Shallow breathing

[rob190364 2,594]

I'm after a bit of advice...

 

I took my 20 month old lurcher out today with the throwing stick and balls, after about an hour of continuous chasing the ball across the field and fetching it out of the river I started to head back because it's pretty much constant sprinting or swimming so it's reasonably hard going for just a walk and I was planning a big session early tomorrow morning. As I was on my way back to the car I noticed she was regularly passing drops of blood, just come in to season I presumed....this was confirmed by the hassle she got by the next male dog we came across! I was a bit annoyed because as far as I'm aware you're supposed to take it easy exercise-wise when they're in season and I had her running pretty much flat out for nearly an hour.

 

Anyway, when I got back home she started coughing, as if she was trying to cough something up but nothing came up....she kept doing it every few minutes for about half an hour and was sort of wheezing with shallow breaths. Steadily the wheezing slowed down and she stopped coughing but now her breaths are very quick and shallow, she's probably doing about a breath per second. I've checked her ribs as I've read it could be broken ribs but it's not that. Anyone got any ideas? Have I overdone the exercise with her being in season? She's eaten fine, but I must admit she hasn't had a drink since we've been back, she's a pain in the ass for not drinking! could it be dehydration? She doesn't look distressed or anything, but the shallow breathing is clearly not right. I'll take her to the vets if her breathing is not back to normal by the morning but I was just wondering if anyone could suggest anything in the meantime?

[rob190364 2,594]

just a thought, could she have got water on the lungs from the swimming?

[Moll. 1,770]

The coughing is quite common in dogs when they have what we call, 'burnt their lungs', meaning the have done too much running when not quite fit enough, she should be fine by tomorrow if that is what it is

Shallow fast breathing and panting is usually a sign of pain.

Anything to do with major lung problems and the breaths are usually deep and fast. trying hard to get air in

[rob190364 2,594]

The coughing is quite common in dogs when they have what we call, 'burnt their lungs', meaning the have done too much running when not quite fit enough, she should be fine by tomorrow if that is what it is

Shallow fast breathing and panting is usually a sign of pain.

Anything to do with major lung problems and the breaths are usually deep and fast. trying hard to get air in

Thanks for that von, I was literally just about to go to the vets. I'll leave her til the morning to see if she's OK then.

 

She's not unfit though, I quite often have her out for hours.....is it because she's in season and the fitness levels drop at that time?

[Moll. 1,770]

You would be surprised as to how unfit our fit dogs are at times, has happened to me many a time, though my dogs were fit then a big hare gets up whilst out on a walk and leads them a merry dance, plus i think some dogs are more prone to it than others.

The season thing, i really cannot answer Rob, we girls are all neutered here

[Moll. 1,770]

Keep her within earshot tonight though. Rudie collapsed his lungs recently, i only noticed because his breathing became increased and deeper, he then could not settle, walking around moaning now and then (could not lie down) If she is sleeping soundly then she is probably ok

[rob190364 2,594]

Keep her within earshot tonight though. Rudie collapsed his lungs recently, i only noticed because his breathing became increased and deeper, he then could not settle, walking around moaning now and then (could not lie down) If she is sleeping soundly then she is probably ok

bloody hell, what do you do about a collapsed lung?

 

No she's lying down fine, not unsettled at all. When she gets up after lying down for a while she's quite stiff so it does look like I've just overdone it

 

Thanks for helping me out with this one....I was having a mild panic after googling shallow breathing and it came up with alsorts from bloat to kidney disease! sometimes you can do too much reading on the net!!

[BEARINATOR 2,872]

Hope she is feeling better tomorrow Rob

[rob190364 2,594]

Hope she is feeling better tomorrow Rob

cheer mate, it stresses me out when there's something wrong with the mutt more than it does when there's something wrong with me!!!

[Moll. 1,770]

bloody hell, what do you do about a collapsed lung?

 

Spend lots of money.....£2,049 at the last count!

 

I telephoned the vets out of hours and was told by a young inexperienced vet, he was probably just upset because he couldn't go out because he was a lurcher and they are like that (Had the accident lamping 2 nights prior and hurt his leg) So an hour later i phoned her up and told her i was taking him in, she checked his chest etc and gave him a strong pain killing injection, sent us home. I was awake all night with him, pacing the floor, moaning. Took him back first thing in the morning, they x-ray'd him and his lungs were collapsed, he ended up in the vets for 11 days. He then got severe air under the skin through air leaking past the drainage tube, so they had to take it out, when they did the air under the skin sucked back into his lung cavity and completely collapsed the lungs, he actually died on the table, they had to whip him over and put another tube in the other side to re inflate them.

 

No she's lying down fine, not unsettled at all. When she gets up after lying down for a while she's quite stiff so it does look like I've just overdone it

 

Thanks for helping me out with this one....I was having a mild panic after googling shallow breathing and it came up with alsorts from bloat to kidney disease! sometimes you can do too much reading on the net!!

 

No probs, it is quite scarey when you first see them cough like that.

[rob190364 2,594]

bloody hell, what do you do about a collapsed lung?

 

Spend lots of money.....£2,049 at the last count!

 

I telephoned the vets out of hours and was told by a young inexperienced vet, he was probably just upset because he couldn't go out because he was a lurcher and they are like that (Had the accident lamping 2 nights prior and hurt his leg) So an hour later i phoned her up and told her i was taking him in, she checked his chest etc and gave him a strong pain killing injection, sent us home. I was awake all night with him, pacing the floor, moaning. Took him back first thing in the morning, they x-ray'd him and his lungs were collapsed, he ended up in the vets for 11 days. He then got severe air under the skin through air leaking past the drainage tube, so they had to take it out, when they did the air under the skin sucked back into his lung cavity and completely collapsed the lungs, he actually died on the table, they had to whip him over and put another tube in the other side to re inflate them.

 

No she's lying down fine, not unsettled at all. When she gets up after lying down for a while she's quite stiff so it does look like I've just overdone it

 

Thanks for helping me out with this one....I was having a mild panic after googling shallow breathing and it came up with alsorts from bloat to kidney disease! sometimes you can do too much reading on the net!!

 

No probs, it is quite scarey when you first see them cough like that.

woah! and was that over exertion or the accident that caused it? well scary!

[Moll. 1,770]

The impact from the accident Rob, the bruise on his chest did not show itself for a good few days later.

 

[rob190364 2,594]

The impact from the accident Rob, the bruise on his chest did not show itself for a good few days later.

 

bloody hell!!! he's lucky to still be here!!!!

[skycat 6,174]

Shallow breathing can be caused by damaged diaphragm, or torn stomach muscles, but I have also seen this when one of my lurchers ruptured a lung and the air was leaking out of the lung and into the thoracic cavity, gradually compressing the lungs. Keep an eye on the dog all night and if it gets worse get it to a vet asap.

[rob190364 2,594]

Shallow breathing can be caused by damaged diaphragm, or torn stomach muscles, but I have also seen this when one of my lurchers ruptured a lung and the air was leaking out of the lung and into the thoracic cavity, gradually compressing the lungs. Keep an eye on the dog all night and if it gets worse get it to a vet asap.

will do, presumably you'd expect a gradual deterioration if it was something as serious as that?

 

She seems to be getting better slowly so I'm hoping it's nothing like that, I'll keep my eye on her through the night though, there's a 24 hour vet just a few doors along so I can get there in minutes if I need to.