My senior dog is wheezing in cold weather. What should I do about it?

Poor Roxey. The changing of seasons can certainly cause these guys to get some congestion. Unfortunately since Roxey is older, I would take her to your vet for an exam. She could have a simple upper respiratory infection or something more serious like the canine flu, heart disease, or even pneumonia. Your vet will be able to listen to her heart and lungs. Your vet can also do blood work or chest X-rays if needed and provide the proper medicine to help make her feel better. Unfortunately there isn’t a good OTC medicine to help her feel better. You can try 75 mg (3 adult tablets) of Benadryl twice a day until you can get her to the vet. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better really soon.

This could be due to a few different problems that can likely be treated effectively. One possibility is heart failure. They tend to have a decrease in activity and tire more easily after exercise with this condition. It can also cause them to have labored breathing and wheezing after exercise. This can be dramatically improved with medication. Another possibility is that she has a condition known as laryngeal paralysis. This can cause very noisy breathing after exercise. This can be corrected with surgery. It's worthwhile to at-least have Sammie evaluated by a veterinarian. They can likely narrow-down the possibilities with an exam and possibly a few tests. I hope that helps and Sammie gets better soon.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can try using a humidifier for the home or in areas where she resides most frequently. Making sure the home's air filter is changed every year is also a good idea and can help decrease some of the irritating allergens in the air. Using a harness on her instead of a lead and collar around the neck can help lessen stress around airways. Lastly, making sure she is in cool moist air and limiting time spent in hotter weather can help as well. If Tia's symptoms worsen or do not improve, a veterinary visit really is best in order to obtain a diagnosis so Tia can receive the most appropriate care and treatment. Causes of breathing difficulties are many and include heart conditions, certain lung conditions such as asthma or bronchitis, as well as upper respiratory infection, collapsing tracheal disorders, or primary lung tumors. Typically chest x-rays are taken to rule out the above conditions. I hope this helps and I wish you and Tia the best!

I'm sorry to hear Lala is having issues. There can be multiple causes for wheezing in dogs, including heart disease, a collapsing trachea, upper respiratory tract infections, allergies, or another underlying issue. If she does not seem in distress, you can monitor her to see if it is persistent. If she is having trouble breathing or you are concerned, I would have her evaluated by a veterinarian right away. Otherwise I would touch base with her regular veterinarian to discuss what may be going on and if she needs an exam or X-rays to get to the bottom of it. Good luck!

Hello, the wheezing could indeed indicate allergies, rhinitis, upper respiratory tract infection or perhaps something associated with her lungs or trachea. If it is very mild and only heard when he is close to you, this may be a variation of his normal breathing. I would monitor for any concurrent sneezing, coughing, or nasal discharge. Other signs could include lethargy and a decreased appetite. If you note any of those, then have Rexxy evaluated by his veterinarian then. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Wheezing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Jayme 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 day!

The most likely causes for what you have described in this breed would be: 1. collapsing trachea 2. reverse sneezing 3. heart disease/failure 4. kennel cough 5. asthma 6. heartworm disease Of course I cannot know what is going on without examining him myself. I suggest you try to find a way to get him seen by a vet. This may be nothing to worry about (like reverse sneezing) or it may be serious like heart disease.