asperating pnemonia(pneumonia)

when i took her to vet on the 21st, vet advised me to put her down, that wasnt an option for me, so we put her on oxygen the 21st along with albuterol breathing treatments, and antibiotics, she got 100% better, last night had her out of the oxygen tent for like 8 hours, all of a sudden she started gasping real bad again, how long should she be under oxygen tent but to only take her out when feeding? Is there something else we should try? Is she ever gonna completly get over this? Vet said lungs were clear now, just swollen from vains in lungs clot, But the treatments should make her better...

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

I am so sorry about your poor puppy!

The answer to your question hinges upon the cause of the aspirate pneumonia.  If it is caused by a congenital malformation resulting in difficulty in swallowing than the prognosis is poor unless a surgical correction can be performed.  Not all malformations can be surgically corrected, however.

Hopefully there is nothing congenitally wrong.  If there are no congential problems, than her lungs should heal over time once the inflammation is resolved.  This can take up to six or more weeks. She should not have to be in oxygen for the entire six weeks, however.  Steroids may help for the inflammation.

[donnaw1970]

Thank you for getting back with me, she was doing great, until last night, her and i feel asleep on couch, i woke up to her gasping, i looked over and my husbands friend was smoking a cig, i got very upset,  i put her back on oxygen, turned it up to 4, gave her a breathing treatment, today, she is still breathing pretty hard but not gasping, and her stomach is rock hard, i have steroids that a friend of mine gave me to use in breathing machine, should i try this? i havent tried it, cause another vet told me that it could hurt her, she doesnt have cleft palate, any suggestions

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Make sure that she is never exposed to smoke of any kind, or other common aerosol allergens.  By breathing machine I assume you mean nebulizer?  A nebulizer would help,  but please ask your veterinarian.