Don't say "take her to the vet"?

Question

I DID take her to the vet, the medication is not working.
My 4 mo. pit bull puppy has a cold. She is very congested, sneezing and hacking and such. It has been this way for some time now...well, with finances the way that they are (nothing to do with christmas, just so no one says "take some christmas money and take her back to the vet" there is no money) I can however afford to go to the store and buy cold medication (just not a $45 vet bill and medication on top of that)
Can I give my puppy diluted or maybe even just a small dose of "people" cold medication? I feel really bad for her and want to do something that will work...there is no pet store here in my town....nearest one is 50 miles away, and no $ for gas.
Please help me!

Answer 1

That sucks and I'm sorry, and I don't want to say it but if you don't have the money than you're failing your responsibility to the dog.

Answer 2

Dogs don't get colds like people do.

It sounds as if your puppy had a bout of kennel cough. Kennel cough can't be treated by medication. The medication is given when dogs have kennel cough in the hopes of preventing pneumonia which kennel cough can progress into.

It may very well be to that point. And I'm sorry but your ONLY option is to take the dog to vet. These are things that dog owners must do.

Trying to give her OTC human meds will only compound the problem. Many drugs used for human colds are toxic to dogs. So at the best your looking at something that won't work, or that could possibly kill your dog.

The longer you let this go, the harder and more expensive it will be to treat.

Ask your vet about coming up with a payment plan, talk to the local shelter, there vets will sometimes provide care at discounted prices.

If none of these are an option and with your financial situation, I'm sorry to say, but maybe the best thing you can for your dog is to turn her over to a rescue where she can get the veterinary care she needs.

Answer 3

If you are having concerns about anything, give your vet a ring on the phone and let them know what's going on - as long as you are a reliable client they usually will be quite happy to spend 5 minutes on the phone to you - especially if you are following up a previous consultation or a medication regime.

I would also strongly advise against looking on the internet for advice about giving your dog medication - there is a reason we have vets and other professional health practitioners!

And finally, I would not recommend giving your dog medication meant for humans - while it would probably be safe it must be remembered that human off-the-shelf remedies are not intended for dogs and there may be little information on the safety or effectiveness of such medicines given to dogs. Drugs like paracetamol can actually cause severe damage to the liver and kidneys if given in too great a dose - potentially causing hepatitis, jaundice and death.

It should also be noted that cold medications are only intended to stop symptoms from occurring - clearing the nose and sinuses, relieving the pain of headache and providing cough relief. They don't actually treat the cause of any disease!

It is also quite likely that your dog is suffering from something other than 'a cold' and requires a proper examination (if your vet has already done so, even more reason to call back and discuss the lack of progress!)

Answer 4

Okay, if you really did take her to the vet, call the vet tell them the medication is NOT working, but you have no more $$$ for a vet visit. They MAY take pity on your dog and help her, it's not her fault you can't provide for her, that is yours for owning her when you can't provide basic care, illness like this isn't some extravagant surgery, it's BASIC care.

Benadryl can be given to animals and is often prescribed, our sharpei has allergies in the spring. She is given 25 mg of Benadryl every 4-6 hours in peanut butter.

But CALL the vet,she could have had her cold go into pneumonia.

Please consider pet insurance if your going to have a dog and can not afford medical care. Otherwise you shouldn't own the dog. This isn't mean it's just true. You companion deserves all of your care and attention and that means knowing when you can not provide adequate basic medical care.

A good policy costs very little, they start at just $10 a month.

What would you do if she was your child?

Answer 5

My neighbors have a dog and had to take it to the vet a few weeks ago and thought she also had a cold she was sneezing, congested, hacking, eyes running just pitiful. The medicine the doctor gave them did not work either so they took her back so they could see what was wrong well....come to find out she had herpes (they got her from owners who didnt take very good care of her and had lots of other dogs) they gave her 3 different types of medicine that she had to take twice a day and she was better within a week and is now amazingly better shes not even the same dog anymore....the only downfall is they paid like $200 for this medicine AND the doctor said if she didnt get the medicine when she did she would have died. Well good luck with the poor little one hope she gets better....it may def. take money though...

Answer 6

Sounds like it may be kennel cough, borrow some money to take her to the vet! If you're complaining about a 45$ vet bill now, wait until you leave to so long that it progresses to pneumonia, or worse! If it is not going away, especially when you say "for some time now", be responsible for her. You got her only two months ago, why would you get her if you knew you couldn't afford her? Selfish.

If you don't want to find a way to get 45$, give her up. You don't deserve her if you're not going to care for her. Find her a home where someone will actually love her.

Answer 7

You didn't say how long this has been going on - but is it a chance that this is kennel cough? (Was she exposed to a lot of dogs in a kennel situation or adopted from a shelter?) If it is kennel cough, it really just needs to run its course. If the meds you got from the vet were antibiotics, keep giving them until they're gone. If she is still really bad, call the vet for a refill on the prescription (that shouldn't cost much). I've had dogs from shelters that cough and hack for 3-4 weeks after they come out and the antibiotics really do help but sometimes it takes a long time.

Be careful of giving human meds. Not all are okay for dogs - some, like Tylenol, can be fatal. Benadryl is okay.

Answer 8

What pills did the vet give you?

There are some people medicines a dog can safely take. Benedryl is one of them. Try that, 1/2 pill every 6 hours and if that doesn't help, try a whole pill. If that doesn't help, get her to the vet.

Do you really feel it is more important to buy more junk for somebody then to take care of your dog? Do you really think a person would prefer you buy them some more stuff if it means your dog dies?

I'm sorry, but before a person takes responsibility for the life of an animal, it is important to evaluate the financial ramifications of simple things such as doggie colds. If you can't afford medicine at 4 months old, how will you be able to afford it if something major happens?

How will you be able to afford the cost of a spay? Or the cost of puppies if you don't spay her?

What if she injures herself, say a broken leg? Urinary Tract infections are common in dogs.

If you can't afford a dog, resist the urge to get one. This isn't a stuffed toy you can take back to the store, it is a life and if you've taken responsibility for her but can't afford it, you aren't doing her any favors.

Answer 9

from the sound of the symptoms you've listed, your puppy is extremely ill. could have kennel cough, a cold, canine flu, bronchitis, etc. once they get to the point of coughing and having breathing problems, you're in trouble...do not give your puppy human cold medicine w/o consulting a vet for the type to give and the dosage. i get that you can't go to the vet. check your county for an aspca shelter/hospital, or other organizations such as the humane society, where you can trade vet services with volunteer work. the best thing you can do immediately, is keep puppy warm and out of drafty conditions, and keep her hydrated with gatorade. go to this website to consult with a vet:
www.justanswer.com/dog
best of luck.

Answer 10

I really do not know what amount you can give a dog, but to all the people who say dog medicine and people medicine are not the same are wrong. Medicine is made up of different things depending on the type of medicine. The ingredients of a dog medicine would be almost the same as a human with a possible 2 to maybe 3 ingredient difference but the big difference is in the dose. When my aunts cat was sick they gave us the same Amoxicillin that you give a baby and young child. That bubble gum flavored stuff you have to keep in the fridge and it was still bubble gum flavored, for a cat! If your dog has a cold it should clear up on its own. If the dog stays that way for over a week, stops eating and drinking, or gets worse you must take her to a vet. Try looking for a low cost one, or maybe your current vet would accept some sort of payment plan.

Answer 11

Wow you have allot of answers.
THE best thing to do is to treat your furry baby just like you would a human baby.
Seriously.
Keep her warm and give her the damn Benadryl for Gods sake! Geez! You aren't going to kill her by giving it to her. It really is what the vet suggests.
Do you have a humidifier? Try that.
Maybe it is kennel cough.
Does she sound like she's got this deep hack?
Just keep taking good care of her and I always use that pink antibiotic that you give to kids..I can't for the life of me remember what the heck the name is..but it is liquid and you have to keep it in the fridge. It's for kids....(and dogs). But it is easier to get it from someone that has allot of kids and it's been in the fridge almost forever...as long as it's not ancient..its still good enough.
I have been in your shoes too many times in the past. Out in the country and no money for more vet and much gas.
It's a good thing that you love your furry kid so much that you are doing all that you can. There really should be more people like you in the world instead of some people that think money can fix everything. Love and patience is a major fixer. ~wink~
Hope everything goes well and she gets better. It could take a couple of days or more.
Good luck.