Chronic Bronchitis

[L and M Ranch]

Hello all. Have any of you ever dealt with a dog that's been diagnosed with chronic bronchitis?

 

Zac, 5 years old, has been fighting it for well over a month now. We tried a round of antibiotics and torbolgesics the first time. It helped but it came back within 2 weeks. So this time, he's on albuterol, prednisone and just finished a round of amoxcicillin. He seems to be doing quite a bit better already, but I'm curious if he's just going to continue to go backwards when the medicine is done.

 

Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

How does this present? Ben's got some sort of chronic fluid buildup problem which we are too broke to get diagnosed properly ATM. We have been controlling outbreaks with Lasix and right now he just coughs a bit after working or playing hard, or sometimes after getting up from a nap.

 

We've also gotten great results using CoQ10 and antioxidants - we were able to cut in half the Lasix needed to keep him at the current level.

 

Don't know whether this helps but good luck anyway!

[L and M Ranch]

Hi Rebecca,

Zac started out with a hacking cough that would sometimes produce mucous and other times not. Usually it was worse first thing in the morning, after working or if he got really excited.

My vet determined it wasn't kennel cough (he's vaccinated but there of course can be breakthrough), checked for heartworms, ran a bunch of bloodwork, chest films and a thoracic x-ray. On the bloodwork, his pancreatic enzymes were on the very high end of normal and he showed a slight infection. At the first exam, his lungs sounded quite bad but after the first round of antibiotics, they sounded fine. He was still coughing off and on.

It sounds to me like this is most likely allergy induced and will probably come on every year at this time. I've never really known or heard of anyone that has ever had a dog with it though.

Thanks for the suggestions on the meds. I'll look into them for him.

[KrisK]

Laura, my miniature schnauzer (Zachary) has chronic bronchitis...sounds very similar to what you are describing. It got worse when we moved to our rural property (hayfields instead of asphalt) His has been seasonal, worse at this time of year and almost non-existent in the spring/winter. He is prescribed antibiotics for 2 weeks with a renewal for an additional 2 weeks. So far, that has worked for him. Unfortunately, on top of that, he has a chronic heart condition as well which also presents as coughing/wheezing.

[cecilia]

My border, Argus, has developed a cough that sounds exactly like croup. He coughs especially after energetic activity. He has not been around a kennel or dogs who might have picked it up, except (as I think about it) when he was at the vet three weeks ago for what turned out to be herniated disks in his back. Maybe he picked it up there? In any case, what sort of antibiotics have you all used with success?

[L and M Ranch]

Kris, do you use anything besides the antibiotics? Do you start them when he is due to start coughing it or after he starts coughing?

Cecelia, it sure could be kennel cough. They usually have a hacking cough that's unproductive and it's worse after activity. From what I've read and my dad (a vet) has told me concerning kennel cough, it will usually just run it's course and antibiotics aren't always necessary. But of course, I would check with your vet to see what they say. For Zac's bronchitis, we used Amoxcicillin.

Thanks again everyone.

[KrisK]

Hi Laura,

 

I start the antibotics as when he starts coughing. So far, that's all I've used and it seems to work for him. It's a bit trickier with Zachary because his heart condition can also cause him to cough.

I wonder if it is allergy related if something like Benadryl would work?

[BCCrazy?]

Might be worth checking into this. I have heard reports that it has shown up in the suburban areas in Minnesota, but nothing first hand.

 

The FVMA is sending the following link to an

emergency alert that the

State Veterinarian, Dr. Thomas J. Holt, has asked us to forward to our

members attention. Please use the following link

>> http://www.fvma.com/associations/3040/file...otice%20Web.pdf

 

The link is also available on our home page at www.fvma.com

 

The State Veterinarian's advisory alerts you to a

canine respiratory disease caused by an influenza

virus, as reported by

the University of Florida, College of Veterinary

Medicine, Small Animal Clinical Sciences. The same virus has apparently

been involved in

several outbreaks of severe respiratory disease in

racing greyhounds in

Florida and other states in the past year.

 

Awareness of this highly contagious virus, which is different from,

and can be more severe than the normal "kennel

cough" complex, is

important for practitioners and kennel operators,

especially since

there is no rapid test or vaccination currently

available. Early

clinical identification and isolation of suspected

cases, as well as preventive measures in screening boarders with unknown history or early

clinical signs, is recommended.

 

The use of flu vaccines approved for other species

is contraindicated

because of the potential for adverse and possibly

fatal reactions in dogs.

For support in submitting samples for testing for

canine influenza, you

may contact Dr. Cynda Crawford at UF/CVM Department of Small Animal

Clinical Sciences, at (352) 392-4700, ext. 5731; fax(352) 392-6215; or

e-mail at crawfordc@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu

 

Additional information about this virus will be

presented during the

FVMA's upcoming conference in Orlando. A

presentation will be made on

Sunday, September 11th from 8:00am to 8:50am in the Diamond Room, by Dr.

Cynda Crawford. She is the lead researcher at the

Collge of Veterinary

Medicine work on this emerging disease.