dog, large breed, rapid shallow respiration, coughing, poor apetite?

Question

6 years old.
last sypmtoms I saw like this were not good.
lethargic.
arthritic.
active yesterday, but much worse today.
off to vet in the AM.

she's more comfortable after a little
warm food and sleeping ok.

its two hours to town so I'll stay up with
her for a while.

Answer 1

You might want to consider an after hours vet. Only 2 things come to mind from the symptoms you describe: pneumonia and lymphoma.

Feel below the dogs ears (like you were feeling behind your own earlobe). Feel for lumps. They could be the size of a pea or larger. There are many lymphnodes throughout the body, and if enlarged, can be mistaken for arthritis (yiping when getting up or just walking). Can walk much without coughing. Lack of appetite, lethargic (because it hurts to move around)

Pneumonia has so many different symptoms, they would need to to put a scope on her to tell for sure.

I would get her in somewhere ASAP

Answer 2

I would ask the vet about testing for things like heart worms, Lyme disease, heart disease and possible diabetes. I have a dog that had similar symptoms over Christmas and that is what the vet looked for. She had some fluid on the lungs (coughing/breathing problems) and an enlarged heart. The also checked for asthma which could cause the coughing. If the vet finds out the dog has a heart murmur (can tell just by listening to the heart with a stethoscope), have them maybe check liver and kidney enzyme levels.

Please do not take these suggestion as diagnosis, just things to ask the vet about. Good luck at the vet, hope everything is okay.

Answer 3

Could be kennel cough or pneumonia. Good luck at the vets tomorrow.

Answer 4

Best of luck with the vet tomorrow. You think pneumonia? If so, there is medication.

Answer 5

Go to the vet now.