My Husky is breathing fast, coughing, and losing weight. What's wrong?
Hi. Poor Rylee. The first thing I would say is that you need to take her to the ER this evening. Respiratory distress can be very serious. In Raley's case, it sounds like her kennel cough could be turning into pneumonia. She will need a good exam, and radiographs. That is most likely the issue and a common occurrence in severe kennel cough cases.
Unfortunately another possibility we have to keep in the back of our mind, although rare, would be distemper virus. Distemper is a virus that affects a dog’s respiratory, gastrointestinal, respiratory and central nervous systems, as well as the conjunctival membranes of the eye. The signs of canine distemper can include sneezing, coughing and thick mucus coming from the eyes and nose. Fever, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea, and loss of appetite are also symptoms of the virus.
Let's start with an exam a x-rays of the chest a review of her vaccine status. Good luck
Updated on September 23rd, 2025