Vet question - sneezes
 

OK, our 13.5 year old elkhound has been sneezing lately. A LOT. These are true sneezing, not those creepy reverse sneezes that dogs do. It started several months ago, but has been really bad lately.

Some of these are really bad. I've seen a couple of times where she's sneezed so hard that she's knocked herself over. I know that excitement can do it, and she does a few sneezes when she's waiting for her food bowl or waiting to go out, but they also wake her up from sleep sometimes (and wake us up sometimes, which we're not thrilled about). She's also smacked her head pretty hard on furniture if she's too close when it happens.

She hasn't had changes to her daily routine or her food. We did move recently, but this started well before that. She's only exposed to our other dog; he hasn't been around many other dogs lately, and he hasn't had any problems.

She doesn't have any discharge or bleeding from either nostril, and her breath isn't any more foul than typical dog breath (and it hasn't changed at all); I don't think there's a foreign body. It's been getting slowly progressively worse. At times, she does sound a little stuffy just breathing, but not all the time. Her sense of smell has been declining for about the last year.

I know that dogs can get polyps, like we can. Is there anything that can be done about these if that is the cause?

From what I've read, allergies can very occasionally do this, but are more likely to cause itching, which she doesn't have.

I also know that tumors can do this, but, the fact is, at this point, with all the health problems she's had, and where she is now, I don't think we could bring ourselves to put her through surgery or chemo or anything drastic.

Anything else that would typically cause something like this?

Dave

bump.

Our dog willy just did this the other night. He was sneezing non stop for 5 minutes, it seems.

Wife said, it went off and on through out the day too.

I guess, if he continued to do this, I'll take him to the vet this weekend.

Dogs can take benedryl. If you think the cause may be allergies, you might try giving them a benedryl to find out if it helps. As far as dosage goes, liquid benedryl can be given by weight. If your dog weighs more than 50 lbs, they can take one over the counter adult benedryl.

Dave- is this the overweight rescue dog? Glad to hear she is still hanging around :)

I would ask the vet about scoping up her nose. If she has had lots of health problems then I would suspect a polyp.

whats a polyp? my dogs been sneezing more than ever and am a little concerned. was thinking about it being vet time... he just turned 8 today actually.

Allergies are possible but not the first thing I would think of in a 13 yr old dog. A foreign body is definitely possible. I would also worry about a tumor, especially in a older large/long-nosed breed dog (they are more prone to nasal tumors). There is also a nasal mite (Pneumonyssoides caninum) that is probably more common than we realize--response to treatment (ivermectin injection) is diagnostic.

How are her teeth? Dental disease (oronasal fistulas) can also cause sneezing.

When my dog did that it was a foxtail that she had sniffed up her nose. Because of the little barbs, they won't come out on their own. Sometimes it can work its way back to the throat and they swallow it but they can get nasty infected. You need to get him into the vet.

Sheila-that made my nose and throat hurt just reading it!! :(

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11275956#post11275956 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MandM [/i]
[B] You need to get him into the vet. [/B][/QUOTE]

Hmm, there's an idea...


Ddx: Foreign body, dental abcess, allergic rhinitis, infectious rhinitis, neoplasia...

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11275956#post11275956 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MandM [/i]
[B]You need to get him into the vet. [/B][/QUOTE]

That is in the plans, we're just trying to figure out if we can keep her usual appointment, or if we should go in more urgently.

She actually saw the vet a few weeks ago for her arthritis. We mentioned that she was sneezing a little more at that time, and they didn't see anything, but it's gotten a lot more common since then.

Dave

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11272726#post11272726 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pernelf [/i]
[B]Dave- is this the overweight rescue dog? Glad to hear she is still hanging around :) [/B][/QUOTE]

Yep, that's the one. Next month we'll hit 5 years. Unfortunately, over the last year her age has really been catching up with her. Once we got that first 60# off of her, she held her weight pretty steady for about 3.5 years, but lately she's actually been a little under weight (no appetite problems, just not keeping the weight).

Dave

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11272981#post11272981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Caryliss [/i]
[B]Allergies are possible but not the first thing I would think of in a 13 yr old dog. A foreign body is definitely possible. I would also worry about a tumor, especially in a older large/long-nosed breed dog (they are more prone to nasal tumors). There is also a nasal mite (Pneumonyssoides caninum) that is probably more common than we realize--response to treatment (ivermectin injection) is diagnostic.[/B][/QUOTE]

Is the ivermectin dose similar to what they would something like Heartgard? She is on that orally (we recently gave her the last dose for the year). I know you mentioned injection, but I would think that the oral treatment would help some.

We are definitely worried about a tumor. She has had mast cell tumors in the past, but thankfully, at the time, she was so obese that they were able to take huge margins around them, and she's been clean for several years.

[QUOTE]How are her teeth? Dental disease (oronasal fistulas) can also cause sneezing. [/B][/QUOTE]

Not great.
The week after we adopted her we had to have two rotten teeth removed. She had two more removed about a year after that. Thankfully, none have had to be pulled since then, and a few weeks ago the vet thought they looked OK. The problem teeth have all been lower jaw; and each time her breath made it very, very clear that there was a problem.

Dave

My mutt has allergies and I give her the Triaminic cold strips that melt on the tongue. She loves the grape flavor and once in the mouth, even on the inside of the cheek, she can't spit it out.
They are 12.5mg of diphenhydramine.

[QUOTE
[B]Is the ivermectin dose similar to what they would something like Heartgard? [/B][/QUOTE]

The ivermectin dosage needed is much higher than what is found in Heartgard.