Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 4/27/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi I am currently getting into a vet tech program at parkland IL, I was watching some ones dogs and noticed that one was having trouble breathing. She likes to sit on a pillow and prop her head on the arm rest, normally she will have one foot up on the arm rest as well, and sometimes both. She pants and breaths heavily. This has been going on for a long time, but know one knows what seems to be the problem. I hope to hear back from you. Her right eye seems runny and so does her nose.

ANSWER: Okay when I read this sentence,"This has been going on for a long time, but know one knows what seems to be the problem." I wonder what this means. No one as in whom? The owner? The vet that is seeing the dog? Has the dog been to a vet for this? Is the dog on heartworm prevention? Is the dog older? Is she coughing?

There are so many things that this could be, and obviously a vet needs to look this dog over and do some xrays of her chest.

She could have a major case of heartworms. She could be in congestive heart failure. She could have pneumonia. She could have old dog distemper as well.

I am sure you can see how this is something that needs to be addressed where you live, by a veterinarian in his office.

My suggestion is that you get her to the vets and get a receipt so your friend can pay for the visit later.

She needs a thorough exam, xrays and possibly blood work.

Good luck with your program. Being a vet tech was my life dream and even though it destroyed my back and right shoulder I wouldn't trade it for a minute for anything else. Including being a vet!!


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The dog is 3 years old and is on heartworm pills, they have taken her to multiple vets that have done blood work, it came back normal. She doesn't have a cough, and she goes through spells of this lasting around 5 days. There is no pattern to it, happens through out the year randomly. The dog sometimes has to be force feed she will not eat on her own don't know if she just doesn't feel good so she stops eating or it has something to do with her condition. She will drink water on her own.

Answer
Blood work is one thing, xrays of her chest, neck and nose are another. I have no answer as to why they cannot find anything wrong.

There is something causing this, and since it is random, the circumstances that happen right before and after these episodes should be noted. Obviously without a complete workup on the dog it would be hard for anyone to figure this out.

I would look for a veterinary pulmonary specialist if this was my dog.