My English bulldog has aspiration pneumonia. What else can I do?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I would monitor the color of his gums and if they are not pink and are dark in color I would get him seen sooner rather than later. If you think he is in respiratory distress it would be best to have him examined to ensure his lungs are clear. If you think his gum color looks ok and he is otherwise doing ok, I would consider placing a humidifier next to him to see if this helps. If this does not help and he continues to have an increased respiratory rate I would rather you get him examined by a veterinarian and not wait any longer.

I'm sorry to hear Furo is feeling so unwell. If he is so weak that he is unable to eat or walk it would be best to keep him at the vet so that he can be hospitalized and treated with IV fluids to help regain his strength while the antibiotics work. He may need more intensive care than you can provide at home, especially if his pneumonia is bad and he is unable to breathe well. If you cannot keep him hospitalized, talking with your vet to see if you can start giving subcutaneous fluids at home may help him some. Wet foods that are warmed up may also be easier to eat and can provide both nutrition and hydration for him as well.

I'm sorry Maggie has pneumonia! You can try using a humidifier or bringing her into the bathroom with the door closed while you take a hot shower - the steam and humidity help to break up congestion and temporarily relieve symptoms associated with respiratory infections. As for the antibiotic, because you aren't sure if she ate it or not, I would wait for the next dose. Try hiding it in some peanut butter or boiled white meat chicken (no bones), and stay with her to make sure she swallows it and doesn't spit it up. You may have to put the pill in the back of her throat to ensure she swallows it. I will put a video below on how to do this. If she goes into respiratory distress, i.e. has trouble breathing, then I wouldn't wait until Monday to bring her back into the vet and I would rush her into an ER vet right away. Best of luck, I hope this helps! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3yHgItqGmo

Bronchial pneumonia can be a very serious diagnosis. Sometimes pets that have been diagnosed with pneumonia need oxygen therapy for a few days until the antibiotics kick in. He seems to be very uncomfortable because of his difficulty breathing. My recommendation is to have him seen at a facility that can provide oxygen therapy. In the mean time, you might try taking him in a steamy bathroom and patting his chest firmly until you can make him cough. This may help break up some of the mucous, but the best thing for him is oxygen therapy and continued antibiotics. Best wishes!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Coughing can be caused by many different conditions including heart disease, collapsing trachea, infectious tracheitis (kennel cough) and pneumonia (fluid in the lungs). I would be concerned about a bulldog coughing after known vomiting, as they are at a higher risk of aspirating (fluid from the stomach going down the trachea and into the lungs instead of coming out the mouth or back into the stomach). I would recommend having Valentino rechecked, and discuss x-rays with your vet to see if there are signs of aspiration pneumonia. However, if Valentino is only coughing a tiny amount, and is otherwise normal, eating/drinking, playing, running around normally, then he likely doesn't need antibiotics as some aspiration pneumonias are sterile (no bacteria present). If the coughing is continuous, or any continued vomiting, or if Valentino is lethargic, weak, not eating, and not acting himself, or has any signs of trouble breathing, then get him to a vet immediately. Best of luck with Valentino.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Cassie was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia, but I'm glad to hear that she is getting treated with antibiotics. Your idea of trying to feed small amounts at a time may help her, especially if you can try to form the food into little meatballs (if it is wet food). If she normally eats dry food, you can moisten the dry food and form it into little meatball-shaped pieces. This make be easier for her to swallow and cause her to cough less afterwards. That being said, coughing is not a bad thing when dogs have aspiration pneumonia. Coughing means their body is trying to cough up the mucus and phlegm that is down in their airways, and bring it up and out so they can breathe better. Her historical collapsing trachea should not make it difficult for her to swallow fluids, although it may contribute to her coughing. As long as Cassie still has a good appetite, is drinking, and is able to keep fluids and food down (ie not vomiting), she may just require more time to get back to normal. Antibiotics can take several days before we see a clinical response. If she does not improve or you are ever concerned about her coughing or breathing, I recommend having her seen by your veterinarian, as a different therapy may be needed. I hope this is helpful - wishing you the best with Cassie!

Hi. I am sorry to hear that biggie Paws is having trouble breathing. Unfortunately breathing issues can become an emergency very quickly. Bulldogs do tend to have trouble breathing due to their synotic nares an elongated soft palate. In addition, if they are overweight that contributes even further to breathing problems. If he is actually struggling to breathe, I would recommend you take him to the ER rather than waiting until Monday. He may have an upper respiratory infection, a heart condition, or the respiratory issues that this breed has have become extreme for him. The ER veterinarian will do an examination, and probably some chest x-rays to see if there is any heart condition or primary lung issue. That will help lead us to the correct diagnosis and treatment. There are surgical interventions for the stenitic nares an elongated soft palate that this breed has. That may be in his future if that is what the cause is for his breathing at this time. Good luck and I hope he feels better soon.