My pug keeps sneezing with mucus. Why aren't antibiotics working?

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The most common reasons for sneezing are: allergies, a cold, an infection (bacterial, viral or fungal) or possibly foreign material (plant debris, etc). Pugs have abnormal nares and airways which may make them more susceptible to infections. I am from the US and I see you are in Croatia. There may be different causes in your area of the world. If the nasal discharge is yellow or green, he gets worse, stops eating, is lethargic and or his symptoms persist I'd recommend getting him looked at by a Veterinarian. He may need some antibiotics

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If a runny nose is returning after a course of antibiotics has stopped there is concern for a foreign object stuck in the nose. Another course of antibiotics won't help. The best thing to do would be to scope or flush the nose to see if anything comes out, or to get a sample. Fungal disease is common in the US as well and is a consideration of cause. I would recommend a revisit with your vet. You can discuss allergies at that time as well, as a runny nose can be caused by allergies. Best of luck with Olive!

This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or eventually to a chronic rhinitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Pets can get nasal discharge for many reasons and the most common are infections or allergies. With her older age and because she is a pug (short muzzled) if she is continuing to have discharge beyond 5 days or if she is getting worse at any point, I recommend to have her examined. Sometimes omega 3 fatty acids can help and feeding her a high quality diet can help to keep her immune system strong. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It sounds like they had a touch of kennel cough which is like dog flu. What can happen when treating with antibiotics that if the course finishes too soon it can make them better but hasn't completely killed the bugs then it recurs. I would visit your vet as you may need a longer course or different antibiotic.

An upper respiratory infection of some kind is certainly a possibility. It sounds like she may have some inflammation that isn't usually present, Such a short respiratory tract makes pugs vulnerable to inhaled irritants and infections more so than other breeds of dog. I recommend getting her seen by your vet if the symptoms persist more than a few days and sooner if she develops signs of illness, such as a nasal or eye discharge, lack of energy and/or appetite. Also, with her rubbing her face more, her eyes are more vulnerable to injury and irritation than other dogs, so make sure she doesn't hurt herself rubbing her face.

It would be unlikely that the antibiotics are the cause of her sneezing and breathing issue. She could have allergies, an infection, foreign body in her nose, etc. Call your vet and give him/her an update. Your vet may be able to prescribe an anti-histamine to see if that helps. If not, she should be rechecked by your vet to determine the cause and treat.