Coughing

[D'Elle]

Jester has been coughing off and on for some time now. When he first started three years ago he had come down with tick fever and Valley Fever at the same time. Valley Fever may not be familliar to many of you. It is caused by a fungal spore that lives in the soil here in southern and central Arizona, and most anyone, canine or human, who has lived here any length of time has it in their system because it's in the air you breathe. For most of us it doesn't become active. When it does activate in dogs it can attack the lungs, the bones, the brain, and other areas. It is fatal if not treated, but usually controlled with medication.

 

When Jes was diagnosed he started on Fluconazole, the medicine that combats the effects of (but does not cure) Valley Fever. He got better and coughing stopped. His titers were checked after a year on fluconazole and were so low we took him off the meds, but 6 months later they'd shot up again, and so I made the decision to keep him on the medicine indefinitely. But the coughing started up again. Last spring we had a chest X-ray done and he had a mass in his lung that was thought to be pneumonia. He was on antibiotics for two months before he stopped coughing. A second X-ray at that point showed no mass in the lung at all. But a few weeks later he started coughing again. This time the vet suggested antihistimines, so that is what we are doing now.

 

We live in the desert and it is very dusty. Jes dives into the dust every day, twoce a day, to get the ball or frisbee I throw for him if he doesn't happen to catch it. There's nothing I can do about this but cut off his play, which I cannot do.

 

In every other way Jes is fine. Great appetite, enthusiastic about everything, good skin, coat, eyes and tons of energy for a nine to ten year old dog. Most people think he is younger than he is.

 

The coughing is, at this point, not severe. Just a "huff-huff-huff" kind of cough usually in the morning and in the evening. But the antihistimines so far are not stopping it after the first week. Maybe they need longer to work. He is on the high dose of the fluconazole for the Valley Fever.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions? I know it's a long shot, but thought I would ask.

Thanks

D'Elle

[Dal & Mad's Mom]

I wonder if they arent left with residual scarring of sorts in the trachea. Genie had terrible kennel cough when she was nursing her pups and she still coughs softly at intervals. It's not a true kennel cough with a down turned head aack but, a chuff sort of.

 

In the reverse Maddie who has never shown signs of Kennel cough went to the vet and was pulling at her collar and she developed a coughing spasm that totally mimicked Kennel cough complete with the ACCK to the floor.

 

I might try a bit of honey to calm the cough and see if that helps.

[Journey]

Ditto to the honey, or something to soothe his throat. Have you had his lungs X-Ray'd again? I know about VF and knew a dog with it (a very special dog who made it with treatment)I'd make sure his lungs are clear again if it's been a year or so since the last X-Ray.