My dog's not doing well

[Jstpssng]

My dog had lungworm when I got him. The vet said it's from licking slug trails but in his case it likely from eating them because he was hungry.

I am sure that your vet knows more than I do but I am stilling throwing it out.

 

[Rockbadchild]

very good news … my dogs once caught a lungworms infection, either from a bird feathers or a wolf hence moose rut pit… it took a long time to find out what it was … after a X ray they said it look like cancer i didn’t believe it I said there is no way so they took a stool sample and only then they found out what it was … the only symptom was coughing and puking white transparent flemme after efforts.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Glad to hear a new diagnosis. Hopefully he can get medicated in time to pull out of it.

 

[gsganzer]

Please...please...please... keep throwing out anything that you think might help or questions we should ask.

It's everyone's input from this forum that has kept us questioning and looking for answers. I was about to the point of looking up the vet Eddie Walker mentioned and driving 2-hours as a last ditch. This last visit we really questioned his breathing and how this all started with Mason coughing or trying to clear his airway. It's now looking like maybe the vets had it backwards, thinking the breathing distress was a symptom of autoimmune, where it might be that the lung infection was actually the cause of the other symptoms. I say maybe, because fungal infections can be caused by weakened immune systems. But at least now we're looking at and trying something else, because obviously the first treatment wasn't working.

He's really, really thin. You can see the backbone the entire length of him and count every rib. My wife is trying everything she can to get him to eat something. I'll be home Friday and will try to find more innovative tricks to get him to eat.

It's interesting that he's developed some of the same "coping mechanisms" that my MIL had developed when she was suffering from COPD. Like my MIL, he has a shallow breath with an abrupt exhale, my MIL would often stand and bend over resting her elbows on the counter and raise her backbone, a position they call "tenting" to help facilitate breathing. Mason will often stand awkwardly, which we thought was him being dazed. I think he just stands there because it's easier for him to breath standing than laying down. Even when he lays down, it looks somewhat awkward, like he's stretching out his torso. My MIL would also limit how much she ate, because a full stomach would impede her diaphragm and make it difficult to breath.

Anyway, I'm somewhat relieved that we have another path to try that might have some promise.

Here's his xray. I think Ray Charles could read this one.

 

[two_bit_score]

Anyway, I'm somewhat relieved that we have another path to try that might have some promise.

Glad to hear this news!

 

[EddieWalker]

Sounds like you found the better Vet. They are all OK, but it's been kind of eye opening to me to learn that so many just sort of agree with each other, and do the same thing, even when it's not getting results. Seems that it takes a special kind of Vet to stop and say, that didn't work, lets see if we got it wrong, and what should we do to fix this.

From what I've seen in the Medical World for people, this is fairly common there too.

 

[2manyrocks]

Our vet is an excellent surgeon and good general practitioner, but there have been times when her prescribed treatments weren't working so we consulted other vets who were able to help our pets. A fresh perspective and more specialized experience can make a difference.

 

[R134a]

Please...please...please... keep throwing out anything that you think might help or questions we should ask.

It's everyone's input from this forum that has kept us questioning and looking for answers. I was about to the point of looking up the vet Eddie Walker mentioned and driving 2-hours as a last ditch. This last visit we really questioned his breathing and how this all started with Mason coughing or trying to clear his airway. It's now looking like maybe the vets had it backwards, thinking the breathing distress was a symptom of autoimmune, where it might be that the lung infection was actually the cause of the other symptoms. I say maybe, because fungal infections can be caused by weakened immune systems. But at least now we're looking at and trying something else, because obviously the first treatment wasn't working.

He's really, really thin. You can see the backbone the entire length of him and count every rib. My wife is trying everything she can to get him to eat something. I'll be home Friday and will try to find more innovative tricks to get him to eat.

It's interesting that he's developed some of the same "coping mechanisms" that my MIL had developed when she was suffering from COPD. Like my MIL, he has a shallow breath with an abrupt exhale, my MIL would often stand and bend over resting her elbows on the counter and raise her backbone, a position they call "tenting" to help facilitate breathing. Mason will often stand awkwardly, which we thought was him being dazed. I think he just stands there because it's easier for him to breath standing than laying down. Even when he lays down, it looks somewhat awkward, like he's stretching out his torso. My MIL would also limit how much she ate, because a full stomach would impede her diaphragm and make it difficult to breath.

Anyway, I'm somewhat relieved that we have another path to try that might have some promise.

Here's his xray. I think Ray Charles could read this one.
View attachment 832330

Please...please...please... keep throwing out anything that you think might help or questions we should ask.

It's everyone's input from this forum that has kept us questioning and looking for answers. I was about to the point of looking up the vet Eddie Walker mentioned and driving 2-hours as a last ditch. This last visit we really questioned his breathing and how this all started with Mason coughing or trying to clear his airway. It's now looking like maybe the vets had it backwards, thinking the breathing distress was a symptom of autoimmune, where it might be that the lung infection was actually the cause of the other symptoms. I say maybe, because fungal infections can be caused by weakened immune systems. But at least now we're looking at and trying something else, because obviously the first treatment wasn't working.

He's really, really thin. You can see the backbone the entire length of him and count every rib. My wife is trying everything she can to get him to eat something. I'll be home Friday and will try to find more innovative tricks to get him to eat.

It's interesting that he's developed some of the same "coping mechanisms" that my MIL had developed when she was suffering from COPD. Like my MIL, he has a shallow breath with an abrupt exhale, my MIL would often stand and bend over resting her elbows on the counter and raise her backbone, a position they call "tenting" to help facilitate breathing. Mason will often stand awkwardly, which we thought was him being dazed. I think he just stands there because it's easier for him to breath standing than laying down. Even when he lays down, it looks somewhat awkward, like he's stretching out his torso. My MIL would also limit how much she ate, because a full stomach would impede her diaphragm and make it difficult to breath.

Anyway, I'm somewhat relieved that we have another path to try that might have some promise.

Here's his xray. I think Ray Charles could read this one.
View attachment 832330

 

[gsganzer]

My wife called this morning and said Mason wasn't doing good. She sent me a video and I could tell he was really struggling, so I had her rush him to the vet. It's not good, his blood oxygen is 76%, so they put him on oxygen. Of course, he wants no part of it at all. They'll keep him until closing, administering oxygen and then she'll go get him and take him home for the night or she'll check him into an emergency vet for the night. I'm heading home first thing in the morning.

I'm trying to buy some time and get another 24 hours of the anti-fungal, hoping maybe he turns the corner, but I don't want him to suffer either and we're now at that point. I'll give it until I get home, unless he continues to get worse, and we'll make that compassionate decision if he hasn't improved.

I hate to see a dog suffer; all they want to do is please those around them. They deserve to live a good long life.

 

[gsganzer]

With a heavy heart, I just said my last goodbyes to Mason. My wife and daughter are with him at the vet, and after further consult, we made the difficult decision to end his suffering. I thought we might have a glimmer of hope, but it wasn't to be.

It seems so stupid that a person can struggle to say his last goodbyes to a dog, but I could barely even see through all the tears as I tried to give him words of comfort. I think dogs should be required to live longer than their owners. They're so much better at comforting us, then I feel we are at comforting them. Man, what a crappy day.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts, wishes and prayers. I wish the journey and outcome could have been different.