Dad of Lulu - sweet Lulu has crossed The Bridge

Whew! That's excellent news! Well done Dad!

Thanks all, this forum has been extremely helpful. Lulu ate her breakfast. She wasn't overly hungry acting but she cleaned out her bowl.

Yay! Just keep LuLu on that bland diet for awhile and nothing too harsh to her GI tract. It does sound like she is doing better. How are her energy levels?

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

That's our girl!!!!!! Keep up the goood work, Dad:D:D:D:D:D

Yes, Lulu's appetite is still there, especially protein like chicken, ham & hamburger. I still am concerned about her cough. Dr. Booth said her lungs and heart sounded good. I suspect a kennel cough and I think Dr. Booth thought it possible, and had us take her out of the lobby when we paid, as to not give any other dogs kennel cough.

She has had a bit more eye discharge I have noticed, and she has had this before. Occasionally she will have a drop on her nose, and I noticed both of these two symptoms this morning. The eye discharge I have noticed the last two or three days. So I am thinking that she has kennel cough. She got this two years ago when she was being treated for Cushings then. And I don't believe she has had Bordetella vaccine in at least a year now.

So her energy level has been lower the last three days. She usually gets a burst in the late afternoon and she did yesterday. Will watch today. She has the last few days liked to go outside and lie in the light snow. Her temperature was normal at the Vet's

I remember when she had kennel cough two years ago, it took a bit of time, and I think the vet then gave her some antibiotics too. So we are hoping that she gets more of her energy back soon.

Molly got kennel cough from a doggie day care once and it scared the bejeebes out of me. That hacking cough, labored breathing just had me in a panic for days before it became just a cough every now and then. I was really relieved that she got over that and I never took her near that place again. She has stayed over with them for a week I think it was, while we were out of the country, visiting family in the US. I know it can be very taxing on their systems.
Some dogs do like the cold. My golden retriever Loved it. The water, the cold, anything outside she was ready to go. Of course her down time she wanted to be inside snuggled up, preferably in your lap, but she'd settle for on the couch next to you or practically on your feet. (bit much to have a retriever on your lap after puppy stage has passed) Sounds like LuLu is a typical retriever in that she likes those same things. Every one I've known as been like that and snow seems to be a particularly fun playground for them in the winter. All kinds of activities can be had in the snow!! :)
You're doing awesome with Lulu, you and your wife are just super great with her. I'm looking forward to hearing that she is getting over this cough and back to our normal lulu once again. (and we are still keeping an eye on those cortisol levels too. :) ) don't think I'd forgotten that!!

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi all, well Lulu was a bit bloated in the abdomen last night, we unfastened her bottom harness for the night. She slept comfortably, with just a slight panting at about 4 this morning. I turned on a fan we keep near the window on low for her. That worked.

This morning I got her some rice & chicken to warm up but decided to wait to see if she was very hungry. I put her antibiotics out, but wanted to wait on those to.

So I brought Lulu down and she wanted by the door. I was ready with flashlight. She poohed, nicely, and that is all she wanted to do. So I think she knew she needed to go. She is inside comfortable, and I took her harness off for now and put her collar back on. I may need to adjust it slightly so it isn't too tense.

I am happy that she has poohed twice, and much normal. So I figure she will need to go again and I will feed her shortly. I think maybe we gave her too many small meals yesterday and her energy level is definitively down, due to her cough.

She hasn't coughed alot, though I did hear her after I helped her down the stairs.

Both my boys had a strain of kennel cough a few weeks ago. It was actually the normal strain that goes around as they are both vaccinated, but there is somethign really potent going around here at the moment. Apparently the vets have been inundated - I took them in 2x in 3 days :o. Anyway, it really knocked them flat for a good week or so, both on metacam and Fraser on anti-biotics too. Fraser didn't cough at all with it, just hurked a bit of phlegm and he was really congested (hence the anti-b's). But he got through it and so will Lulu. With some good rest, she will let you know when she is feeling better. It is a worry though when they don't feel right, you just want to make them better!

I posted a couple of x-rays of Lulu. http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/albu...596&pictureids What a day. I did have a good job interview on my end today and another one on Friday.

Lulu had a bit of a hard time walking with her front left leg. Finally carried her in. We didn't know if she had injured it or could it have been a stroke. Dr. Booth said it doesn't appear neurological as she was able to put her foot back when he moved it. She does seem to be able to walk okay at first, it just seems to bother her and cause her to limp after being on it a while. Will be with her tomorrow both of us to watch her. My wife tried to get her up the ramp and Lulu slipped. I got out to help, though I just had my treadmill shorts on. We don't think she injured her leg, and the vet, x-rayed her and said it looked fine. But we have to take her out to go pee and not exert herself. He gave her stronger antibiotics, some Azithromycin 250 mg tablet twice a day. He x-rayed her lungs and said it is not as dark as normal, which could be what is termed 'old dog lung' . Now he showed us her heart and said it was slightly enlarged. But he thought that the antibiotics might clear up the cough, and see him in two weeks if it did, earlier if not. We took her to Dr. Booth's closer place since he was at a satellite office and that was 10 miles closer for us.

We will just have to wait and see. He said that if necessary can do an EKG, and that costs more.

She is resting fairly well, so I am hoping the new antibiotics will work. Never a dull moment. One thing I did notice is that she does seem to be shedding with her fur more, something she hasn't done in almost a couple of years. Boy it's complicated with the Cushing's and then this.

my dogs got kennel cough last year from the nasal vaccine. ugh. It took Jenny about 6 weeks to get over it. We had her on antibiotics but I think that was just to keep both dogs from reinfecting each other. I read somewhere or someone here told me that it just takes time.

so don't be discouraged if it takes longer than 2 weeks. and I would suggest never getting the nasal vaccine for kennel cough!