Really worried about Willow :-(

[maddy74]

Willow started coughing the other day following retching!! She had her spay a week ago so we have tried to keep her as calm as we can. However yesterday and today the coughing has got worse and when my friends were here tonight and she being playing with it was quite bad.

I then made the dreadful mistake of googling post op coughs for it to lead to 'Esophageal Stricture'. So after sitting here worried sick and then waking OH at stupid oclock we called the emergency vet, she said Esophageal Stricture are very rare and said it sounds more like kennel cough, although she had been vaccinated against it she described several strains. She said as she had been chasing the ball earlier, (albeit in a slow manner due to her spay and us being careful) she would wait until morning surgery to go in as she sounded okay to her to wait until then.

I am still very worried and hoping it is kennel cough rather than Esophageal Stricture as I think they can be fatal!! It didnt help reading on the net that 65% of dogs that get them are post spayed bitches  

I hope my baby is going to be okay....

Has anyones doggy had Esophageal Stricture or kennel cough?

[karen488]

Sorry to hear shes not to well. No exp of either just to say the internet can be a dangerous thing. I looked all the time when i was pregnant and ended up surprised that my baby didn't have 3 heads! Are you going to the vets today?

[Abbi]

Abbi had kennel cough as a pup and it sounds very similar. She was retching and a terrible dry barking   cough. It was terrible to watch her and we felt helpless. She also was a bit foamy round her mouth.
I hope willow is soon feeling back to her normal self and I can understand how worried you are.

[bajoleth]

Its highly likely to be Kennel cough, she has been to the Vets recently for her spey and unfortunately just like GPs surgeries, you can pick up all sorts of things. Lots of dogs aquire Kennel cough despite vaccs, try not to worry 

[Geordietyke]

Poor Willow, I'm also guilty of googling (which ironically lead me to Odie's Addison's) but 9 times out of 10 you just worry yourself sick.  Whilst I was at my vets yesterday, the receptionist had said that they'd had a ton of kennel cough cases recently. 

Good luck at the vets later on. 

[Danni and Freya]

sounds exacty like Ellie when she arrived, with kennel cough. Treated it with honey, simple linctus and garlic and fenegrick tblets

[maddy74]

Thanks guys, im heading to vets now....it opens at 8 xx

[bluegirl]

I've just read through your post and my first thought was you can get coughs post op following intubation procedure, it may be from that, or the other thought was she had picked up kennel cough, it takes about a week to incubate.

Hope she's ok.

[8 Hairy Feet]

hope all goes ok for Willow
steffxxx

[Sheryl]

I thought the same as Bluegirl.  The tube they put down can be quite large and I know that Kali had a cough after her spay.  It could be anything!  Hopefully the vets will give you a definitive answer x

[Jonnydog]

Aww, poor Willow. That's a bit unfair to get a cough after your spay. It sounds like kennel cough to me. I'd steer clear of too much googling, it just feeds your panic, Maddy. Just what you don't need. 

[coopersmum]

Another vote for kennel cough here. Hope she feels better soon

[MaggieR]

Awww Willow sweetpea, hope the vet has made you feel more comfortable and put mum's mind at rest... have to say my first reaction was Kennel Cough, I know my friends dogs both had it twice last year inspite of vaccinations.
 's for you both

[maddy74]

Thank you all so much for replying. Sometimes I dont know what I would do without col.... ? ?

Saw the vet, they said kennel cough. She has a slight raised temperature and is swollen at the side and front of neck.

I videoed her coughing last night and showed him and she also did it in there too so at least they saw it. They said it seemed like the onset of it and a mild kennel cough compared to some but that it might get worse initially. We have anti biotics and something else to reduce inflammation. He did say we can use human Benalin if we need to in a few days but advised against it at this stage as the coughing brings up stuff and gets rid of it where he said the Benalin stops the coughing and she could then get a secondary infection if that makes sense.

It hard to know what are symtoms of post spay and then the onset of this as she has been more tired than usual. Im at my wits end  

She can not go out for 7 days apart from the garden and then we have got to take her back to vets at this time. He said many dogs get over it without medication but due to swelling at the side of her neck and post spay he gave us meds.

On a plus side he checked her spay wound where I was concerned about he swelling a few days ago and thats all okay now, he described her as healing well. The hard part at the top of the incision is the top of the internal stitch and will right itself in the next 1 to 2 weeks! (so thats a relief)

One thing I forgot to ask the vet was when she does cough is there anything I can physically do to aid her as she looks so upset, any ideas?? Obviously I dont want her doing any damage to her internal stitches.

I did at first think that the cough was due to the tube after surgery but was advised this would usually happen day 1 to 3 and not be continuing a week later.

I am emotionally drained so off to bed for a hour or so as I didnt sleep a wink last night. I was convinced she had a Esophageal Stricture!!  

[MaggieR]

 's can imagine how worried you were  Manuka honey helps them with kennel cough, soothes the throat