# Gagging



## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

Hi, I was wondering if any of your dogs have an issue with gagging. Rosie (9 weeks) seems to gag pretty regularly, especially when she is lying down. She generally doesn't bring anything up, at most, there'll be a bit of frothy spit.

It sounds horrible, and I can't imagine it is doing her throat much good (it is really reminiscent of a cat I used to have - you know when they've been licking their coats too much and they get a fur ball?). I wondered if it is a common thing in cockapoos or if it is something I should mention to the vet.

She has got colitis at the moment, which I know results in phlegm in their poo (from experience of checking her poo!) so I also wondered if this maybe gives her excess phlegm in her throat?

Sorry, not a very nice thread! I hope none of you are eating your dinner!


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

now dont panick when i say this, but she might have a wee bit of kennel cough, go to the kennels and get some bynelin chesty chough medicin(dont say its for your dog) normaly its 5ml you give them 2wice a day but myabe 2ml because of her age. keen an eye on her and if she isnt better in a couple of days maybe concider the vets. 

kennel cough is like a cold that dogs get, it can be a problem in very young and very old dogs as can cause chest infections but genneraly passes within about 5 to 7 days. like with humans their is nothing the vet can give her apart from an antibiotic which wont make any difference at the moment. 

so do what i have said and you should notis a difference, if you are realy worried you can take her but the bynelin will save on the vet fees. 

i work at a bording kennel and last june to aughst we had an outbrake of kennel cough in my aria and couldnt get rid of it in the kennels as even when telling people a week or so in advance to they could make other arangments we had new dogs coming in. they were all fine. on just the bynelin we took one dog to the vets but he is 17 years old so didnt want to take the chance. 

im sure she will be fine and it will pass.


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Hi, sounds like what Dylan had. He just gagged very occasionally, maybe once a day. Also his throat was sensitive if he pulled on the lead. I took him to the vet and they diagnosed a mild kennel cough. Gave him alsorts of meds including switching to advocate in case of lungworm although they did not suspect that. Took quite a few weeks to go entirely, but it has gone now. Don't think the meds do much good - just time heals.


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

Thanks Dylan and Helen. Rosie is going to the vet this afternoon re her colitis so i'll ask them to check for kennel cough then. It's strange, she only seems to do it when she's relaxing.


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## Georgiapeach (Feb 12, 2011)

I won'der if she's got reflux, like some babies have when they're young? My middle child had this, and he had to stay sitting up for at least half an hour after each feeding, or he'd regurgitate some or all of his milk. If this is the case, they eventually outgrow it.

Kennel cough might make sense, too. Most people cough more when lying down, if they have phlegm draining down their throats. 

I agree with the above posters, to go to the vet if it doesn't clear up in a couple of days.


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

Well, I took her to the vet and she agreed - mild kennel cough. Well done all of you! So, more antibiotics. And her colitis might be a sign of a very sensitive tummy, meaning special food forever. An expensive little puppy, it sounds like. It's a good job she's so cute...

That said, my dad just sent me a link to an article about managing colitis by restricting their food intake. It sounds intriguing. Maybe it will help.

Louise


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## parapluie (Dec 22, 2010)

Glad you found out!


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Glad it's being dealt with, although I think that the antibiotics are the vet's way of profiting (maybe also covering their butts) as I think kennel cough is a virus and so antibiotics wouldn't effect it! They gave me some for Dylan too. It did take quite a few weeks for Dylan's to go, so don't worry if it lingers. 
What food are they recommending for the colitis?


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

Dylansmum said:


> Glad it's being dealt with, although I think that the antibiotics are the vet's way of profiting (maybe also covering their butts) as I think kennel cough is a virus and so antibiotics wouldn't effect it! They gave me some for Dylan too. It did take quite a few weeks for Dylan's to go, so don't worry if it lingers.
> What food are they recommending for the colitis?


you are exactly right the antibiotic does nothing for kennel cough, its only efective if thekr is like a chest infection after it which is very rare. they give it so the owner sees they are doing something for the dog.


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

Of course - why didn't I think that when they prescribed it? If I had been at the doctor's with one of my kids and they had wanted to put them on antibiotics for a viral infection, I would have been outraged!

Mind you, the vet did say that she wanted to give her more antibiotics for the colitis anyway, just in case that was still some sort of infection, so maybe it wouldn't have made a difference. 

She is currently on chicken and rice. I tried to reintroduce her James Wellbeloved food on Sunday morning, but even after the smallest bit in with the chicken and rice, there was blood and mucus in her poo. I put her straight back on the chicken and rice and it cleared up. 

So, we are continuing with that (and with the Royal Canin sensitive tinned stuff that the vet gave me for when I don't have time to prepare chicken and rice!) for a bit and then we're going to discuss what to do on a more long-term basis.

Louise


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

If you want to consider a natural diet, you might like to look at this website that I use;
http://www.naturalinstinct.com
Dylan had blood and mucus in his poo for the first few days, but it cleared up straight away on a raw diet.


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

Thanks Karen - they're a lot cheaper than I imagined them to be. What do you do if, for example, you were going away with Dylan for a week? Do you have alternatives that you can feed him with? Or do you take a freezer box full with you?


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

weez74 said:


> What do you do if, for example, you were going away with Dylan for a week? Do you have alternatives that you can feed him with? Or do you take a freezer box full with you?


Haven't had to do that yet! They are ok once defrosted for about 4 days, so you could take them frozen/semi-frozen in a freezer box.You can also give chicken wings or necks if you want alongside it, but I find that Dylan is not as keen on them. I also give lots of bones to keep him busy if I have to go out, and I give dried liver or liver cake or the jerky from Natural Instinct as training treats.


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

It is intersting - I am going to show the website to my husband when I get home this evening. We discussed it when I saw your other post on it, but both agreed it must be ridiculously expensive!

Sorry for calling you Karen, Helen - I had just read loads of posts quite quickly and I'm very easily confused!


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Don't worry - I answer to anything! 
I don't find the regular puppy mix too expensive, although the premium one is. I buy a few of those to mix in occasionally, but I think I may stop getting that soon. I do find it a very convenient way to feed a barf diet - I used to do it the hard way. Dylan is very happy and healthy on it. I feed him about 4-5% of his weight per day - they say 4-6% for puppies, going down to 2-3% for an adult dog. I give him 3 meals of 120g a day.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

i just goo to the local nackry that provides food for thew zoos etc and get 2 5kg bags for £7 and that does my 4 for just over a week with the odd day missed or only chicken wings for dinner.


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

What is in the bags Kendal?
And what do any other barf feeders give their dogs?


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

minced beef, if im lucky i get a heart from them but not always, got some hart in the fritge i realy need to cut up. ribs from the butchers, chicken wings from the supermarket. 

lol i think i need to start getting them venison as Delta found a dears leg the other day on a walk lol 

i know some people who feed game, eather when they hunt themselves or the by it. 

raw eggs and egg shels, i keep all egg shells we use and dry them out then stick them in an old blender that we dont use anymore and grind them up, when i bag up their food a sprinkle in a teaspoon of eggshell in i also give my girls a multie vitimin and a codliver oil tablet.


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Do you give any fruit or veg?


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

some times, but not every day, aparently veg needs to be cooked for them to digest it properly


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Yes, apparently dogs cannot digest cellulose. My supplier says that they double grind to break the cellulose down sufficiently for the dogs to access the nutrients. They add carrots, apples, butternut squash and spinach plus kelp and salmon oil.


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