My dog has a dry cough and bloody stool. What should I do at home?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Iris definitely needs to be seen by a vet right away. The cough and bloody stool can be related or unrelated. Coughing in dogs can be caused by pneumonia. upper respiratory infections, heartworm disease, or heart conditions. Bloody diarrhea can be caused by inflammatory bowel disease, viral diseases such as parvovirus, toxin ingestion, or bacterial infections. Sometimes, severe parasitic infections can cause these signs. A vet can perform a physical exam, and will likely need some further diagnostics such as bloodwork and x-rays to determine next steps and treatment. I hope all is well with Iris!

OH my. I can understand your despair, especially after having already taken her to your vet. It sounds like she needs to have some testing done to determine what the underlying problem is so that she gets the proper treatment. A pet that is having difficulty breathing, not eating and blood in the stool (could be due to stress), sounds like a possible lower airway infection or even pneumonia. She needs to go to another vet for a second opinion, bloodwork and chest radiographs to evaluate her lungs. If she does have pneumonia, then she will likely need to be hospitalized and treated symptomatically for a few days until she is hopefully well enough to go home. Here is a finanical assistance website in case you need help affording her veterinary care. http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html I hope that Bea is able to make a full and speedy recovery from her illness. Best of luck to you. Take care.

If your puppy has parvo he is not likely to make it until the 18th with home treatment. Homeopathy has not been shown to help this disease. Parvo is very serious. Please get him to a vet. If you can't afford veterinary care then you should reconsider having a dog. I am sorry to be so harsh but this is the most frustrating part of this profession for veterinary professionals. The puppy should not made to suffer. I understand that people have financial constraints but having a puppy/dog is not an inexpensive endeavor. At this point he may be starting to break with parvo but since he is still eating and drinking he may just have intestinal parasites (worms) causing the bloody diarrhea. General dewormers often don't treat the parasites that cause bloody stools; a prescription product is needed once a fecal test determines what parasites are present. Either way, he needs to be seen by a vet. If he doesn't have parvo then you need to be sure to get him his vaccinations at the appropriate intervals so that he gets protected. You can get low cost vaccines at the local Humane Society or at your local VETCO clinic if there is a Petco near you. ( https://www.vetcoclinics.com/services-and-clinics/clinic-locations-and-schedules/ ) I would try to help you find a low cost full-service vet in your area but you did not provide an accurate zip code. There are many low cost clinics these days. Just do a Google search in your area or call your local humane society as they can probably refer you to one. There are also many organizations to help people with financial constraints to afford vet care. Buying homeopathy is a waste of money in either of these cases (parvo or parasites). ( https://www.dogingtonpost.com/need-help-with-vet-bills-or-pet-food-there-are-resources-available/ ) Trupanion is the insurance I recommend. ( https://trupanion.com/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This sounds serious enough that he needs to be seen by your veterinarian right away. He could have a number of things causing this including parvovirus (if he isn't fully vaccinated), a foreign body obstruction, or just a severe case of colitis associated with the new food that you introduced. Poor guy. I would recommend taking him in today if possible and getting this treated quickly. Best case scenario is that he has a severe case of colitis and a short course of antibiotics and probiotics, along with a bland diet is enough to get him well again. Best wishes with your pet Winston. I hope he feels better soon. Take care.

It’s hard to know why your pup is doing this. It’s possible she has allergies or is breathing in poor quality air. Parasites of the lungs, heart disease and primary lung disease can also cause coughing. A few things you can do at home which may help include starting her on an omega-3 fatty acid supplement and using an air filter in the house. If she has not been seen for the coughing, I recommend to have her examined by her veterinarian and if the doctor suspects allergies, discuss antihistamines. I hope this helps and best of luck.

I'm so sorry to hear that Francis is unwell. What you are describing sounds like a medical emergency, and Francis should be evaluated by a veterinarian immediately, as it sounds like she is suffering a great deal. Please call the following emergency hospital near you and explain the situation http://www.aecgreenville.com/ If cost is a concern they may be able to refer you to a local shelter or low cost clinic. Good luck

Dogs don't tend to get common colds with the same frequency we do. If she is coughing and gagging after exercise I would plan to get Cherry examined by her vet fairly soon. Coughing and gagging may be from GI issues, or enlarged heart or heartworm disease among other things. Her GI signs also point to something going on that needs to be addressed. Your vet can do a physical exam combined with history and discuss appropriate diagnostics to find out what is going on with Cherry.