[katdog5911]

So somehow my 7 yr old has acquired pneumonia. We are on day 4 of Clavamox. I really haven't been given any other instructions besides rest. She certainly is resting....and all the inactivity has done a number on her arthritis in her back.

Needless to say, I am a nervous wreck. Is there anything else I can do for her?

Is it better for her to be coughing? I know with humans it is good to cough and to drink a lot of fluids to get things loosened up. And to not just rest, but get up and move a little. Is this true with dogs as well? I would even take her in a steamy bathroom but unfortunately they are upstairs and she cannot do stairs.

I am at a loss what to do.....

 

[Jenny720]

You can try placing a warm mist humidifier close to where she is resting. I heard a little bit of honey - a tablespoon or so may sooth her throat. If she wants to move around it is good. If she is or remains lethargic and the cough starts to worsen I would bring her in to the vet. I hope she is feeling back to herself soon!

 

[kr16]

So somehow my 7 yr old has acquired pneumonia. We are on day 4 of Clavamox. I really haven't been given any other instructions besides rest. She certainly is resting....and all the inactivity has done a number on her arthritis in her back.

Needless to say, I am a nervous wreck. Is there anything else I can do for her?

Is it better for her to be coughing? I know with humans it is good to cough and to drink a lot of fluids to get things loosened up. And to not just rest, but get up and move a little. Is this true with dogs as well? I would even take her in a steamy bathroom but unfortunately they are upstairs and she cannot do stairs.

I am at a loss what to do.....

They make neubulizers for dogs, that helps.. SubQ fluids does wonders.

Clavamox is Amoxicillin, you can get it really cheap at a pharmacy instead of at the Vet. Vets has a tendency to over charge on pills.

Did your vet tell you if it was Aspiration or Bacterial?

https://www.care.com/c/stories/6479/pneumonia-in-dogs-what-you-should-know/

 

[katdog5911]

I thought I may have read something about honey...

I don't really know if her cough has worsened. It is looser, which in a human would be good I think. But I don't know about dog coughs....

She is drinking which I assume is a good thing. She is eating when pushed and I try and make her eat when she takes the antibiotic.

She will be going back for xrays on Tuesday. Really hope it looks better.

Her gums are pink which according to the vet is good.

How much coughing is too much? Is more better? I really know nothing about dog uri situations. Never had to ever deal with something like this in my life.

 

[Magwart]

Hm...while I've used a combo of Clav + Doxy for URIs many times, but when we have one with full-blown pneumonia, they usually go on Baytril (a "bigger gun" antibiotic) and stay at the vet (where there's an O2 crate). If you think the clav is slow to help, I would ask the vet about whether doxycycline should be added. SubQ fluids are a big "yes" from me too.


Did your vet give you a list of symptoms that require you to come back to the vet?



When I'm recovering a dog with a URI, I run a steam vaporizer in the room with any dog with a URI. I either put Vicks inhalant or Eucalypus EO in the "well" of the vaporizer. It's pretty much what I'd do with DH if he were sick too!


It's important to try to make sure they keep eating and drinking, so I would monitor food intake and water intake closely and do whatever will keep them going. They seem to loose their sense of smell due to the congestion with a URI, so nothing tastes good (most of us know what that's like from being sick ourselves). You may have to bring out the best-of-the-best favorite foods to keep the dog eating (I bake hamburger-and-liver meat balls for them when they're this sick).

 

[katdog5911]

Got a steam vaporizer tonight. Will try and make a little tent in her crate and aim the steam in there.

I actually called the ER vet she originally went to and although she isn't perking up as quickly as I want, she seems to be on the right track. They said coupage percussion would be ok to do.

Getting her up and moving is hard....she was having trouble with her right hind leg and back before all of this. Laying around more than usual and coughing is really doing a number on this. Vet wants to give her gabapentin for the pain. Or Rimadyl. Not sure which one I should do. She has been on the gabapentin once before for a short time as it made her really lethargic. I just don't know if that sounds like a good thing with pneumonia. But on the other hand, if it helps with her pain and she can move better....idk.

I think originally the ER vet said it was beginning pneumonia so we caught it early. Maybe that is why she is just on Clavamox and at home. He did say if she took a turn for the worse, she would need to get iv antibiotics and O2 at the hospital.

Don't know what kind of pneumonia it is. The ER vet felt that for now the clavomox is the thing to try until she gets another xray. If it hasn't improved I guess it goes to another level.

I guess I just have nothing to compare her with. This is all new to me and of course I think the worst.

 

[katdog5911]

A week later....had xrays this morning. Regular vet said her lungs look about the same but is having the original radiologist look at them also and will call me with that information later.

I am feeling worried that there is no improvement. I suppose it is good that it hasn't gotten worse...

We did add Baytril as a 2nd antibiotic yesterday.

Of course any time we are actually being seen at the vet she doesn't cough so they have not seen it first hand. Originally her cough was dry and strained. Now it is more fluid and looser. With a human that would be good I think.

Maybe I am expecting too much too soon.

 

[huntergreen]

Sounds like the baytril is working. Loose cough is good, lungs are clearing themselves.

 

[katdog5911]

Thank you for the encouraging words. I really could use some.

I am sitting in the bathroom with her with steam going. She didn't eat at all today
Didn't want to drink much either. Her belly is gurgling quite a bit. She never does so well GI-wise on antibiotics.

Haven't heard back from vet....

 

[Magwart]

Baytril is rough on the tummy. Taking it on an empty stomach makes it worse.


Can you cook her some ground beef (and/or a piece of liver, or some scrambled egg), and see if she'll eat that? If not, what about offering a small dish of goat milk? It seems to have a soothing quality in the tummy (coating it).



Is she getting subQ fluids at home? If not, you might see if the vet will give you some and show you how to use them.



The not eating and drinking always worries me, as I've seen that start a downward spin with a few of them where they seemed ready to just give up, and I had to work to get them to re-engage in the fight. If they're not drinking and I don't have subQ fluids to give, as a last resort, I have sometimes used a needle-less syringe and gently dribbled water or broth in their mouths with it (I don't squirt a stream of it as we don't want them to aspirate it -- I'm talking a few drops at a time dribbled in, then letting them swallow, then a few more...I go very, very slowly with it).

 

[katdog5911]

I think I will get some goats milk tomorrow. That was the only thing that she would eat a few years back when she was on doxy for anaplasmosis. Will it interfere with the antibiotic? I can't remember.

She did drink a little and I did use a syringe and squirted little amounts of water into her mouth. I will ask about sub q fluids tomorrow. I have done them before with a cat I had.

She gets a little food when I give her the antibx....I have to pill her as she will otherwise spit them out. I make little canned food meatballs and smear them in the back of her mouth. It's not a lot of food but at least it is something.

She was ok till today as far as water and food. I guess it must be the Baytril....

I can hear her tummy gurgling from across the room....

 

[Jenny720]

It is also good to give goat milk after the antibiotics. If the goat milk does not make her feel better maybe the vet has something that can help her tummy. You can try baby food often helps entice them to eat and easy on the stomach.

 

[huntergreen]

Not drinking ? I would want my pup in an animal hospital getting IV fluids.

 

[kr16]

Don't wait, no fluids is deadly. Much more important than food at this point. A shot of B12 might perk her up. Try to get her walking a round a little if she will. Vet should really know what type of Pneumonia it is so they can prescribe the right medicine.

 

[Jenny720]

It is common for baytril to cause upset stomach and not wanting to eat or drink which will make her weaker and then she will not drink and will quickly dehydrate her as others mentioned. She should be monitored very carefully and be receiving fluids. Hope your vet finds a solution.

 

[katdog5911]

Started the day with good news....she ate some liver and chicken and drank some water. Seemed a bit more alert this morning.

Then the bad news...got report from 2nd xray. Her lungs seemed mostly improved but there is an area that has not and the radiologist is saying it is a possible emerging metastisis. Or possibly, but unlikely, aspirgillis infection. Neither are good news.

Not sure what our next steps are. Never thought I would be praying for it to be pneumonia.

I am devastated. This is my heart dog. She is too young for this. Hoping against hope that this is something treatable.

 

[Jenny720]

I’m glad she is drinking and eating. I know how you feel a cat scan with contrast can tell you more. I’m hoping it’s just pneumonia as crazy as that sounds.