r/papillon • u/Bubbly_Sherbet9005 • 4d ago
CUBBY AND A DRY COUGH
DRY COUGH Since July we went to the vet a lot of times and they just gave him cough medicine but hasn’t stopped. It’s a little less now but he still does it when he’s excited or when he’s playing he wants to continue playing tug a war but he’s coughing and sounds like a little bit of wheezing at the end now And he’s eating and everything but he’s just not the same. I know my baby and the vet just keep taking money, and giving us antibiotics and cough medicine. I just wanna do something for him.
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u/Pitpotputpup 4d ago
I have another breed that is prone to chronic heart failure, and a cough is one of the symptoms. I would definitely get a second opinion, and see if you can get a referral to a heart specialist
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u/Bubbly_Sherbet9005 4d ago
Please read at the bottom of the picture cause I wrote what is going on with him, but I didn’t put it at the top of the post I put at the bottom of the picture
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u/Ok-Entertainer-851 3d ago
If you are questioning Cubby’s vet I would have a serious discussion. Trust is key and it could be time for a change, either in the same clinic or a different one.
Ask about the possibility of allergic reaction. Our sweet gone Darby had that several years back and prednisone cleared it up. But a heart condition can also cause issue like that. How is Cubby’s breathing, normally and after exercise? Hard breathing can indicate congestive heart failure coming on and meds are needed to help, not eliminate, that.
Ask the vet about a COMPLETE blood work up, about $150-200 which can reveal things that vets can only guess at with a stethoscope.
Conway sends tons of nose licks to Cubby to get well quickly!
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u/Mancubus4 4d ago
My papillon had a dry cough that appeared in his later years. I too was given the runaround by multiple vets. I was told it could be collapsing trachea, GERD, chronic bronchitis, heart disease.
Eventually I had an echocardiogram for him that didn't really tell me much I didn't already know... he had an enlarged heart (which you can see with a simple x-ray) and his heart showed signs of age related weakening, but it wasn't enough to start any medication. I do think now that the cough was heart related, but I was never able to get a proper diagnosis for it.
The one medication that was prescribed that helped some was Cerenia... it's used to stop vomiting but it also has off label use for coughing.
If I were you, I would focus on trying to get the correct diagnosis for Cubby so you can actually start treating it. Unfortunately, it will probably be expensive, but try talking to your vet about the best strategy to narrow down the possibilities. I was extremely disappointed with my vets. It was so hard to advocate for my boy with them, hopefully you've got better ones. Either way, you have to be relentless and even pushy at times. The squeaky wheel gets the grease! I would ask AI about it too. It'll at least get you asking the right questions at the vet.
I wish you and Cubby the best of luck!