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My pomeranian who will be 13 years old next month is congested and seemingly very uncomfortable. He has this cough, then he sneezes and there seems to be congestion in his head. I purchased some children''s Benedryl today and gave him 1/4 teaspoon. He is scheduled for another dose at 5:30 p.m. He is current with all of his shots including kennel cough. Can you offer some suggestions as to what may be going on with him.

Submitted: 740 days and 13 hours ago.
Category: Dog
Value: $15
Status: AWAITING CUSTOMER ACTION
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Posted by Theresa 740 days and 12 hours ago.

Info Request

Where would you say the congestion is? Throat, chest, nose?

Is he coughing?

Is there any discharge? If so what color?

Is he eating and drinking?

Theresa

739 days and 15 hours ago.

Reply

Reply to Theresa's Post: Hi Theresa,

Thank you for your reply. The congestion seems to be in the nose and throat. The coughing precedes the sneezing. i.e., Always he coughs several times like he is trying to clear his throat and then he sneezes. There is no discharge that I can see coming from his mouth but his little has has what appears to be a little bit of clear mucus. Yes, he is eating but does not appear to be drinking as much as he normally does.

Again, thank you so much for the reply.

XXXXX

Answer

For the most case if this is a virus then you need to let this run its course. Some things you can do is give the benedryl you picked up at 1mg per pound twice daily. You can also take him into the bathroom and run the shower to create a steam room to help loosen and mucus in his nose and throat. You can also pick up lil noses decongestant drops from your local drug store. This must be given on a tapered schedule to prevent rebound.

Days 1-3: One drop in each nostril 3 times daily

Days 4-6: One drop in each nostril 2 times daily.

Days 7-9: One drop in each nostril daily.

Days 10-13: One drop in each nostril every other day.

With his age there are other possible causes including poor dental health. In this case he could have a serious tooth root infection that has penetrated the sinuses. His constant swallowing of bacteria can also cause throat irritation.

Also, with age comes possible heart disease and lung issues. If the cough doesn't resolve or continues to sound fluidy it would be a good idea to have his chest listened to and possibly an xray to rule out heart disease and fluid on the lungs.

Please let me know if further assistance is needed.

Theresa

 

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Expert: Theresa
Pos. Feedback: 99.9 %
Accepts: 4296
Answered: 3/9/2008

A Voice for Your Pet

15 years experience in small animal medicine

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