Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am hoping to find someone who has a similar experience or any advice. A little background on my pup:
She's an overweight 11.5 yr old pure breed lab. Last year she was diagnosed with stage 3 mammary cancer - we did surgery + chemo treatments and so far she hasn't had a relapse. The oncologist did say often these cancers spread to their lungs, so when she developed a slight cough a few months ago we assumed it was the beginnings of that.
Fast forward 3 months after the cough has started and it's slightly worse. Lasts about 5 seconds and is nonproductive. We had her lungs x-rayed/taken to the vet and they see no signs at all of heart disease or lung cancer. She has always had allergies, but never a cough. They assume at this point it is worsening allergies and have her on an antihistamine and a cough suppressant.
My concern is the cough has gotten worse over the last 3 months. She isn't acting any differently (eating/moving like normal) but this hasn't gotten better even with antihistamines, only worse.
Has anyone had a senior large breed develop a cough like this? Or any other ideas as to what this could be? I know she has a limited life span due to the severe cancer she had, but if this is something else treatable, I hate to ignore it and leave her in stress.
Sometimes heart failure will not show on an x-ray, and doesn't always mean the heart will be enlarged. My Border Collie was 13 when she died from it, and her x-rays looked fine.
I'm assuming your dog has tested negative for heartworms?
She usually coughs during activity or when she's excited that someone is home. The vet did say he saw signs of nasal drainage when he did his exam, but due to a clear CBC he isn't treating with antibiotics.
I had one of our dogs go through this starting when we first got her. I worried it was kennel cough and it sounded just awful. The vet checked her out and said she was fine and it wasn't super uncommon for dogs to cough when they get excited or are exercising. If you're still worried, I would maybe get a second opinion from a different vet, just in case.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
