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Post by luvmygrey on Dec 28, 2009 1:42:57 GMT -5
Has anyone else had problems with their Grey panting excessively, even if they haven't been running? I'm so worried, I rushed Ginger to the vet's the other night, as she started to pant to the point of scaring the crap out of me. The vet checked her out thourally, and did a blood test and said that they were all within normal ranges. He told me to come back the next day and have her xrayed. I did, and it showed that her trachea was somewhat blocked from what looks like fluid. He told me to take her home with anti-biotics and a diuretic pills to clear the fluid. He also said that if she didn't seem any better within 2-3 days, that in all probability it could be a mass. Well needless to say I cried all the way home. She seemed to be alright after taking the medication, and I began to have hope, but all of a sudden it happened again tonight, out of the blue she began to start her excessive panting and would come to me for comfort, which of course I was able to help her calm down and get her to lie down. She loves turkey and ham, and her peanut butter treats at night, but she wouldn't take any of them. I am at my wits end, and getting very depressed, I can't stand the thought of something happening to her. Has anyone else had this problem, and if so, what did you did for it? I'm wondering if they can operate, and is the survival rate good?
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Post by Gigi on Dec 28, 2009 6:41:37 GMT -5
I'm sorry I have no idea what's going on with excessive panting like this. I'm just so sorry to read that you're going through this with Ginger. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will have some answers or help for you here on the forum. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
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char
Grey Puppy
Posts: 31
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Post by char on Dec 28, 2009 8:38:27 GMT -5
did the vet do x-rays other than the trachea area? excessive panting usually means pain so it can be anywhere. I would have x-rays done of the lungs if this has not yet been done
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rathma
Grey Addicted
we love lying in the spring sunshine!
Posts: 2,521
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Post by rathma on Dec 28, 2009 9:17:50 GMT -5
I'm sorry, no experience with something like that. We will keep you in our thoughts and please keep us updated.
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monique
Hound Nut
That's Leo in the red!
Posts: 1,318
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Post by monique on Dec 28, 2009 10:42:04 GMT -5
Coincidently, I was going to post about panting as well. I don't know what you mean by excessive, but Leo pants sometimes for no reason I can see. He did it before he broke his leg also. It's just normal panting, but it's that he's just been standing or lying around and it's not warm in the house, my thermostat is set for 22 degrees and it's usually around that temperature on the main floor where he is.
I know panting can be a sign of nervousness. For Leo, it seems more like boredom or restlessness. Sometimes (even before the broken leg and pain/lack of exercise) it's as if he just doesn't know what to do with himself; like he was happily lying on his bed chewing a bone, then he would finish, stand up, and start panting for a couple minutes, then would find something else to do and would stop. He's also only been here for a few months and he wasn't always sure about what he was allowed to do. He's learned a lot, he hasn't tried chewing my couch anymore for example, and I expect his panting will lessen over time.
Because the vet found something on the x-ray though, there may be something else to it. I don't know anything about fluid in the trachea, but I've been reading a lot about different injuries and it seems like many times when an animal gets an x-ray, often unexpected an unrelated things will show up that they weren't looking for, and don't cause any symptoms so the only reason they know about it is because of the x-ray.
I've actually had 2 experiences with this with people, both me and my son. I fell off a horse once and had an x-ray of my knee, and the doctor asked if I had ever broken my leg and I was surprised and said no; apparently there was some kind of little crack or something on the bone they saw while looking at my knee. Another time my son had a bad cold and was coughing a lot and I went to a walk-in clinic, where they did an x-ray and said he had pneumonia. That worried me and when his cough didn't get better I took him to the emergency room where they had more experienced doctors who looked at the x-rays and said no, he didn't have pneumonia. I trusted the experienced emergency room doctors more than the walk-in clinic doctor, and found out that interpreting x-rays is not always easy and is very subjective.
I read about the same thing with horses once, about changes in the navicular bone; some horses have lameness, have x-rays taken and it's found that there are changes in the navicular bone so that seems to explain it; but if x-rays are taken of horses that are completely sound, very often changes are also found in the navicular bone on the x-rays which are not expected.
My point is, of course you should follow up with this and go with what the vet says, but just try not to worry too much and it COULD turn out to be nothing. If your vet isn't certain about what it is, maybe get a second opinion from another vet (I would think you could just take the x-ray to another vet and pay for a half-visit, about 10 minutes).
Of course you have to be careful with it, but try not to worry too much!
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Post by luvmygrey on Dec 28, 2009 13:53:11 GMT -5
I can't help worrying, it comes naturally, and I just don't want to lose her as I love her so much. I was thinking the same thing as you though, about taking the xrays to another vet for a second opinion. Ginger is very down today and won't eat or drink anything. I lay on the bed with her to give her comfort. The thing is that they only took an xray of her upper respertory tract, and I'm concerned that she might have something going on somewhere else in her body that they haven't xrayed. I will keep everyone posted once I know what's going on, now if I can only hold myself together through all of this then I might be okay.
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Post by kjw on Dec 28, 2009 19:10:08 GMT -5
Has it been longer than the 2-3 days the vet gave as a guideline? Has she finished all her meds?
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monique
Hound Nut
That's Leo in the red!
Posts: 1,318
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Post by monique on Dec 28, 2009 21:57:16 GMT -5
Like char says, it seems like x-rays should be done of her lungs. We're thinking of you and hoping things go well.
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rathma
Grey Addicted
we love lying in the spring sunshine!
Posts: 2,521
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Post by rathma on Dec 29, 2009 9:58:35 GMT -5
I know it's next to impossible, but try to keep your own nervousness at bay, she will pick up on that and will get more anxious. Keeping you in our thoughts...
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Post by angelollie on Dec 29, 2009 21:28:39 GMT -5
Any news about Ginger? Keeping her and you in my thoughts and prayers.
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Post by luvastorm on Dec 29, 2009 22:29:39 GMT -5
It must be difficult finding the correct medical personal available over the holidays, but please keep us updated when you can.
Sending ALL BEST Wishes for Ginger.
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emily
Hound Nut
Posts: 1,529
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Post by emily on Dec 31, 2009 16:30:14 GMT -5
It's been a few days since your last post. Any change?
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Post by luvastorm on Jan 5, 2010 11:46:32 GMT -5
Any update on Ginger?
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monique
Hound Nut
That's Leo in the red!
Posts: 1,318
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Post by monique on Jan 10, 2010 15:13:19 GMT -5
How is Ginger doing?
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Post by luvmygrey on Jan 15, 2010 22:07:21 GMT -5
Sorry everyone, I just want to let you all know that Ginger is GREYT! I went to another vet with her xrays, and he didn't see anything out of the ordinary on it, but suggested that I have them sent to a radiologist for an expert opinion, which I had my vet do (not so sure why he didn't do that in the first place), and I'm happy to say that the xrays were normal. I think my vet is young and new, and not to sure what he is doing, and I think he put me through a lot of unnecessary worry and expense due to his lack of experience. He had me worried saying that he thought it was fluid, and then prescribed medication for her, or else he said it was a mass...holy chit, I was so outta my mind with worry and saddness it was unbelievable.
I think what happened was...I had taken Ginger to the park that day, and we have a huge field right smack in the middle of it, so she had a full out run with another dog. When she was finished we went for a walk, and then home. She seemed fine, but I'm thinking she may have pulled a muscle somewhere and it started to hurt her later on, and caused her to panic, and therefore she was panting so hard and fast, and wanted me to comfort her. But, it was scary because she did it for hours.
Bottom line, as I said, I'm so relieved and happy, and I hope that she has long, healthy, and happy life.
And, Thank you so much everyone for checking to see how she was, God Bless...Deb.
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