnosed with aspirational pneumonia and bacterial colitis. I was told the colitis was due to the stress caused by the pneumonia. She was prescribed antibiotics for both. During the visit with her regular vet, we talked about her now needing palate surgery but of course could not be performed until pneumonia was cleared up. On 5/16 she was playing and got really excited. Her breathing got really heavy like she wasn't getting enough air and she collapsed but did not pass out. This happened 3 more times and I attributed it to her palate. I called the vet to schedule a recheck for the pneumonia so that we could proceed with palate surgery. During the vet visit on 5/20, x-rays were done to check her heart and her lungs. Her lungs were clear but there was he thought her heart looked a little enlarged. I agreed to have then sent to a radiologist to determine if an echo needed to be done. Vet called next morning to say radiologist said her heart looks good and no need for echo. I asked about scheduling the palate surgery but vet sa.id no because wanted to wait due to age and that I should try to keep her as calm as possible to keep her from having episodes. I hung up feeling so confused. Since the vet visit she has had an episode any time she does anything that affects her breathing. I try to keep her calm as much as possible but even her getting excited to me coming home causes it to happen. I am frustrated because there is only so much I can control. I cry everyday because it breaks my heart for her. She no longer can play with her toys, she can't play with my other dog, she can't play with my son...she cannot be normal dog. I cringe anytime she moves quickly. I now carry her up our stairs for fear it will happen and she will fall backwards down the stairs. She's started snoring again and when I don't hear her snoring throughout the night I check to make sure she is still breathing.
I am looking for another vet to get a second opinion. I cannot accept that this is her reality and we just have to wait until she is 2.
Thanks for taking the time to read...I know it's a lot. Is there anything else other than getting a second opinion, I should be doing?
