Question :

I have a 15 year daschund. All of a sudded started to pant heavily and try to
gag. I brought to the Vet and he said his heart was fine and thought it was his
teeth or back. My dog has been on antibiotics for 1 week and also steroids.
After a week, he started panting , breathing heavy again. I got
more antibiotics
but after another week they sypmtoms are appearing again. He still eats and
drinks but is starting the sytptoms again. Does he have a respiratory infection
or is he
having pain in his back.
He breaths heavy but not yet puffing through his mouth yet as he did the first
time. thx

answer :

Dear Anita,

The panting can indicate on respiratory problem?, especially located in the pharyngs, the windpipe or even in the lungs.
The syndrome of reactivating the panting after finishing the antibiotic terapy indicates on wrong terapy. More precisly either the antibiotic is too weak, the dose is too low or the duration of therapy is too short. Please check with your vet those parametars. In your case 1 week could be too short, especially in heavy infections.
Also examine the swallowing and tonsilles for tonsillitis.
Perform bacerial cultures of smear taken of the laryngs or the tonsilles or administer a broad spectrum antibiotic such as amoxicillin or other. Please advise your vet..

Best wishes,

Damjan

Damjan Pavlovski DVM