PLEASE HELP!

[sammylover]

Hello,

I just had my samoyed die from IMHA four months ago and I am still not over it.

Now, my other 9 year old sammy started making this hacking noise and snorting noise mostly after eating or drinking.  The vet thought it was allergies and left it at that.  Several months later he is doing that less and has been on Benadryl, but now he has started heavy panting when he is awake and has a dark red tongue and his ears are darker pink.  he has no fever.  He does not pant when he is asleep.  But he does this panting in the cold weather.  The vet does not think it is heart.  

I am at my wits end with worry.  No one seems to be able to figure it out.

Thank You,
Chris

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

I am very sorry to hear about the finding of a mass in your pet's chest.  That must indeed be very traumatic for you.

I am not qualified to comment on what it could be or any sort of prognosis, but we do have more than 30 veterinarians in the Ask A Vet Expert forum that might be able to help you understand a little more about what is going on with your pet.

It is good that your veterinarian has offered a referral to a specialist and the sooner that your pup can be seen by the specialist, the better.

Good luck to you and definitely keep us posted as to what is going on.

[sammylover]

Dear Thomas,

Thank you so much for your reply..

There have been several xrays done and the vet seems to think it is a mass in his chest cavity.  It is under his heart and pressing on the bottom portion of his lung which is cutting off his air and he cannot get full oxygen to the lung which is in turn making him pant so much.  I have just been in tears.  The vet does not really do much explaining about this type of thing and I have no idea what this all means.

This vet has referred us out to another specialist to have an ultrasound. He said it has to be done right away to determine if this mass is fluid or tissue and then from there they have to give put him out and determine through a biopsy to see if this mass is cancerous fluid or tissue.

Anything you could tell us about something like this would be so much appreciated, please.  I dont understand where something like this could come from.  For dogs that do get something like this, is there some sort of idea as to how what is "normally" could be?

Thank You,
Chris

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

Hi Chris...I am sorry to hear about your samoyed and the IMHA...that is always a sad situation.

With respect to your other Sammy...what diagnostics have been done so far?  Any bloodwork, xrays, etc?