My senior dog has labored breathing, cough, and gagging. What to do?

Question

My 15 yr old german shep/lab mix has labored breathing for a month and is increasingly weak.He had a runny nose but stopped.He at times has diarrhea & started a cough that ends with a gagging sound- 1-3x daily for a few days.His blood tests are normal but has slightly lower glucose & slightly higher potassium & white blood cells. He was in contact with dog that recovered from kennel cough. My vet only recommends an ultrasound which is too $, other options? He had a sarcoma 2 yr ago & recovered. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 15 years and 7 months old | 40 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

I would discuss other treatment options with your vet. I understand that ultrasound can often be cost prohibitive, but your vet may be able to prescribe medications based on their best guess of the cause of the illness. Based on the labored breathing, weakness, and gagging, I would be worried about Donny's heart and lungs. I know heartworm disease is not terribly common, but it is still a possibility. Other possibilities include heart failure, pneumonia, hypertension, or cancer. You might discuss radiographs with your veterinarian to look inside Donny's chest. Increased potassium could indicate lab error, renal failure, gastrointestinal issues, or possibly Addison's Disease, or it could be normal. Elevated white blood cells can indicate bacterial or viral infection, inflammation, or cancer.

My senior dog has labored breathing, cough, and gagging. What to do?

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