I'm worried for Sherlock :'(

Hi! Today, Sherlock and I went to the vet for his 2nd deworming. But before that, we passed by to our cousin who has 2 dogs, a shih tzu (1 year old and asthmatic) and a miniature poodle (2 and a half years old). Its their first time meeting each other so I let them play with each other. After that we went to the vet together, me and Sherlock, and my cousin and her dogs. So, at the vet, they gave Sherlock a deworming tablet and told us that he's under observation for 3 days. The shih tzu had his grooming and deworming and some other shots. The same with my cousin's mini poodle.

After that we went home. But at the car, I already noticed that that Sherlock keeps on having this squeak sound (sounds like my cousin's shih tzu sound when he's having asthma). I don't know if its asthma or the tablet stuck on his throat. So what I did was, first massaged his throat, lightly slapped his back in a human standing position. After that, it stopped for a while but it keeps on coming back after few minutes. After 5 hours, he got warmer (not sure if its fever)

His behavior is normal; he still plays with me, eats food, pees and poos occasionally. But the squeaking sound is coming back occasionally. I went to the vet but it was already closed. I'm going back to the vet tomorrow. What should I do for immediate aid? Should I let him sleep beside me so I could monitor him? I'm scared.      

Try not to panic! If he isn't in any obvious discomfort or pain, he should be alright for you to monitor him for 24 hours. If after 24 hours he hasn't stopped squeaking or he shows signs of discomfort, you could try popping him back to the vets.

I hope you don't think I'm being blasé about it at all, but is it possible that the squeaks may be hiccoughs (hiccups)? Puppies will very often get them.

really? He does it frequently now(like every 5 mins). I'm so scared, I'll probably still go the vet tomorrow since he has worms in his poo, but somewhat your statement relieved me. Thank you so much!

I took a video of his squeak sounds..

Poor little thing! I think hiccoughs are out of the question then, after watching your videos. It's possible that he might be allergic to the de-wormer and it could be causing irritation. I think it's a good idea to take him back tomorrow, just in case - it's better to be safe than sorry!

Do your vets have somebody waiting by the phone after they've shut?

Nope, cos its a small vet and that's the nearest vet in our place. The big vet hospital next to that, which is 24 hours, is about 45 mins away from us. But if they(my vet) can't diagnose it, I'll probably go the bigger vet hospital.

Is there any first aid that I can do for the mean time? Should I go the hospital first? He keeps on doing it now more frequently and he keeps on crying? What to do?

If you're concerned, it might be worth a trip down to the vet hospital - or even a phone call to them to ask for advice.

For allergies, I'd usually recommend an antihistamine, but I'm not sure how that would react to the de-wormer. It does sound like he's getting a bit distressed, so even if it's just to put your own mind at ease, maybe a phone call/trip to the vet hospital could help!

  The important thing is to stay calm! If you're calm, Sherlock will probably feel more at ease.

I called the vet hospital already, and they asked me to bring Sherlock there immediately, because their guess is that the vet used a higher dosage for Sherlock, that is why he keeps on "coughing". But they still need to fully check him for confirmation. So, I'm going there. Thanks for your help.

Good luck!   Let us know how it goes!

Poor Sherlock!

It's a shame that there isn't another vet close to you - the one you're using seems a bit haphazard!

Please do let us know how you get on, we'll be thinking of you both.  

any news on the little fella ??

I hope everything's worked out okay

Doodles, please let us know how Sherlock is.  

Hi! Sherlock's better now. Sherlock's cough lessened. The doctor said it's not because of the deworming tablet but is respiratory tract infection in his right lung. (although the deworming tablet caused changes in his body therefore aggravating his RTI). Sherlock received an injection and the doctor gave Sherlock few medications and vitamins to be taken for 15 days. He told me to observe Sherlock and if this continues until next week, I have to bring Sherlock there again. If not, Sherlock can continue his vaccinations.

Well, for the cause of his RTI, the doctor ruled out the smoke or air quality in our place since we live in a suburb place. He said that most probably is due to the older dogs whom Sherlock played with or the bacteria in Sherlock's things. Right now, Sherlock cannot interact with any other dogs, plus, I disinfected everything. Hopefully, Sherlock gets healthier.

I'm so glad he's on the mend! We were worried about him.

Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know, it must have been very frightening for you.

Doodledoo wrote:Hi! Sherlock's better now. Sherlock's cough lessened. The doctor said it's not because of the deworming tablet but is respiratory tract infection in his right lung. (although the deworming tablet caused changes in his body therefore aggravating his RTI). Sherlock received an injection and the doctor gave Sherlock few medications and vitamins to be taken for 15 days. He told me to observe Sherlock and if this continues until next week, I have to bring Sherlock there again. If not, Sherlock can continue his vaccinations.

Well, for the cause of his RTI, the doctor ruled out the smoke or air quality in our place since we live in a suburb place. He said that most probably is due to the older dogs whom Sherlock played with or the bacteria in Sherlock's things. Right now, Sherlock cannot interact with any other dogs, plus, I disinfected everything. Hopefully, Sherlock gets healthier.

Poor little thing! I'm really glad he's okay!   Thanks for letting us know as well! Give him a big hug from me!

Thank you so much for your concern! I really feel touched by your messages. Here are virtual hugs and kisses coming from Sherlock!  

We're all just so pleased he's ok. Do you have to take him back to the vet hospital or to your own vet?

Don't forget to keep the pics coming - he's so cute!

Doodledoo wrote:Thank you so much for your concern! I really feel touched by your messages. Here are virtual hugs and kisses coming from Sherlock!  

With a dog as adorable as Sherlock, how could we not be concerned?

How is he now?

He's ok now. Coughs are now less frequent. But his meds make him sleepier than usual. I'm going to bring him to the bigger hospital now. I think it's better to bring him to the farther hospital.

It sounds more like they know what they're doing!  

At least you can relax a little bit now.  

Yeah, I think that's a good idea Really glad he's feeling better! I'm sure he'll be back to his normal self soon!

Great to hear that Sherlock is on the road to recovery - well done for acting as fast as you did. Sherlock's got a good mummy!