Puppy cold not improving, still hard to breathe. What should I do?

Thank you for reaching out to the consultation service. If she is still acting lethargic and has not improved after 10 days of the antibiotic‘s, there are only a few reasons why this is not working. She should be showing signs of improvement by this time if the drugs being used the correct medications for the condition being treated. But obviously something is wrong. First, you may have been giving an antibiotic that was resistant against the infectious agent or whatever is causing the disease. Second, if it is indeed a virus causing the symptoms, then an antibiotic will not be effective. Lastly, maybe the dosage needs to be increased in milligrams as well as frequency. I strongly urge you to contact your veterinarian the soonest possible to have another physical examination performed. You may even need to do some chest x-rays or a cold sure of the respiratory mucus. Please do this before the symptoms worsen and your dog gets sicker. I hope I have helped you today. Thanks for your question.

Respiratory diseases can take quite a bit of time to resolve. If it has only been 4 days I really think you need to give her more time. I really cannot comment on those medications as I am not familiar with them; we do not use them in the U.S. Without knowing her diagnosis (respiratory disease is very vague) it is very difficult to give you any further advice. If you do not think she is improving I suggest you take her back to the vet for some x-rays of her lungs and some blood testing.

I am concerned that she is having such trouble breathing. This could be another pneumonia, an upper respiratory infection, a fungal infection, a congenital heart problem and much more. If your vet has already done X-rays and they were normal, you may want to talk to them about having an ultrasound of the heart done. Also, I would have her blood work checked to see how her liver and kidney values are and see what her white blood count looks like. Finally, I would talk to your vet about whether see needs some antibiotics and medicine to help her breathing. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better soon.

Yes, it is quite possible the pneumonia has not resolved. She needs urgent reassessment by a vet and further medication, possibly intravenous fluids and antibiotics in order to stabilise her condition. Such severe pneumonia in a young pup is very concerning and can be fatal due to lung scarring and collapse. It is possible there may be underlying birth defects contributing to the original condition and/or her poor response to treatment

This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm this clinical suspicion 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.

Poor girl. The only thing you can do in the meantime is to try and unclog her airway. You can do so by using a humidifier or placing her in the bathroom with the hot shower running for 5-10 minutes once or twice a day. You can also use a pediatric syringe to help remove any mucous plugs. However, it sounds like her infection is quite severe, so I would look into taking her to another vet who can get her in sooner. Young puppies do have a tendency to develop pneumonia quickly after a prolonged upper respiratory infection that is left untreated, so its best to get her seen right away. I hope that Kylie feels better soon. Best wishes and take care.

Poor Moca - he is having a tough time! A suspect pneumonia which has not responded to regular treatment should be x-rayed in order to determine any complicating factors and also be tested for parasites. A swab of fluid from the airways may also need to be cultured in order to determine the type of infection