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Ask the Veterinarian/My Coughing Chihuahua

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Expert: - 5/12/2011


Question
QUESTION: My Chihuahua(Willow) has started coughing really bad almost to the point of where she seems to almost vomit.What could suddenly make this start happening and hoe do I know when I should seek medical attention for her? I am really worried about her..

ANSWER: You need to get her in to the vets tomorrow. She could have so many things going on here- from heartworm disease to heart failure. She could have a collapsing trachea- something chihuahuas are known for.

I have no age, no history of vaccinations, heartworm prevention, weight etc, so that is about all I can suggest.

Call your vet in the morning and get her in right away.

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

QUESTION: She is about 7 yrs old, overweight thanks to my mom. has had her vaccines..and we got a new puppy..but i will call in the morning ty

Answer
As I said, there are many factors that can cause constant coughing. Obesity is certainly one because of what it does to the heart. The collapsing trachea is another, common in small dogs.

Getting a new puppy maybe she is barking at the puppy all the time and the irritation of that will start a cough.

Make sure the vet checks her heart and her blood for heartworms. You didn't mention that she is on any heartworm prevention and it is very prevalent where you live.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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