Mucus Problems...Choking
Submitted by saratongel on April 4, 2013 - 1:20pmI have a four year old bulldog who has been having mucus issues for several weeks now. I started giving her benedryl then went to a prescription strength antihisimine from the vet along with predisone every other day as her eye wants to swell shut when I stop the pred.
She wakes up at night with her tongue stuck out licking the air and wheezing. We think the mucus is building up and she cannot get it out. We squirt lemon juice on her tongue when she does this and it seems to help as she tends to sneeze some out and cough some mucus out but the issues persist. Yesterday I came home early and found her jaws clamped down tight and her tongue stuck out (it was purple) and she was struggling very hard to breathe. I rushed her to the vet who basically told me it would be only a matter of time before she choked to death on her mucus. My other bulldog died right in front of me of this same issue and I can't bear the thoughts of this happening again.
Is anyone familiar with this issue in bulldogs that could offer some advice? I have read about a lasar surgery for enlongated palates but that it was better performed on puppies. I have also heard that mucinex could help. Any other advice would be wonderful!
Palate Surgery
That is not correct about palate surgery and only being for puppies....infact it is preferred to do after 1 year. It can also have to be done a 2nd time as the dog ages as the palate stretches (according to my vet).
So IMO this dogs would probablt benefit from palate surgery and may need to have the trach xrayed to see if there is any narrowing that is causing probelms as well.
Find a good vet with bulldog experience and get her help. Why didn't your vet recommend palate surgery? Sounds like you need to find a different vet.
Where are you located, maybe someone here can help. There is also a list for bulldog experienced vets on the home page.
I am between Asheville and
I am between Asheville and Charlotte in North Carolina. I am now awaiting a vet to call me back and give me a referral to Charlotte Veternary Specialists. They will not even talk to me without a referral. Just from reading this sounds like something that would definately benefit her. I just hope she doesn't have any more major spells like yesterday before I can get her seen somewhere. I also don't know whether I should give her the Mucinex ongoing with the antihisimines and prednisone?
Our boy Chester had to have emergency palate surgery a year ago.
We almost lost him, he had to be intubated at the ER vet until we could find a surgeon that could help him, of course this happened in the middle of the night. The veterinary surgeon did the palate surgery and after a few days of recovery, he's a new dog, no more breathing problems, he has more energy and he doesn't have any more problems. Just be sure to find a surgeon who has done this procedure on bulldogs so he knows what he/she is doing. This will most likely help your guy enormously.
vet
I know you are a bit away from the Cary area but I would call Dr John Strasser. the Doc breeds shows and ownes Bullies.he can be reached @ 919-662-3200. www.carolina ranchpets.com. Great vet and a caring guy.
Joe & the girls
Referral
I finally got a referral from my vet after two days of calling and calling. They basically are just doing their job of the referral but are going to leave it to me to tell the specialist what exactly it is I want them to do since they don't have a clue. Very frustrated. I'm taking Tori to Upstate Veternary Specialists in Greenville, SC once they call and set up an appt. I'm going to ask them about the elongated palate surgery(?) and see if they recommend anything else. Right now she take a 10mg dose of prednisone, two antihistimines, and 100mg of Mucinex per day. That is just no way for a dog to live or me for that matter, having to medicate her like that to keep her from choking to death. I really hope these people know what they are doing. When I called they said that there was four doctors that were certified to do the surgery I was asking about. I feel like I'm running out of options at this point.
Are her lungs clear?
Have they done any xrays to determine if she has fluid in her lungs. She could have easily aspirated.
Maybe she
has pneumonia
Brand new dog!
I am happy to report that we found an A+ bulldog vet in Charlotte that was able to diagnose a staph infection, enlongated soft pallette and other problems. He was able to do the soft pallette surgery in his office and after exactly two weeks she is just a brand new dog! If you didn't hear her pads on the floor she would sneak up on you! Sharon Lakes Animal Hospital in Charlotte, NC deserves all the credit for giving my bulldog a brand new life!