Why is my dog with Leishmaniasis tired and breathing with gurgling?

Hi there! While some smaller breed dogs can be prone to what we call tracheal collapse, it is usually results in a characteristic "goose honking" noise. Because Gypsy's cough is not improving on the the Theophylline and seems to be get worse with exertion I am concerned about heart disease. Her heart should be properly auscultated and also evaluated in the radiographs. I would recommend seeing a cardiologist at this point in time, as they are experts in the area of the heart. Best of luck to you and Gypsy.

These are alarming symptoms indeed. For an older dog with coughing and lethargy, my top suspicions would be: heart disease, heartworm disease (if he is not current on heartworm prevention) primary lung cancer, pneumonia or a heart based tumor. He is at risk for all of these based on his breed. I would highly recommend taking him in to your vet for bloodwork analysis and chest radiographs to properly diagnose him based on the many possible causes stated above. Poor guy. He sounds very unstable for now and the quicker you can get him in to a vet the better. I hope that this is something you can treat for, but the odds of it being something major are high in an older large breed dog. I send you all my best in getting Casper well again. Take care and best wishes.

I would discuss other treatment options with your vet. I understand that ultrasound can often be cost prohibitive, but your vet may be able to prescribe medications based on their best guess of the cause of the illness. Based on the labored breathing, weakness, and gagging, I would be worried about Donny's heart and lungs. I know heartworm disease is not terribly common, but it is still a possibility. Other possibilities include heart failure, pneumonia, hypertension, or cancer. You might discuss radiographs with your veterinarian to look inside Donny's chest. Increased potassium could indicate lab error, renal failure, gastrointestinal issues, or possibly Addison's Disease, or it could be normal. Elevated white blood cells can indicate bacterial or viral infection, inflammation, or cancer.

Poor Hera! It is possible that her lethargy and vomiting are indicative of a persistent infection, but could also indicate a new gastrointestinal illness (virus, stomach upset from eating something abnormal, etc.). If she is actually vomiting bile, this is coming from her stomach and is not fluid in her lungs. Since this is her third course of antibiotics for the same bout of pneumonia, I recommend calling your vet today to address these new concerns.

I am sorry to hear about your dog. This lesion could be an insect bite, an area of bacterial or fungal infection, or growth. Without seeing it in person it is difficult to distinguish between these. The coughing is much more concerning and I would recommend having her examined as soon as possible if she is having ongoing coughing and difficulty breathing. Some conditions, such as heart disease, can cause coughing that is worse at night when the pet is laying down, so I would want to examine her, listen to her heart and lungs, and take an x-ray of her chest to determine just why she is coughing. Heart disease is not common in a 9 month old dog, but we would also want to check for things like congenital diaphragmatic hernias which could cause problems when she is laying down, or infections of the respiratory tract.

I think it may be time to consider a specialist. I'm not sure if the vet has done a recent x-ray of Mumchie's chest, but I would be concerned his symptoms could be due to heart disease. That can be common in older dogs. Seeing a specialist may give you some answers. Best of luck.

Poor girl. She could have congestive heart disease, cancer, cushings disease or any kind of organ enlargement in her belly. I would recommend starting with a good vet exam and then possible radiographs and bloodwork to get her checked out and hopefully find the underlying cause for her symptoms. I hope everything works out for your pet Lita. Best of luck and take care.