My dog coughs after soot exposure. Does she need an expensive X-ray?

Oh my. The red blood is very concerning. There could be some type of trauma in her throat or she could have blood coming up from her airway. A bleeding disorder, tracheal injury, canine influenza, rat poison or even pneumonia are all possible causes for this. At any rate Penny needs to see a vet right away for a full examination, oral exam and listen to her lungs. I would take her in as soon as possible for an exam and treatment (likely antibiotics to start). Best of luck with your pet Penny and I hope she is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Take care.

You might ask your veterinarian if the X-rays could be reviewed by a radiologist. While the resolution that the forum pictures allow makes them a bit difficult to interpret, I am concerned that the X-rays do not appear normal, and she may have a more serious underlying condition. It may be that she has some underlying heart disease, cancer, or an infection that requires a more broad spectrum of antibiotic. I agree the blood work you've attached is unremarkable. Was a CBC performed as well? Check back with your vet about a radiology review, and a recheck exam as well. A consult with a cardiologist may be recommended, depending on the radiologist's opinion. I'm sorry I don't have better news, or a solution to offer you to try at home, but I think you need to circle back and followup with your vet on this. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Derby! It sounds like she may be suffering from some allergies or even an upper respiratory infection. You could try benadryl first. See link below for more information on dosing. If she isn't improving or worsens, I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will first listen to her heart and lungs and check her temperature. If she doesn't have a fever and no fluid on her lungs, they may decide to try some antibiotics first to see how she does. If she has a fever, not eating, or has fluids on her lungs they may recommend some blood work and maybe some x-rays to ensure she doesn't have a pneumonia or something more serious. Cost varies greatly depending on the area of the US you live in. I would call the vet you plan to use and ask for the price of an exam. When you arrive, just ask them to give you an estimate of everything before it is done. Most vets are more than happy to give you prices and to help you come up with a plan that best fits your needs. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better really soon. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl

Hi. Coughing can be caused by a lot of things. It can be allergies, irritants, infection, heart disease, tracheal collapse, valley fever, upper respiratory disease, and more. Olive will need an exam to start and then most likely xrays and labs. Veterinary expenses are unfortunately a part of pet ownership. If it helps you can apply for a medical credit card called care credit at carecredit.com

I have absolutely no idea why a vet would say the x-ray would be damaging to him. That is nonsense. X-rays are definitely needed and there is no contraindication of x-raying a dog of any size. The anti-inflammatory injection will not harm but it will only help if the trachea does have inflammation and that is not likely what is going on with him. My guess would be maybe a diaphragmatic hernia or some type of underlying heart disease causing the issue. He needs the x-rays.

An X-ray shows abnormalities like those Edie has in her lungs. They do not give a diagnosis. More tests need to be done to determine if this is pneumonia or cancer. They will look at the white blood cell count for infection and they can do cytology on the bronchial discharge to see if it’s infection or if cancer cells are present. If you want you can take Edie to a specialist to complete the additional tests needed to get a definitive diagnosis. Once there is a diagnosis then they can treat her appropriately. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Edie.

Poor Daisy Mae. This could be potentially serious like heart disease or pneumonia or even certain toxins. On the other hand this could be tracheal irritation due to a lot of coughing. I would take her to the vet as soon as possible to ensure that she is the okay. Your vet will be able to take X-rays and do bloodwork if needed. They will be able prescribe the appropriate medicine to make we feel better. I hope this helps and they don't find anything too serious.