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Dog coughing
Rear Admiral Choco
I wanna be an owl, Jerry!Owl York CityRegistered User regular
I wanna be an owl, Jerry!Owl York CityRegistered User regular
So while I was gone at my girlfriend's for the past couple days, we ran out of dog food and the store was closed by the time my sister went to get some. One of the dogs needs food with his medication, so my mother cooked a pot of rice and mixed a little leftover turkey and fed it to them. The one is fine, but the older one seems to be coughing a lot since. I just came home to greet the two when the one went through a coughing fit.
He coughs a bit as if he's choking, then gags, and tries to cough out something, but nothing comes out. The odd thing is that other than that, he seems completely fine. He runs around, he's still playful and affectionate, and aside from the occasional coughing fit, doesn't seem troubled at all.
Is it likely that he just has some unpleasant feeling from starchy rice, or something?
He coughs a bit as if he's choking, then gags, and tries to cough out something, but nothing comes out. The odd thing is that other than that, he seems completely fine. He runs around, he's still playful and affectionate, and aside from the occasional coughing fit, doesn't seem troubled at all.
Is it likely that he just has some unpleasant feeling from starchy rice, or something?
Rear Admiral Choco on
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Just a heads up some dogs do have allergies so that may be it.
http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/allergies.html
Maybe one slipped in the rice/turkey mixture?
My dog has performed a similar feat with the wheezing/dry heaving act and been fine. Having spent some time working in a Vet's office (currently an Animal Science student), I'm going to ask for some more information about this dog. I know whenever my dog has this behavior (he's about 7 years of age; small terrier) it has been a result of him yanking hard against the lead and gagging himself.
I'm assuming that the turkey you fed was the leftover, cooked variety (meaning, no bones and just muscle meat). I don't think the diet would be problematic if this were the case. If the meat was seasoned or prepared with any other ingredients, I could see a mild reaction/irritation being possible. You can always google "pet toxins" to find out what not to feed animals (most are obvious; dogs shouldn't eat bleach, but grapes and chocolate might be less obvious to some folks).
Things to consider:
-Appearance: How does this animal look? Is the coat/hair normal? Are there any discharges from the eyes/nostrils? Can you feel any lumps/swelling? Signs such as these tend to be strong indicators of a change in physiology and are usually a good time to speak with a vet.
-Behavior: Is the animal eating less or with less gusto? Shifts in feed/water intake are strong indicators of physiological problems in most animals. I'd also watch this dog's general activity level. If he appears spunky, he might well be so.
-Recent history: Vaccinations and boarding are relevant. A recent bordetella shot should be good for 6 months to a year depending on where you live and the kennels in your area. If this animal were suffering for kennel cough, I'd expect to see a good bit of sneezing and some sort of discharge from the nostril too. All of this is good to know if you go to the vet. He/she will want to know the answers to how this animal is acting at home; his/her logs will not only what goes on at the office.
To sum it up, I'd suggest giving us some more info (maybe exact breed/age) so we can better advise you what to do. It may well be that this animal has a chronic condition pertaining to its respiratory function that the owner is aware of (and may have talked with the vet about; it might also pertain to the breed). I'm not too panicked by what details you've offered as I've fed my dog on white rice and baby food for a few months as he wasted away from liver cancer. He did quite well on that diet.
I turned up nothing for "turkey" on any toxin lists, though it may be possible that the dog is allergic to it (though it's certainly a popular feedstuff in many dogfood brands ala chicken if memory serves). If you're still anxious, speak with the owner and make a plan together. A typical office visit to the vet might be forty bucks and will certainly climb if you do diagnostic work such as x-rays or blood chemistry.
Keep us posted.
He gave him a shot and prescribed some medication, then sent us on our way. Other than the throat irritation, he's doing fine, which should clear up in a day or two.
Thanks, everyone.
As for the food concerns, we've never given the dogs bones, it was just some white and dark meat. We're pretty meticulous about sorting the bones out.
Gaffer: He looks fine, but he eats rather slowly. He still eats as much as he can, but not with the enthusiasm usually reserved for mealtime. He's a four (maybe 5?)-year-old Australian Shepherd red merle.
As for energy, an Aussie mix ought to have some energy, no? Exercise/activity levels probably factor in here somewhere. I'd add that you know your dog's normal routine best (and dogs love routine); any change in that schedule is usually something to act on.
Obviously feed intake determines animal performance. If you wanted to try anything like this (especially if you had questions about food/weight in general; overweight dogs can lead to diabetes and/or joint problems) I would run it by your vet first. You may also consider changing feeds entirely (ask your vet what he/she uses; I'd bet it's not the cheapo supermarket brand. I'd add however that they can get good feed for themselves cheap b/c they sell it to you for a profit).
Let us know how your follow-up goes (assuming you'll stop by for a quick visit to the office).