lung consolidation

[luvslargelabs]

My dog had a bit of a cough/huffing over the spring that went away in its own.
He went in to the vet for a problem with his "goopy eyes" that cleared up nicely with garasone at the beginning of August. Around August 25 I took him to the vet as he started huffing/coughing/hacking overnight. It really sounded like there was something stuck in his throat that he couldnt get rid of. He was put on a round of tetracycline  + coedine. The cough improved but never fully went away.
2-3 weeks later was given another round of tetracycline + coedine. One again improved but never really stopped. During this time all of his other activites were normal, eating wee (lab-sized appetite) wanting to play drinking etc.
6 days ago he started coughing /hacking (again like something stuck in his throat) violently overnight. In the morning he was shaky and vomiting, very agitated yet lethargic at the same time. Took him in as an emergency when tests were performed on him. He was put on clavimox. For the first few days after that he has not wanted to eat or even move, He is moving around more now, seems almost himself again and getting his appetite back. When he is resting his h/r and breathing are normal, when he moves around he starts to cough/hack again. I dont want to go the way of open chest surgery right now as I dont know how well he'll do after. Any suggestions please? His Xrays or 5 days ago are in my profile. Thank you

[Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM]

I am glad he is feeling better and also glad to discuss further. If you would like to review this with me feel free to contact my office.
Dr Carol

[luvslargelabs]

Hello,
You indicated that you would try to help me. I included all the lab results in the above messages. Just wanted to know if you wanted me to send the labs to your lab. As an update, he is still on Clavamox, 650mg 2X a day and is pretty much himself again, leaping around the backyard, playing fetch etc.

[luvslargelabs]

Thank you so much for offering to help, his vets are very puzzled with his case and not sure where to go with it. He has been on Clavamox since Tuesday.
As an update: Saturday Sept 25 appetite seems normal now, hes a bit picky with his own dry dog food but I cooked him a special dish of 1 part chicken (drained off fat) to 1 part brown rice to 1/2 part boiled carrots, mixed 1:1 with his dry dog food and hes been ravenously eating that. Hes also eating his milk bones and cookies.
He was coughing and hacking quite a bit Saturday and overnight. Sunday morning he hacked up about 1/4 cup of bloody phlem on the floor and that alarmed me of course. After that he didnt even cough for about six hours. We asked our other dog to go to the dog park around noon and the patient clearly wanted to go (ran to the door with his toy, tail wagging). At the park he was running and wasnt even coughing until evening. He was coughing again yesterday evening and a bit overnight. I was watching him breathe and his breathing is normal (about 30-40 breaths a minute), he doesnt seem to be struggling when he breathes, just a cough/hack. I cant reeally hear rattling in his lungs but i do hear it in his throat.
As you indicated, I really dont want surgery on him at this point.
Thanks again so very much for your help. Its breaking my heart to hear him cough/hack like that.

[Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM]

Hi-I am sorry to hear about your dog and would be glad to review labs and offer specific suggestions. Never let anyone perform surgery on your dog before a complete workup and all other options have been reviewed with you.
Thank you
Dr Carol Osborne, DVM

[luvslargelabs]

Appetite seems completely back to normal. Is this because he started Metacam (in addition to his coedeine) today? He ravenously (as usual) ate his breakfast and dinner, 4 milk bones and a cooked egg. he appears to want more. Huge change from not even looking at anything but tiny pieces of chicken 2 days ago.