Canine respiration rate

[Velobambina]

Been thinking of Lucy Bear and wondering how she's doing. Please give us an update. In the meantime, my goldens (Maud, Maeve, and banshee-puppy Fiona) my angel golden (Agnes, up there keeping St. Peter company), and I are sending you lots of good wishes.

[Tuckervill]

Thanks, everyone. I was unable to get her to the vet today because it is my son's birthday and he has a herd of teens coming over tonight and I have not sat down all day for the getting ready. Lucy is first on my list for the morning, though. Luckily, our vet is a walk-in clinic, so she will get in tomorrow.

She's doing just fine, however--except for the fast resps during sleep. My middle son brought his dog (Tybalt, Prince of Cats--how's that for a dog name?) over to play and the three of them were like crazy dogs for a couple of hours. That's just the thing--you'd think a dog with some kind of malady would not be able to play like that.

But, it is best to get it checked out. First thing tomorrow!

Karen

[Tuckervill]

I took her in, and the vet took blood and put it in a little device that tests for lots of stuff. She came up negative for everything except Ehrlichia, and that was mildly postiive. That means she could be developing it from a recent tick bite, or have had exposure in the past. So she's on a round of doxycycline and then it should all be okay.

The vet suggested that if she's fighting the Ehrlichia she might be having recurring fevers and that could cause her breathing to accelerate for cooling even if she's not panting. I don't think that's it, but it could be.

I'm more of the opinion that she could be like a newborn baby who doesn't have the ability to regulate her breathing and sleeping, etc., and that she will grow out of it. She gets the hiccups all the time AND she's the first dog I've ever heard belch! She was starving, after all, so it could be that she developed some kind of neurological glitch or something like that. Since it doesn't bother her, and I'm positive there's no heartworm, I'm going to ignore it unless something else related pops up.

Thanks for your help!

Karen

[LBTC]

she's the first dog I've ever heard belch!

Really? 'Cuda would love to challenge her to a belching match!

Glad things are looking good for you!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Tuckervill]

You can hear her pass gas, too, and that is only marginally better than the silent but deadly ones! lol.

I started out giving her active culture yogurt when she was extremely skinny, but I've run out. Maybe it's time for some more.

Karen

[BikeMomma]

I took her in, and the vet took blood and put it in a little device that tests for lots of stuff. She came up negative for everything except Ehrlichia, and that was mildly postiive. That means she could be developing it from a recent tick bite, or have had exposure in the past. So she's on a round of doxycycline and then it should all be okay.

The vet suggested that if she's fighting the Ehrlichia she might be having recurring fevers and that could cause her breathing to accelerate for cooling even if she's not panting. I don't think that's it, but it could be.

Awesome, Karen -- that's great news. I'm not totally familiar with Ehrlichia, so I found this link: Ehrlichia Infection in Dogs. It was helpful to me, so maybe it will be a useful reference for you and others. Interestingly, it says at Stage 1 they tend to go off their food, which could have contributed to the starved look. Just a thought.

It does reference anemia as being a symptom, as well as fever. Both anemia and fever could elevate the respiration. I agree with your Vet's assessment of the fever/breathing relation. Panting is the involuntary way dogs cool themselves. Although I'm not a Vet and have never claimed to be, I have been around alot of sick dogs working at the hospital and have witnessed closed-mouth panting many times.

Sounds like Lucy has a bright future. Yay!! You sound so relieved, too. Hey do you have any pics of her? I'd love to see the little gal (I guess she's not little at 50lbs though, huh?).

~BikeMommma

PS: oh yeah.....my Mayah farts the deadliest of any silent ones I've ever known AND belches quite loudly. Nothing ladylike about her, the brut. Gotta love them pooches!!