My new rescue dog is lethargic, coughing, not eating. What's wrong?

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.

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!

He is probably suffering from a condition called kennel cough, it's quite common in rescues, the lack of appetite could be due to the disease or due to the change of environment, the diarrhea is probably not related to the infection i mentioned before. i would recommend taking him to the vet tomorrow for a full checkup, he might need some medications to treat his problems.

Congratulations on your new puppy! It sounds like Nashville may have an upper respiratory infection, or kennel cough. You are absolutely correct in being concerned, as this condition can progress down into the lungs and cause pneumonia if not treated. I recommend having her seen by a vet sooner than next week so that she can start the appropriate course of treatment. Your vet may even elect to postpone her shots until she is better to give her immune system to fight the infection properly.

Labored breathing and chronic vomiting are both very serious clinical signs especially when seen in concert with one another. If vomiting occurs during a labored breathing episode, Bachy could potentially aspirate the vomit and cause a serious case of pneumonia. I don't think this is something that should wait until the morning. You should give a call to your local ER vet and see what they think of the situation. They may recommend bringing him in for some oxygen therapy and diagnostic work up. I understand that you only just adopted him yesterday, but this is definitely the best possible thing to do for him at this moment.

Congrats on your new dog, but I'm sorry Shino is sick! It could be that he may have kennel cough causing his symptoms. He may be up to date on his vaccines but he may not be vaccinated for kennel cough. I would have Shino seen by a vet first thing in the morning for this. While kennel cough is self limiting, his symptoms may be helped with medication. I can give you some stuff for at home that can do for him in conduction with medication from the vet. Any dog with kennel cough should be isolated for at least two weeks, possibly longer depending on the severity of the infection. Keep your dog in a well-humidified area, and use a harness instead of a collar to minimize coughing. Rest your dog for at least seven days to minimize irritation of the airways caused by excessive coughing. You can bring your dog into the bathroom with you while you have a shower, as the steam may help with the respiratory irritation. I hope this helps, have Shino seen by a vet tomorrow!

Poor Walter. Unfortunately, there are several things that can cause an elevated WBC. An upper respiratory infection or pneumonia certainly cause this, but so can any type of infection else where. I would first want to have his WBC rechecked to see if there has been any improvement since starting the meds. I would also talk to your vet to see if they ran a chemistry to look at him liver and kidney values. Just make sure you let your vet know that he isn't what you would consider normal. If everything is looking better, his change in behavior may just be part of him adjusting to the new living area and being away from the previous living arrangements. Any change in a dog's life can cause them to stress and become anxious and/or lethargic. I hope this helps and he starts to warm up to his new forever home.