UPDATE ** Puppy cough, phlegm, productive

[oscarmayer]

My bulldog puppy is doing the same thing! I got her at 5 months old and the breeder said she was a little raspy but she got a clean bill of health. Fast forward a few weeks and I ended up at the ER vet with her because she got aspiration pneumonia (thank God for pet insurance). At the ER vet they said she has a narrow trachea and will need palate surgery and possibly nares. She spent almost a week at the ER vet and was doing great. Then about two weeks later she had a relapse but not as serious, she was put on oxygen for an hour and sent home with antibiotics. She just had an appointment with the surgeon and will be having palate surgery on the 29th of this month. Im extremely nervous and scared about this surgery but the vet did explain in great detail and said she will be fine because she is young, not over weight and has a neck. He also said her nares do not need to be done but that he was going to remove the sacs in her throat because they can cause breathing issues as well and she doesnt need them. Hoping your puppy is doing better now!!

GL to you! I hope all goes well and your pup has a quick recovery. Keep in mind that a Hypoplastic Trachea is completely separate from elongated soft palate.


"Stenotic nares: Narrow, small nostrils make it difficult for the dogs to draw in air through the nose.

• Elongated soft palate: Excessive tissue of the soft palate can obstruct the flow of air through the pharynx and larynx (upper throat). This is the most common component of the brachycephalic airway syndrome.
• Everted laryngeal saccules: These small sacs in the very back of the throat are normally inverted (tucked away) and cannot be seen. With excessive negative pressure, which occurs when these dogs inhale, they can be sucked inside out– everted —and further obstruct the airway.
• Hypoplastic trachea: The windpipe, or trachea, may be narrower in diameter than normal, resulting in increased resistance to airflow when the animal breaths. The symptoms of this syndrome vary based on the severity of the anatomic irregularities. The abnormal structures are present from birth, but obvious problems often do not arise until the dog is over 2 years of age. Some dogs only develop mild symptoms and do not require intervention. Heavy snoring during sleep, or the typical “snorting” of an excited bulldog or Boston terrier are mild examples, and many dogs are not otherwise affected. However, at the other extreme, some dogs develop such a degree of airway obstruction that they have trouble breathing at all, especially on inhaling."

 

[Bulldog2001]

My bulldog puppy is doing the same thing! I got her at 5 months old and the breeder said she was a little raspy but she got a clean bill of health. Fast forward a few weeks and I ended up at the ER vet with her because she got aspiration pneumonia (thank God for pet insurance). At the ER vet they said she has a narrow trachea and will need palate surgery and possibly nares. She spent almost a week at the ER vet and was doing great. Then about two weeks later she had a relapse but not as serious, she was put on oxygen for an hour and sent home with antibiotics. She just had an appointment with the surgeon and will be having palate surgery on the 29th of this month. Im extremely nervous and scared about this surgery but the vet did explain in great detail and said she will be fine because she is young, not over weight and has a neck. He also said her nares do not need to be done but that he was going to remove the sacs in her throat because they can cause breathing issues as well and she doesnt need them. Hoping your puppy is doing better now!!

Soft palate surgery my dog had as well, he had the saccules removed too cause they caused some issues too. The nostrils also got done and OMG his breathing is 100X better!

I wouldn’t hesitate to have the surgery done, and I have heard of dogs with a too long soft palate get aspiration pneumonia from the swollen soft palate because of needing surgery, the best choose I made for him was getting the surgery, but he has never had aspiration pneumonia.

I also have pet insurance and that really helps

Also while they are recovering after surgery they should have soft food(canned food, raw diet or home cooked). As soft food is easiest on the throat(kibble can get stuck in the stitches), and if they don’t drink much, it’s ok cause the moisture in raw diet, home cooked and canned food is high roughly 70% moisture so it keeps them hydrated.
I kept my dog on soft food for the full 4 weeks after surgery, then I switched to raw(I was cooking for him).

Good luck wishes with the surgery, keep us updated.

 

[buffym]

Thank you so much for all the info!! Glad to hear yours is doing so much better, thats what Im hoping for my Sophie. I'll let you know how she does after her surgery this coming Monday!!

Comments like this really help to ease my mind about all of this.

 

[buffym]

Sophie had her surgery on Monday and I brought her home yesterday. She had her palate and saccules done, nares were fine. So far so good!! Shes still a little raspy but they said that will get less and less as she heals. My other dog (Boxer) wants to play so bad and keeps bringing her toys.

 

[helsonwheels]

Get a ultrasonic diffuser that holds at least one cup of water. Add 10 drops of each of essential oils: eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender and 5 drops of tea tree which kills all airborne pathogens. As we all know water and oil don’t mix and why you need an Ultrasonic one. It has a higher vibration which you don’t hear that basically breaks down the oil and mist in the air. This recipe will open up your dog’s lungs to breathe better. Any dog that has a some sort of lung issues, I recommend having a diffuser and put it were the dog sleeps. If you have a cat, avoid the peppermint oil. Not good for cats. I use DoTerra or Young Living oils.

 

[Bulldog2001]

Sophie had her surgery on Monday and I brought her home yesterday. She had her palate and saccules done, nares were fine. So far so good!! Shes still a little raspy but they said that will get less and less as she heals. My other dog (Boxer) wants to play so bad and keeps bringing her toys.

Awesome, hope she has a fast recovery, she should improve with the palate and saccules being done.

 

[oscarmayer]

You should be able to tell a huge change for the good within a few days, 1 week tops. Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[buffym]

Get a ultrasonic diffuser that holds at least one cup of water. Add 10 drops of each of essential oils: eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender and 5 drops of tea tree which kills all airborne pathogens. As we all know water and oil don’t mix and why you need an Ultrasonic one. It has a higher vibration which you don’t hear that basically breaks down the oil and mist in the air. This recipe will open up your dog’s lungs to breathe better. Any dog that has a some sort of lung issues, I recommend having a diffuser and put it were the dog sleeps. If you have a cat, avoid the peppermint oil. Not good for cats. I use DoTerra or Young Living oils.

Thank you, I will try that!!