Why is my rescued dog coughing, having head tremors, weak legs, and not eating?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Coughing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Hooch evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good day!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While antibiotics can cause vomiting and nausea, a cough can definitely be due to aspiration pneumonia. However, other conditions unrelated to possible aspiration such as heart disease, infectious pneumonia, or heart worm infection can cause coughing as well and may just be a coincidence. If you are concerned about Chester’s cough, I recommend having him seen by his vet to rule out the conditions above. They can perform bloodwork and x-rays to make a diagnosis and begin the appropriate treatment. I hope this helps and that all is well with Chester!

Cough can be caused by an infection, heart problem or lung condition, it is important to first know the cause before treating it as treatment is different from condition to another. The most common disease causing cough is a viral/bacterial infection called Kennel cough, this disease usually resolves without treatment within a couple weeks but if the cough is too severe it is recommended to go to the vet in order to get cough medicine and antibiotics.

Hello. Medications can be hidden in meat, cheese, pill pockets, even marshmallows, but I strongly do not recommend giving any medication to an unknown dog in an unknown condition & without knowing how that antibiotic may adversely affect the dog. It is best to try & capture the dog safely & transport him to a veterinary facility for proper diagnosis & treatment. Thank you for wanting to help this dog & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds as though Vito has been through quite a bit over the past week! It is concerning that he is now lethargic, not eating, and coughing, after being normal for a week after his procedures. My main concern is that he may have developed kennel cough or canine influenza after being in a shelter situation. To answer your question, yes, I do think you should take him to the vet for evaluation. In addition to a physical exam, Vito may need to have chest x-rays taken or blood testing performed. I hope this helps and that he's feeling better soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Besides being due to heartworms, coughing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Scooby evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would assume if Danny has something infectious like a bacterial or viral pneumonia he would have improved with antibiotics or the virus would have ran it's course. The only advice in retrospect would have been to not stop the antibiotic until the cough had resolved for at least a week or 2. Some pneumonia's require 4-8 weeks of antibiotics. He definitely could have something else going on in his lungs like heart worm, heart disease, tracheal disease, a hernia, fungal pneumonia (they are very sick), cancer or allergic airway disease. If you are able try to get Danny to a vet for an exam, heart worm test and chest X-rays. I wish you the best!