Please help Berkeley to breathe easily

I am hoping to get some help regarding my dog Berkeley’s breathing. Three years ago his in-breaths became noisy and tight and he had to work quite hard to breathe in, when at rest. When he is up and active his breathing is normal.

Over the past three years we have seen five vets who have said that it is different things, from heart failure to lung disease. The latest vet we feel is finally on the right track. He says it is something in Berkeley’s nasal passages like a restriction, inflammation, old scarring, maybe even a polyp. He has been treating him with Rhinocort Aqua (or Beconase) and Cirrus.

To begin with the Cirrus (antihistamine plus decongestant) really helped but unfortunately after 3-4 months it has now stopped working as well as it did. Also the side effects of the decongestant part of the drug are hard to live with. Berkeley gets very anxious and manic on it. So with Cirrus not working very well anymore he is struggling to breathe again and we still have no definite diagnosis and have been given no alternatives things to try.

The vet feels the restriction is likely to be scarring from an old nasal infection and says nothing more can be done. He feels the original infection is probably long gone. I don’t feel comfortable with this theory or with doing nothing. Berkeley’s breathing is often tight and wheezy but can also sometimes sound quite blocked up. I have been trying saline up his nose and on one side it doesn’t seem to go up at all. His eyes have also recently started to water, just a small amount. His lymph nodes have been up in his neck and chest for 4 months now (tested and not lymphoma). I feel this all points to the fact that he is fighting something and surely something can and should be done?

I have tried suggesting an endoscopy so someone can look and maybe take swabs as well but am told that won’t be easy to find a facility to do that (we live in Malta).

So I simply do not know what to do next. I have a feeling his immune system is low so I have started to look at holistic remedies to try to get him back in condition and more able to fight say recurrent infections or improve things if he is having say an inflammatory reaction to something. I have considered buying Thorne Small Animal Antioxidant but I have no idea if it could really help? I don’t want to keep throwing good money after bad or constantly putting Berkeley through ideas and meds that never work, wasting time and energy on blind alleys.

I would really appreciate any help, ideas or thoughts at all about nasal breathing problems in dogs or general immune system support, what we could do next and what might help.

Sorry for the long post.

Thank you for any help at all.

Jenny (and Berkeley)

Richard Allport, alternative vet, advises:

I’m sure you’re correct in thinking Berkeley will benefit from natural supplements to strengthen the immune system. For any dog with these symptoms I’d recommend the following anti oxidants and immune enhancing supplements:

Selenium with Vitamins A, C and E – the best combination of antioxidants, in my view
Royal Jelly – the ideal immune system modulator
Coriolus (a ‘magic’ mushroom) – gives a strong immune boost
DMG (DiMethylGlycine) – an amino acid that helps fight infections

I’d also suggest two homoeopathic medicines – Myristica, which is often known as the homoeopathic disinfectant, and Silicea, a medicine for chronic persistent infections and scarring.

I’d also look at diet, make sure it’s wheat free and give as much fresh food and as little processed food as possible.

There are many other natural medicines and supplements that would be more specific for Berkeley, but more information about precise signs and symptoms would be required, Sadly, I suspect vets with knowledge of holistic medicine are few and far between in Malta

Will a nebuliser help my dog?

My 11-year-old rescue Jack Russell has been diagnosed with Chronic Canine Bronchitis. He started having difficulty breathing in about 15 months ago and only now have we finally been able to get a diagnosis. It is tentative as further tests are not going ahead due to the risk involved with the anaesthesia. The vet and I are happy enough that the diagnosis is most likely correct. The symptoms and the lung x-ray certainly seem to support that conclusion, although he doesn’t have a cough, which is odd.

Unfortunately there is no cure and all we can do is hope to manage it. Steroids have had no worthwhile positive effect so far, but he is still currently taking 10mg a day of Prednoral to give some relief. He also takes a bronchodilator in pill form (Millophyline three times a day) and will continue to do so for the time being. No other treatment is being given at the moment but I am looking into the possibility of administering drugs via a nebuliser for dogs. The drug I have been recommended by the nebuliser company is fluticasone diproprionate (trade name Flixotide). They say I would only have to give it twice a day for five breaths (or approximately seven to ten seconds). That doesn’t seem too bad, but I know Jack Russells and I know my Jack Russell, and am wondering if he would let me do this? Also is there anything else I could be doing for him?

Does anyone have any experience or ideas regarding the management of Chronic Canine Bronchitis or has anyone had any experience using a nebuliser (‘puffer’ variety) on a dog please?

Jenny Prevel, by email

Helping dog - and owner - breathe easier

My lovely boy Max, an 11-year-old Viszla, has just been diagnosed with laryngeal paralysis. Luckily, so far it's just one side of his layrnx that is damaged, so it could be worse, but I still don't know if it is likely to progress further or how he will manage to breathe and control his temperature when we get warmer weather (if that ever happens!). I am waiting for a referral to Liverpool University.

I have read Dogs Today for years but can't remember seeing any queries about this condition in the past, and only have limited info from the internet. I know there is an operation available but I am really worried about complications and if I would be able to give him the necessary aftercare required, as I work part-time. Is it better to have surgery early, or wait till he gets a lot worse? Or, worst case scenario, if the op is not a realistic option, how will I know when to make the heartbreaking decision that enough is enough?

Reading online, it says it is a fairly common condition in older large-breed male dogs, but I don't know anyone with personal experience who can give me an idea of what might be best for my boy Max.

Any information would be gratefully received.

Carole Adshead, by email

Breathe right

My gorgeous three-year-old Pomeranian, Esther, has a collapsing trachea, which seems to be getting worse. She will have about four or five, what I call, honking fits a week lasting anything from 30 seconds to two minutes. She takes them in her stride as she has always had them, but recently she seems to be having more difficulty with her normal breathing. She is constantly wheezing and snorting, and she also snores heavily when she is asleep.
I am wondering if anything can be done to help her. I am hesitant about surgery as she has already been through so much having had operations on both her back legs and her eyes. However, I worry about the long term effects her breathing problems will have on her.
James Lawrence, by email

I can understand your concerns about putting your dog through further surgery. I would, however, advise you to take her to your vet about her breathing because there are other options available. For example, it may be that she has picked up a secondary bacterial infection which will respond well to a course of appropriate antibiotic.
We are all concerned about quality of life, and a dog who is having trouble breathing will not be able to enjoy life to the full. She is, after all, only three years old. As vets, we advise on possible treatments but ultimately the decision is always yours: if you do not want your dog to have any more operations, then an alternative way must be sought to make her comfortable.
Alison Logan, vet

Breathe right
Regarding the snoring problem, I would like to quote from my Guide to Natural Health Care.

“Snoring: An involuntary, deep, guttural sound emanating from the pharynx and soft palate on inspiration or expiration; often intermittent depending on posture of the head. May indicate a chronic, obstructive lesion of the pharynx. (Saunder’s Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary)

Snoring is most commonly seen in older, small breed dogs which are overweight. Affected dogs are often short of breath and cannot exercise. Surgery is often suggested to try and open up the airways but I suspect is rarely carried out because of the uncertainty of the outcome.
I believe snoring can often be cured by less drastic measures. The “obstruction” is usually caused by the muscles of the pharynx or soft palate. They become soft and flabby and as a result tend to sag and obstruct the airway.
An aggressive weight reduction programme combined with controlled exercise will improve muscle tone and tighten up the affected tissues.”
John Burns, Burns Pet Nutrition.