Persistent and chronic coughing

[Karen Moody]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and excited to be here. My pom puppy has had a cough for almost a month now. It started two days after I got her. She has been to the vet for this cough countless times. At first he thought it was an upper respiratory infection so we did antibiotic for 10 days. Then he thought perhaps collapsing trachea so we treated her for two weeks with hydrcodone cough syrup. Didnt work, so this past Saturday he decided perhaps it is allergies and has me giving her Benadryl 2 x a day. It seems to have gotten a bit worse.

All of her exams are normal--lungs, heart, circulation. He hasn't drawn blood or done an x-ray yet. Everything else about her is perfect. She is playful, happy, does FABULUOS with house training, has a healthy appetite, stays hydrated. Her eyes are bright, she is very alert, has quite a personality.

Her cough sounds "croupy" in the morning, and as the day goes on, becomes more dry. Her bark sounds "hoarse" and "croupy" in the am and normal in the pm, so I am inclined to believe it is allergies, however, I would think I would notice a difference with the Benadryl.

Any ideas?

[Cheryl Garcia]

Hi Karen,
Seems as if we have the same issues. I have a pom 7 years old who just this past year has started a very similar type of cough. It's like she has a hair ball because she tried to cough something up but nothing comes up. I first I thought she had kennel cough. Zoie has been to the vet, had her trachea checked, etc. but they found nothing. She is very very active and her bark is as you describe.

I give her Childrens Dynatab (the one for infants), keep her brushed (every day), have changed her food as she was always on Science Diet and since I live in a condo her walks are more often and longer. I also put a little virgin olive oil into her kibble as she eats no wet food. Also there is no corn in her diet.

[Karen Moody]

Hi Cheryl, thanks for the suggestions! I MAY have just figured out the problem! I think she is allergic to baby powder!

I use to put baby powder on Gretel in between baths to keep her smelling good. Well, the weekend I got Camille, we had tons of rain. So, as you know, a wet puppy smells. I sprinkled baby powder into my hands and rubbed my hands on her fur. Well I noticed the powder flying in the air, so I would fan to keep her from breathing it in. Thinking I had done a good job.........

So to keep the powder from flying in the air, I just started sprinkling it in moist baby wipes and wipe her down with those, plus sprinkle on her bedding, shake her bedding out real good in another room so she isn't in there to breathe it in, then put it in her pen. Her coughs are always the most "croupy" sounding in the mornings......

I bring her to work with me everyday and have a portable baby crib that she stays in. This morning I took her bedding and did the baby powder thing, shook it all out real good in another room, put it in her pen and put her down for her nap (just like having an infant) Anyway, after about 10 min she started coughing and coughing and coughing. Then it dawned on me! (I am a bit slow you know)

Anyway, I took all her bedding out, replaced it with a blanket I had in my office and put her back down, and she is sleeping like a baby now.

I am going to go home and wash all her bedding real good and see if in fact her coughing gets better. Keeping my fingers crossed as this is an easy fix!

[Alan Cooke]

Hi Karen,I have left a comment today with Cheryl Garcia re-Pomeranian coughing,please read this,and if anyone is still encountering this problem,i will post the findings on this forum with the successful treatment. Kind regards Alan.

[Karen Moody]

Hi Alan and thanks for your response. Evidently Camille did have kennel cough. After the last round of antibiotics it has cleared up. I found out that kennel cough can take as long as one month to go away and that is exactly how long she coughed.

She is perfect now! :)