Hi my dog is 13- 14 yrs. old and has been developing a cough-gag symptom over the last 2 - 3 months, which has now got quite bad. He now winces most times when he does it. I also discovered some bright red blood in the phlegm he coughed up the other day (but none since) and he has a constant string of clear drool from one side of his mouth. He does still eat but his appetite has lessened. Before we noticed any of the above symptoms he did cough up yellow bile perhaps once or twice a week. Don't know if this may be linked or not. Do you think he may have an ulcer of the esophagus and if so is there any treatment for this? We have been to our vet but they said we would have to pay £200 for x-rays before they could do anything and there still may be a chance the x-ray could be inconclusive! Can you help?

Our vet says: I am sorry to hear about your dog, signs such as these can be very distressing for both you and your pet.

Obviously I cannot make a diagnosis over the internet but I can give you some help with deciding how you would like to proceed next.

The first thing to find out is exactly what your dog is doing when he coughs/gags. These types of signs can basically mean one of three things;

1)True vomiting (often related to eating food and the presence of bile always indicates true vomiting so your dog did do this, at least initially)

2)Coughing followed by gagging and retching. Does your dog cough, then bring up a small amount of fluid? This could possibly indicate heart or lung disease.

3) Regurgitation. Often this is quite a passive action with food generally being brought up undigested. Often associated with oesophageal problems.

From what you have told me there has been some true vomiting since you saw bile in what was produced. Now, I am concerned that there is some pain and drool from one side of the mouth with perhaps occasional bleeding. This could suggest that the oesophagus is involved but there are also other possibilities and some tests will be necessary to find out what is going on.

Your vet is suggesting the correct way forward in investigating this further, since to find out what is going on he or she needs to try to actually see the lesion (diseased area).

Although I understand you are concerned that the x ray may be inconclusive remember that such a procedure is never wasted!

An x-ray is the first (and in this situation most appropriate) step in a diagnostic pathway. I think your vet is taking the most appropriate step available and suggesting an x ray which may provide a diagnosis, but if not, may help to rule out some possible diagnoses and allow him or her to focus on the next sensible step to take.

It may be a good idea to speak to your vet about your concerns. I am sure your vet will want you to be a partner in deciding what should be done for your dog. If the cost of the x-ray is a major difficulty it may be possible to attempt palliative care to help your dog cope with the problem.

I do hope all goes well for you and your dog.

Answers to Your Pet Healthcare Questions

Showing similar questions and answers in this category

roger the cat refuses to eat

Category: general | Submitted: 20-Aug-10 06:56PM | viewed 832 times

Mary asks about ROGER (cat - domestic short haired, M) :

Please help. Roger, our 12 year old and much-loved cat, has simply stopped eating. We have tried everything. He walks up to his food bowl as if he wants his food, then turns away. Brief history: 2 yrs ago he was diagnosed as diabetic. He coped very well with the insulin injections twice a day. Then he had an infection in his paw which resulted in an op. to remove a toe. After that he went downhill. But the upside is that he seems to have shaken off the diabetes, and hasn't had an insulin injection for 3 weeks. But then he stopped eating. Tests were done on mouth, throat etc., and an xray showed a fractured sternum. The vet was unsure as to how long he has had this, so prescribed a painkiller. Two weeks later Roger is refusing all food (though drinks a little from our pond and brings in a mouse a night, which he eats - apart from the liver). We are frantic with worry. Our vet admits he is totally baffled. He suggests that Roger is getting food from neighbours, but we are pretty confident that he isn't. He is losing weight rapidly, and anyway most of our neighbours know him, and most have dogs! I just can't bear the thought of him starving himself to death. Do you have any ideas what might be wrong? Thank you. Mary x

Our vet says: I can understand how concerned you must be. It can be frustrating and worrying when cats stop eating for any reason.

Common reasons for cats to stop eating include pain or discomfort, illness, stress and sometimes dislike of food or being fed elsewhere. Sometimes behavioural factors can play a part too. Perhaps food is associated with previous nausea or oral pain etc. Many cats enjoy variety in their diet or at the other extreme they may only like one flavour of one brand of food.

I would assume that Roger is still reasonably well since you say he catches and eats a mouse every day. This requires a lot of skill and energy, so Roger is doing well in this and he will get a lot of nutrition from that mouse too!

I wonder, if like many cats when they are successfully hunting, Roger has decided he prefers the taste of fresh mouse to prepared cat diets or even human type food. He could also be getting food elsewhere.

If Roger is losing weight it would be sensible to get him weighed regularly to keep an eye on this. If your vet is concerned that Roger's weight is unhealthy then he may wish to do some further tests.

You could try to tempt Roger into eating again. Have you tried warming his food up to body temperature? This will bring out the flavour and smells. Also try offering a variety of different foods in terms of flavour and texture to see if there is anything Roger likes. Make sure that water bowls and food bowls are well away from each other since most cats would prefer not to eat close to where they drink. Also litter trays should be well away from feeding and drinking areas.

Is there another cat which Roger can see or smell when eating from his bowls at present? This could put him off eating even if it is only by looking through a window. Also check for dogs gazing in or other factors which could make him feel vulnerable while eating.
Try moving his feeding equipment up high on to a ledge or surface (off the floor) to help him feel safe while eating.

If all else fails but Roger seems well in himself and is maintaining a reasonable weight then he is probably getting enough food from hunting. If Roger seems lethargic or otherwise unwell or his weight continues to fall then further investigation is necessary to find out why.

further question about Hepatitis C

Category: general | Submitted: 11-Aug-10 01:39PM | viewed 1171 times

Louise asks:

Hello, I just asked a question about my dog but I left out something. My dog picked up a heroin user's spoon wrapped in tin foil in his mouth but I think my dog's gum was bleeding. Can a dog contract the human form of Hepatitis C and also can he pass it on to a human. The information that I forgot to tell you was that his gum was bleeding. I've asked a Hepatitis C helpline but they don't know and neither does my vet. Please can you help. Kind Regards, Louise.

Our vet says: It is still unlikely that your dog will contract Hepatitis C or pass it on to you. As a vet, I regularly come into contact with sick dogs and Hepatitis C is not something which worries me. (And it would worry me if I thought I could easily catch this disease as a result of working with animals).

In nature there is always a risk that something will change and a disease will occur in a new species, especially if novel ways of exposure or heavy exposure is introduced into the mix of factors affecting disease transmission. However the risk is very,very small even if your dog's gums were bleeding.

cat limping

Category: general | Submitted: 29-May-10 08:33PM | viewed 4080 times

Deborah asks:

My cat has come home limping and he hisses when he is touched. His paw is swollen .

Our vet says: He sounds as if he is in pain and there could be an injury to the paw.

Sometimes cats get bitten by other cats and an abscess will form due to infection of the initial bite wound (which may be very difficult to find). This can cause pain and swelling as you describe, and would need treatment from your vet.

An abscess is by no means the only cause of pain and swelling of paws, so you should get your cat checked by your local vet as soon as you can.

Your vet will be able to look for signs of injury and check your cat's temperature to ensure that the problem is treated effectively. If your vet is unsure of the cause of the problem he or she may need to take x-rays or perform other diagnostic tests to find out what the problem is.

I hope your cat feels better soon.

Red testicles

Category: general | Submitted: 03-Feb-10 12:41PM | viewed 8432 times

Julie asks:

I have a four year old staffordshire bull terrier who has not been neutered. His testicles are extremely red and peel off after a few days. They are tender and he does struggle to sit properly when this happens. It is the fourth time in as many months that he has had this.

Our vet says: This does sound very painful. It is worth considering if he could be coming into contact with something which is causing this e.g chemicals used in the home.
It is worth asking your vet to check this when it happens again as you may be able to get a cream or ointment for the problem. Of course it is best to find and treat the underlying cause but sometimes this can be difficult to find and symptomatic treatment may be necessary to prevent pain and discomfort for your dog.

Tremors in chihuahua

Category: general | Submitted: 17-Jul-09 01:55AM | viewed 83153 times

Craig asks:

In the last couple of hours our 16 month old chihuahua has developed a kind of mini electric shock every few seconds. It is definitely not hiccups and is worrying us greatly. Any advice please?

Our vet says: You should get your dog checked by your local vet. It is impossible to say what it could be without seeing your dog but you should seek attention.


	Showing 1 to 5 of 5 found

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roger the cat refuses to eat

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further question about Hepatitis C

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