# HELP my doggy has been coughing and hacking up white foam for 3 days!



## Chiluver (Oct 18, 2010)

About a week ago my chihuahua (8.5 year old male) was barking outside at cars going by when I heard a loud scream of pain. Then I noticed his stomach was rock solid and he couldnt poo. We administered enema and he finally pooed. 

He returned to being his normal playful self. 

But a day later he began coughing and hacking violently. At first nothing came out. But then came white foam and now its mostly clear mucus and foam. 

He is normally quiet while sleeping. Last night he went 12 hours without hacking. But everytime he runs or starts rough housing with his sister it starts again. 

Today I gave him some chicken soup few hours ago and a teaspoon of flu medicine with contains acetaminophen and dextomethorphan (cough suppressent) and now he's hacking continuously!!!!! white foam with clear mucus. And he keeps licking it all back up. 

I want to take him to the vet but my dad thinks its kennel cough and will clear up on its own in a week. He did stay for a few days in a room where a puppy with kennel cough was held 2 years ago. I dont think its kennel cougj cause my other chihuahua isnt sick even tho shes with him 24/7. I dont have any $$$$ so I need to convince my dad its something else. Vet charges $200 just to see him! 

I dont think its bloat cause he still has a huge appetite? Dont think rabies cause he had shots. 

So anyone know what else it could be so I can convince my dad to take him to the vet????????


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

First and foremost, DO NOT give your dog human medication- especially not what you already gave him. You could have very well poisoned him and I urge you to go to the vet.

Edit: I should add that acetaminophen is poisonous to dogs, and you could point that information out online to your dad any where. It is ESPECIALLY bad in such a small dog.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

Chiluver said:


> About a week ago my chihuahua (8.5 year old male) was barking outside at cars going by when I heard a loud scream of pain. Then I noticed his stomach was rock solid and he couldnt poo. We administered enema and he finally pooed.
> 
> He returned to being his normal playful self.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't give him any more flu medicine; acepaminophen is pretty bad for dogs. 
Has he gone to the bathroom since he went after the enema?


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## Chiluver (Oct 18, 2010)

I first Googled about acetaminophen and all the vet websites said it was safe for dogs?

He did poo normally 2 days after enema and also the next day. But i have not seen him go since and his stomach has not been rock solid so I guess he is going. 

Now he's laying in bed on his belly and is no longer hacking. Is he out of danger now?????


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## luv2byte (Oct 21, 2009)

Just one question - why have you not gone to a vet yet? The smallest thing can be a big deal in small dogs. A forum is not the place for diagnosis it is a place to find relatable information. Example: My dog was diagnosed by the vet as having kennel cough, what is your experience with it? How long did it last? Or What did you do to make sure your dog didn't get giardia again?


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## Chiluver (Oct 18, 2010)

About 2 years ago my brother adopted a puppy from the pound and she had kennel cough. But hers was a soft cough with a runny nose but my chihuahua doesnt have runny nose nor my other chihuahua caught it even tho shes with him 24/7. 

My brother paid nearly $500 in vet bills for her treatment. I would goto the vet but have no money and i doubt they would do it pro bono. 

He just hacked again but not as bad. He is trying to prevent me from wiping away the mucus as he keeps swallowing it. Damm.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Chiluver said:


> I first Googled about acetaminophen and all the vet websites said it was safe for dogs?
> 
> He did poo normally 2 days after enema and also the next day. But i have not seen him go since and his stomach has not been rock solid so I guess he is going.
> 
> Now he's laying in bed on his belly and is no longer hacking. Is he out of danger now?????


Dogs do not possess the proper enzymes in their liver to break down acetaminophen. And google is not a vet, who you should CONSULT before giving your dog ANY THING. 

And for good measure: http://www.ehow.com/about_4564445_acetaminophen-dogs.html
http://www.fetchdog.com/Shop?DSP=300600&PCR=1:200:55:601:6100&IID=AR000010389
http://information.i-love-dogs.com/dog-articles/dog-health/3703-Things-Your-Home-That-Can-Kill-Your-Dog.html
http://itchmoforums.com/help-with-my-sick-pet/acetaminophen-toxicityfeline-canine-t2594.0.html

And there are pages and pages more. If you read them, you'll note the irony that most of them say acetaminophen toxicity most often happens when owners do not consult a vet. You NEED to go to a vet.


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## luv2byte (Oct 21, 2009)

Everyone should own a pet that wants one but everyone that does own a pet should have a way to pay for care. When we were very tight on money we had money set aside ONLY for pet care then when we finally built credit we saved a card just for vet care. Even now, 20yr later, we have pet insurance & a card for pet care. We also have a close relationship with our vet. Do not take on an expense unless you have a way to care FULLY take care of it or have someone willing to pay for you. If I am even slightly concerned my pets go in - good thing too because a trip for a basic eye infection turned in to our vet also finding that (unrelated) our dodg also had an abscess tooth which turned in to even more & $1400. A little thing isn't always so little. If it were you hacking & coughing you would find a way to go to the dr right?


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## Locke (Nov 3, 2008)

You have not seen him go poo for over 3 days, he is hacking up mucus and you haven't taken him to the vet??? Goodness gracious.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

Locke said:


> You have not seen him go poo for over 3 days, he is hacking up mucus and you haven't taken him to the vet??? Goodness gracious.


It sounds like the OP is not a child/dependent and not able to make that decision.  Hopefully you can impress to him how very important it is that he gets to the vet ASAP. Dogs have died with much less ominous symptoms. Please do what you can to convince him if you really care about this dog.


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## Locke (Nov 3, 2008)

kafkabeetle said:


> It sounds like the OP is not a child/dependent and not able to make that decision.  Hopefully you can impress to him how very important it is that he gets to the vet ASAP. Dogs have died with much less ominous symptoms. Please do what you can to convince him if you really care about this dog.


I understand that the OP may not have their own money to pay for the appointment, and that is a shame. What is really upsetting is that the parent does not see any problem with the dog suffering. 

OP, have you offered to do extra chores in order to "pay" back your father for a vet appointment? Or if you have a job, start saving your money to pay your father back for an appointment. 

I have about $4000 saved for a pet emergency. I put $100 a month into a savings account that I can't touch. If you have a job, or get an allowance, start putting a small fraction of it away to pay for things like this.


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## Chiluver (Oct 18, 2010)

According to this site acetaminophen is perfectly safe for dogs. It even gives recommended dosage. Sure it can cause liver damage but what drug isnt poisonous in large doses. 

http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/acetaminophen-tylenol/page1.aspx

There are many other sites where people say their vets prescribed acetaminophen for their dogs. So if they were 100% poisonous I doubt any vet would prescribe it. 

To the person who thinks only rich people should own dogs.... you're an a-hole. Just because we are poor does not mean we dont love our dogs. There are many people that are abandoning their dogs in the streets right now due to the poor economy. At least we are taking responsibilty of caring for our dogs even though we have fallen on hard times. We are barely making payments on our home and dont have any extra money to fund a "pet fund." I dont even eat out or goto the movies cause I use what little money I have to buy food and treats for our dogs.

Vets are crooks for what they charge pet owners. My brother's dog sprained his paw and they charged him $500 for some medicine and advice not to let him run. I mean come on........

In the past when my chihuahua was bitten by a rattlesnake and the vet recommended we euthanize him, we instead paid $1500 for antivenim treatment and he pulled through. So dont you dare say we dont deserve him you jerk! 

At least we're not dumping him on the street to fend for himself!


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## luv2byte (Oct 21, 2009)

Chiluver said:


> To the person who thinks only rich people should own dogs.... you're an a-hole. Just because we are poor does not mean we dont love our dogs. There are many people that are abandoning their dogs in the streets right now due to the poor economy. At least we are taking responsibilty of caring for our dogs even though we have fallen on hard times. We are barely making payments on our home and dont have any extra money to fund a "pet fund." I dont even eat out or goto the movies cause I use what little money I have to buy food and treats for our dogs.


I NEVER said only "rich people" should own dogs, I am FAR from rich. What I said is that if voluntarily and willingly take on an expense, especially where a life is involved, you need to be responsible about it. That means having a way to pay for vet emergencies. Even when we were very young newlyweds & had so very little money we had a way to pay for vet car. I have an aunt that is lucky to have enough money for food at the end of the month, she also arranged a way to pay for her dog's care in event of emergency, same with a friend of her's. Its the responsible thing to do, not the "rich" thing to do. 

And if you think I am an a-hole for caring about a sick animal that is going without care because someone doesn't want to spend money on it they shouldn't have a pet, or if you can't afford it then find a way to do so or give it up if you can't get it health care. If this was yourself or a child you would have already figured out a way to get it care - an animal is as dependant upon you for care as a child is, simple as that.


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## Chiluver (Oct 18, 2010)

If I had a sick child, I could take him to any E.R. and under the law they must treat him regardless of my ability to pay. Or I could take him to any free clinic or go through Medicare. So your analogy is retarded. 

If there are vets that provide services for free please point them out cause none are here. They demand payment immediately. 

I love my dogs and if I had the money I would have taken him the first time he began hacking but unless its absolutely a life and death situation I cant afford the $500 bill. Currently he is acting like himself except for the hacking but if his condition turns forthe worse my dad has promised to take him to the vet himself.

I am so sorry that we cant afford a personal vet on call, personal groomers and personal chefs for our dogs. We must be terrible owners. 

It wouldnt surprise me if you also think poor families should have their children taken away if they cant afford healthcare either. Jerk!


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## rockin' robin (Dec 7, 2009)

There's a company called CareCredit that provides financing for medical bills, including veterinary bills. Basically - you call them, get approved for an amount and you give a confirmation number to your vet. You'll still have to pay the bill, but it will be broken up into smaller payments (like $30/month). I had to use them when I had my wisdom teeth out and it was pretty easy. They approved me over the phone almost instantly. 

Please, call you vet and take your dog in. Most vet offices (at least around me) would probably be happy to work something out with you than to let your poor dog die.


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## sandydj (Sep 27, 2010)

Right now in this economy there are tons of formally financially stable people , who have pets , could afford to care for them before , but can't now. My friend runs a local shelter and I get the newsletter. Almost every caption is " owner heartbroken , house in foreclosure , please give their dog a loving home" 

I wouldn't be so quick to judge anyone's current financial state and assume they didn't actually HAVE money when they originally got their dog. Do I think they should all surrender them because they went bankrupt ? No.

Considering nobody knows OP's situation I won't be so quick to assume this is someone who was always strapped financially but went ahead and got a dog anyway. Sounds like in the past he and his family have shelled out for vet bills. So I'll give him/her the benefit of the doubt and not jump to conclusions.

That said , why this person has no money to treat the dog has no bearing on his current situation. I won't go off on you not having money ..I'll just tell you what I would do in your shoes.

I would bring the dog into the local animal shelter and see if the vets there are willing to treat them. The shelters are acutely aware of the alarming number of pets rendered homeless by the current recession , they may be willing to treat for a very reduced rate or let you make payments..they don't want you to have to turn in your dog..they may be willing to facilitate you keeping and treating your pets. 

They also have mobile charity vet care in several areas. 

Your dog needs emergency care. Take her to the nearest clinic/shelter ASAP. If you have to surrender her that would be sad , but it would be better than letting her be in pain. The symptoms you describe sound like a blockage or something serious that could result in a slow painful death. So please , do something. Call the shelter.

Where are you located?


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

rockin' robin said:


> There's a company called CareCredit that provides financing for medical bills, including veterinary bills. Basically - you call them, get approved for an amount and you give a confirmation number to your vet. You'll still have to pay the bill, but it will be broken up into smaller payments (like $30/month). I had to use them when I had my wisdom teeth out and it was pretty easy. They approved me over the phone almost instantly.
> 
> Please, call you vet and take your dog in. Most vet offices (at least around me) would probably be happy to work something out with you than to let your poor dog die.


Please don't think no one here is sympathetic to your situation. I certainly am! But I second the advice above. There is a reason for your dog's coughing and constipation and for the substance he's coughing up. It's important that you find the cause so you can do something about it, or it could be life or death. When you call the office, you can tell the receptionist the symptoms and ask for an estimate of how much it will cost to treat it--that price won't be set in stone of course, but it might be less expensive than you think. A simple visit for me costs $35 plus whatever I have done. Tell them right there on the phone that you will probably need a payment plan and ask about what options they have. If they won't do it, call somewhere else. I really hope things look up for you and your dog.


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## Yvonne (Aug 6, 2010)

Dog needs the vet and it is considered animal abuse to not take them when they are in need... animal control can force your dad to have the dog seen. You are able to call animal control. Hard thing to do when it comes to your parents however it is your dog. Have you tried calling a vet and asking if you could work it off cleaning kennels or anything? perhaps earn some babysitting money? I was a teen with dogs and I paid for all their care doing work on weekends. It is possible to keep enough aside and still be young and take care of your dogs.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Please read the disclaimer in this forum. This forum is meant for discussing issues with your dog AFTER they've seen a vet.


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