I am hoping someone can help me with a medical problem I am having with my dog. He is a male German Shorthair that is about 7 years old and about 80 pounds. No he is not overweight, just a big shorthair. Back in March I took him to the vet because he had been coughing and he would'nt eat or drink. They thought he had kennel cough and put him on doxycycline 100 mgs and hydromet syrup and hydroxyzine tabs 50 mgs. Then in April we went back to the vets because he was still coughing. He got 1 tetracycline injection, 1 baytril inj 1cc or over, 4 Naxel inj that were sent home with me , one a day and more doxycycline 100 mg tabs. 2 days later we were at the emergncy vets beace he keeped me up all night crying in pain and he was having a heck of a time breathing. Agter x-rays ect, it was determined he had pneumonia. I won't list everything he was put on for this.The culture test that was sent in came back staphylococcus-coaulase positive. Back at the regular vets 3 days later because he was in so much pain trying to breathe. He got 1 pen-g inj, 1 batril inj 1cc or over. Back the next day for same plus 1 dexamethasone inj. Back the next day for same and the next day also plus sent out amoxicillin tabs 500mg. Back 4 days later for 1 baytril inj and tramadol hydrochloride 50mg pills. Back 3 days later for ciprofloxacin 500mg tabs. In all of this also more x-rays were taken and sent to a specialist who said the pnuemonia was caused by a foreign object burrowing into his lung and leaving a whole that let fluid get in there and also causing pus to build up in his lungs.Had him healthy for about two months when we noticed a lump that came up on his rib cage within one night. Back we go to the vets and they operate. They send out a culture and send him home with amoxicillian 500mg. The lab report came back as that this is a deep inflammatory lesion whick is most likely due to penetrating trauma that may have introduced foreign material or bacteria. If the lesion persists or fails to respond to therapy, microbiological culture or probing for foreign material is advised. No cancer. This was on the 14th of july. The incision is still open and oozing pus and we now have him on the last antibiotic that he can try. He is allergic to the sulfa drugs. My vet says that after taking this last round of clindamycin 150 mg caps that he will have to go back in to see if he can find anything that two drs on the last surgery could'nt find. Since he is the one tat did the first surgery he really doesn't think anything is in there. We can't get the pus to quit coming out of him. The wound just oozes constantly and now he has a little pus coming from his weeenie. He has only been on this last anti for a week, but I see no improvement. He is listless and when he goes out to run he gets very tired very fast and then it is hard for him to climb up stairs ect. I am at my wits end, and I don't want to put him down but the quality of his life is going downhill. Can anyone out there give me any suggestions? He has had all his shots and I have been with my vet for 30 years so I do trust him. Thank you for reading.

The only thing I can think of is that Puppy has something lodged in his lungs like a thistle or something. Unless they get it out, he's going to get worse...

I'm truly sorry for this and I pray he gets better.

Clearly with the antibiotics thew have thrown at him if he had a bacterial infection it would have improved.

If you get a foreign body into the dog it can look like an infection.

You need a different Vet. You need one who can sit down with the record you have and understand that what has been done isn't going to work. It's not a matter of trusting your vet. It's a matter of saving your dog.

Has this dog been near a porcupine? Has he been near spear grass? Where are you located?

Sent PM, I agree You need another Vets help.

Location Vanc. wash.

Doesnt Wash State or U of Wash have a Vet program

I took my shorthair to Washington State Vet School for a leg injury

If you have a vet school within driving distance get a referral and get yourself there with the records you have.

Has he been tested for Heartworm disease, which also affects the lungs?

I agree with taking him to the vet college there.

My neighbors dog had pus coming from his nose. I asked the owner about it and he said the vet has tried everything. I told him to go to another vet that identified the problem as a tooth abscess that broke through into the sinus cavity and drained out his nose. New doc pulled tooth and dog was better.

Always get a 2nd opinion!

Good luck.

Dog has seen so far a total of 3 different vets in 2 different offices.

Have the many antibiotics used been selected on the basis of antibiotic sensitivity testing or just selected out of thin air/? A blood level of the antibiotic needs to be maintained for a period of time to be effective. I think there has been too much switching of ab,imo. The university and possibly a ct. along w/ a healthy dose of common sense will go a long way to achieve your goal. Dr.C

He has been tested for heart worm negitive & he has been tested for sensivity also & these 6 are the only ones to show as effective for him.How long a period of time are you suggesting as he has been on some of these as long as a month without a cure?
Thanks.

If there is a foreign body, antibiotics will not cause it to go away,and w/ some infections a month of the proper ab is not excessive.Doxycycline has a very narrow effective spectrum of activity for example DR.C

What about more xrays to look for a foreign body/object maybe not seen with pneumonia present and now cleared up

Ive had my vet miss stuff and then go to another vet and he would find the problem

Dr C.

So far your suggestions seem to make the most sense to me. The vet did not find a foreign body when he took the samples out this last time over two months ago. This incision is on the right side of the dog, just at the back of the rib cage. The two vets in the office looked for a foreign body but could not find one. Now the dog is on clindamycin 150mg caps, 2 twice a day. He has only been on this for a week today. So far I see no improvement because I am squeezing about a tablespoon of pus out morn and night plus a little all during the day. Plus he licks at it during the day so you know he's getting some out also. My vet would like me to continue this anti for a least another week and then if there is no improvement he will go back in and see if he can find a foreign object. Dr C, do you think that he should do x-rays now? Do you think the x-rays will show anything in that area since it is around his ribs? I don't think that this has anything to do with his pnuemnia anymore even if that was caused by a foreign object also.
Thank you all for responding but unfortunatly I can't afford to take him to a vet school. With all that has gone on I have already spent over 2600.00 dollars. Not that I won't spend more but there is a limit.
I will be going out of town for 3 days tomorrow so that I can take him on one last hunt if it is to be, but please continue to respond, especially Dr C, and I will read when I get back.
Thank you again, it is nice to know that this many people care.

Get your veterinarian to refer you to a specialist at the WSU CVM in Pullman. This is nothing to dink around with and sounds like it's getting worse. A foxtail or thorn or other foreign object in the lungs requires aggressive therapy and probably surgery. Oregon State might be a little closer for you?

Possibly a radiograph may show something, especially if there isa splinter of bone off of the last rib. ANTIROBE(CLINDIMYCIN) IS A GREAT AB. another one that would be indicated and is cheap would be metronidazole. Use a cephalosporin mastitis preparation(Today) that can be infused daily into the draining tract.DR. C

Shorthair, When I got my dog leg stiched up at Washington state vet school they didnt even charge me.

An Xray at this point is likely a waste of time and money. It's not much money so maybe it should be done anyway though. Without some radiopaque material in a foreign body (calcium in a bone splinter) you won't see it in all probability. A CT as Doccash suggested might well give you an idea of where to look that's better than any surgery short of necropsy.

Exploratory surgery is limited in that you can't do damage, and that makes looking a lot harder. Doing a proper inspection just isn't possible sometimes.

If you are getting that much pus out every day you have a big problem. You absolutely need to know where it's coming from.

One suggestion on anitbiotics. Try Tylan. It hasn't been used in small animals in many years and frequently works when the newer stuff doesn't. It is similar to Zithromax but seems to me to be a better veterinary drug. You can buy it at the feed store if it comes to that. Large dog would get 200mg by injection daily.
I never let somthing die without trying it. I don't think ther is a better "soft tissue" drug.

Thanks but he is very allergic to the sulfa drugs which is what my search comes up with on tylan unless you know different please.

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read our post and or respond to it. Unfortunatly as of 1:00 the 30th of sept, we had to put our dog down. The vet said after he went back in and looked around in the incision that there was nothing there. With all of the symptoms we were seeing our vet now is pretty sure it was a fungal infection. Something called coccidioidomycosis. We spend a lot of time over at Maryhill, Wa, where it is a little arid and this is where he picked this up. Evidently there have been a lot more cases reported of this disease in dogs that have either spent time in eastern Wa, or live over there. It had started to affect him neurologically because if he stood for very long he would start wobbling and then fall down. If he was the least bit tired he could'nt make it up stairs or up on the couch.
Anyway I won't make him suffer anymore so we put him down. Again thank you all for your words and thoughts and hopefully when I get a new pup you can help with all the fun stuff. Thank you, Shorthair and wife.

Sad to hear of the loss of your trusted friend You should have some comfort in knowing that you went the extra mile. Dr.C

I am very sorry to hear this.

Sorry for your loss.

Sorry to here your loss of the poor guy.

He must have had a very bad case of Valley fever.

One of my previous dogs had valley fever but eventually recovered

Short Hair,

Sorry to hear of your loss. It is very difficult to loose a trusted friend. I'm very proud to hear you went the extra 10 miles for him. Godspeed.

Tony

Thanks again he would have been 7 this week.

quote:

Originally posted by shorthair:
.... With all of the symptoms we were seeing our vet now is pretty sure it was a fungal infection. Something called coccidioidomycosis. We spend a lot of time over at Maryhill, Wa, where it is a little arid and this is where he picked this up. Evidently there have been a lot more cases reported of this disease in dogs that have either spent time in eastern Wa, or live over there. It had started to affect him neurologically because if he stood for very long he would start wobbling and then fall down. ....

That sounds like "valley fever", so nicknamed in Arizona. It is an epidemic down here, over 1000 new human cases each month and an estimated 3000 new canine cases each month. When diagnosed early, it is 100% treatable. When misdiagnosed, or overlooked, it is 100% fatal; even in humans. One of my dogs has it. It is not contagious,you can only get it by inhaling the spores from the dirt; common among construction workers, landscapers, etc.

I am very sorry to hear about your loss. Having owned a number of hunting dogs, including a shorthair that I had to put down prematurely, I know what your loss has been. My condolences.

quote:

Originally posted by The Shottist:

quote:

Originally posted by shorthair:
.... With all of the symptoms we were seeing our vet now is pretty sure it was a fungal infection. Something called coccidioidomycosis. We spend a lot of time over at Maryhill, Wa, where it is a little arid and this is where he picked this up. Evidently there have been a lot more cases reported of this disease in dogs that have either spent time in eastern Wa, or live over there. It had started to affect him neurologically because if he stood for very long he would start wobbling and then fall down. ....

That sounds like "valley fever", so nicknamed in Arizona. It is an epidemic down here, over 1000 new human cases each month and an estimated 3000 new canine cases each month. When diagnosed early, it is 100% treatable. When misdiagnosed, or overlooked, it is 100% fatal; even in humans. One of my dogs has it. It is not contagious,you can only get it by inhaling the spores from the dirt; common among construction workers, landscapers, etc.

Yes, coccidiodomycosis and valley fever (aka San Joaquin Valley fever, desert fever, Posada's disease, and desert rheumatism) are the same thing. Even though I live in an endemic area for this mycosis, it is still rather rarely diagnosed, but is easily treated when caught early enough.

I had been following your story. I'm very sorry for your loss. I still mourn the loss of Queenie which was 6 years ago. My 2 Border Collies help, but you remember each dog because of their personal traits. Again I'm sorry.

Nick10Ring