Asthmatic Whippet?

[markE]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

Do whippets get asthma? The last couple of days, mine has been having what seemed like choking attacks, but nothing comes up. And then he has been having sort of snorting attacks as well. His stands up and his chest heaves and he snorts constantly for about thirty seconds, then it eases. He sneezed a few times yesterday when out and about and got rid of quite a bit of mucous. Been of his food a little, not much, but otherwise is still excitable and wants attention. Could the choking be 'coughing'? and may he just have a cold? Ive never heard a dog cough so dont know what to look for. Its quite worrying. ive videod it on my phone for the vet to see, as im going to take him tomorrow unless things get really bad today. Any help, hints or experiences would be appreciated.

ps; the central heating has been on a lot over the last few days so was wondering if the dry heat may have an effect and cause asthma attacks, if thats possible.

 

[jeanyg]

Could it be kennel cough?

 

[Millie]

Sounds like Kennel Cough

 

[markE]

Just searched kennel cough, and the symptoms seem to match exactly what fletch has been doing. And i forgot to mention that when he is relaxed it doesnt happen, but when he becomes excited or when we get up first thing in the morning and he sees us he get an attack.

Does anyone have experience of kennel cough with whippets? how bad does it get?

thanks for the replies so far by the way.

 

[doris]

sorry I can't offer any advice, but hope he feels better soon :luck:

 

[Gill Andrew]

Unless your dog is either very young, very old or has a heart problem then he should recover from Kennel Cough without too many problems. The vet will probably prescribe some antibiotics to prevent a secondary infection but one thing that does help is human Benylin cough medicine. Try to get half a teaspoon down him (but probably you will end up with far more over you than actually down him) as this will open up his airways a little. Just keep him warm and comfortable.

Kennel Cough is highly contagious so keep him away from other dogs until he has stopped coughing. I wouldn't let him run either until he has recovered.

No doubt you will get lots most posts giving you further advice but good luck.

 

[Jesswhippet]

My Whippet has had kennel cough recenly. Symtoms just as you describe - were worrying. I posted on here for advice just like you. Vet had to give 2 lots of antibiotics - 2 weeks apart. Vet would have like to listen to her heart more but she doesn't like him and her heart rate goes through the roof. He even tried in the car park so she would be going home but one look at him and the skys the limit. All coughing ceased now and she is fit again. Lots of TLC helped and trying not to get her excited. We avoided all dogs when walking her.

Hope yours gets well soon.

Wendy

PS I don't know how she caught it!

 

[trac]

my mother in laws whippet has the same thing, he is on antibiotics, she doesnt know how he caught it!

 

[jayp]

One of mine had it a few weeks ago, I gave him Benilyn as suggested by Gill and he recovered after a couple of days. Just kept him in and warm. Jan -_-

 

[~JO~]

Yes it does sound like Kennel Cough - however my Stanley has had an on-going nasal problem for the last 2 and a bit years. He suffers with hacking cough (like there is somehting stuck at te back of his throat) and the bouts of backward sneezing/snorting. He gets quite panicked.

Despite lots of research and different treatments the only thing that controls it is a steroid every few days. When this first happened I was pretty sure it wasn't kennel cough as to me it did sound a bit different, however he then became so down he went to the vet and hae had a really bad infection in the nose as well.

We think it is a type of allergy - but haven't a clue to what.

I am pretty sure this was triggered by a kennel cough vaccine up the nose a few weeks earlier and he also picked up a nasal virus at 6 months which I think left a weakness.

Anyway sorry to go I am sure it probably is just KC but just to make you aware it could possibly be a similar type allergy problem. I hope it clears up soon whatever :huggles:

 

[markE]

Yes it does sound like Kennel Cough - however my Stanley  has had an on-going nasal problem for the last 2 and a bit years.  He suffers with hacking cough (like there is somehting stuck at te back of his throat) and the bouts of backward sneezing/snorting.  He gets quite panicked.
Despite lots of research and different treatments the only thing that controls it is a steroid every few days.  When this first happened I was pretty sure it wasn't kennel cough as to me it did sound a bit different, however he then became so down he went to the vet and hae had a really bad infection in the nose as well.

We think it is a type of allergy - but haven't a clue to what.

I am pretty sure this was triggered by a kennel cough vaccine up the nose a few weeks earlier and he also picked up a nasal virus at 6 months which I think left a weakness.

Anyway sorry to go I am sure it probably is just KC but just to make you aware it could possibly be a similar type allergy problem.  I hope it clears up soon whatever  :huggles:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

thanks to all who replied. this last reply seems very similar to what we are going through. He had the backward sneezing thing a while back and the vet gave him a steroid injection which helped clear it up. It has also been happening again in the last few days as i said earlier. We'll be at the vets tomorrow, i'll post on here what happens, in case it helps others in future.

thanks everyone

 

[markE]

Been to vets. Not kennel cough.

The vet asked where i walked the dog mostly, and when i told him, he nodded and said there had been four other dogs that were walked at the same beach in with the same problem. Its a throat thing, and hes given us a weeks antibiotics, then we have to go back next week for a final check. asked us to keep the dog away from others as they can catch it. So no immediate panic. He checked for KC and checked his heartbeat etc, took temp, and said everything should be fine.

thanks again to all. Happy New Year.

 

[BevPh]

Our Macy has the exact same thing and has been an ongoing problem for about 18 months. She had a bad attack a few weeks before christmas and has been on anti biotics. It is much better but she still has these backward sneezes, a hacking sort of phelgmy throat and every morning and evening has a massive sneeze with lots of clear snot!!!

The vet has suggested having her in and having investigative camera and all sorts but we are hoping not to have to do this. She seems fine in herself and we have thought it may be an allergy but have racked our brains to think of what it may be. I sometimes feel it gets worse when she is stressed or excited but I don't know.

Anyway hope your whippie gets better.

 

[whippetsrus]

Been to vets. Not kennel cough.
The vet asked where i walked the dog mostly, and when i told him, he nodded and said there had been four other dogs that were walked at the same beach in with the same problem. Its a throat thing, and hes given us a weeks antibiotics, then we have to go back next week for a final check.  asked us to keep the dog away from others as they can catch it. So no immediate panic. He checked for KC and checked his heartbeat etc, took temp, and said everything should be fine.

thanks again to all. Happy New Year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Seems it must be doing the rounds. Beau has this too. he was at the vets this afternoon and also has a weeks supply of antibiotics. Beau also has a temperature as well. At the moment Al seems to be fine......fingers crossed there as he has had more than enough this last year.

Hope things improve for your dog. :luck:

 

[~JO~]

MarkE - I'm glad it is just a bug, keep an eye on her and hope it clears up quickly.

Bevph - sounds just like Stan. When Stan first suffered, they thought it was a grass seed or something similar stuck in the back of his nose by the soft pallet. He was scoped as far as possible (without being referred) and all they found was snot

The only time he needs antibiotics is if I left him too long without giving him a steroid (prednisolone 5mg) and then he gets an infection, so I now maintain him on a low dose every few days or so as this seems to be only thing that controls it.

 

[louisetope]

My Murray first got a problem at about 14 months old. I thought it was kennel cough first of all, but it never got better. He had all the symsptoms mentioned, predominantly the "backward" sneezing which looks and sounds a lot worse than it is. He then started producing green snot from one nostril, so I suspected a grass seed or something similar. He was sedated and checked out and they did a "lung wash" as well, but found nothing. The vets suspect some form of rhinitis.

He has sufferred from it permanantly since then - he is now six and a half years old! He has good spells and bad spells. At best, he is a normal whippet who has the occasional sneezing fit. At his worse he is a sorry sight. Thick green snot from both nostrils, coughing it up also. Can't lay down and can only sleep "on his elbows" Swollen forehead and eyebrow area. No appetite and just a bit sad. It never travels to his lungs, it's purely within his sinuses/nasal passages.

Over the years we've tried it all. Many different antibiotics, inhalers, steroids, homeopathy, acupuncture, reiki healing. The best combination I have found is reiki healing and an antibiotic called RONAXAN. I keep a supply in the house and just use them when I feel it's really bad, usually for 3 or 4 days, which seems to knock it on the head.

He is worse during the night, usually around 3-4am, so when it's really cold, he wears his pyjamas which seems to help. And he is always MUCH BETTER AFTER EXERCISE, I'm sure it clear his sinuses.

It's pretty gross when you step, bare-foot in a cold squishy bogey which has been ejected onto the carpet, or have to scrape a semi-congeled one off the TV screen. We always give him a big cheer when he sneezes out a big one. I think his record must be about12 or 14 inches of snot. They often hang precariously from a nostril and you have to wrap it around your fingers and give it a tug to get it out!

Still, you have to laugh about it or you'd just cry and give up!

Louise

 

[markE]

well he's had his antibiotics and he is much much better and all the symptoms are gone i think.

went back to vets tonight for checkup and all seems well.

hope the others here that have had the problem are doing well.

judging by the comments it looks as though we may not have seen the last of it (although i really hope we have), but hes looking ok so we'll see how it goes.

 

[chelynnah]

Glad to hear it seems gone.

My girlies all have the reverse sneezes on a semi-regular basis. We just blow gently in their faces and rub their throat or pop our thumb across their nose so they have to stop and swallow and breathe through their mouth for a second. Both methods calm them down and it stops.

I don't worry about it too much. If there was green phlegm or if it started sounding differently that's when I would do something about it. Sounds like yours was a little more than just the reverse sneezes.

Hope it continues to get better.

Wendy