# HELP PLEASE!!! Storm keeps dry heaving



## Karen519

*Alice*

Alice

So sorry to hear about Storm. So he is eating and drinking?
Is he ancy or pacing?
First thing I thought of was bloat. I don't think it is if he ate and drank and his gums are o.k., but I wouldn't take any chances!!
*I would call the vet right away and get Storm in to see them.*

DID STORM EAT AND DRINK AND DO HIS BUSINESS TODAY?


----------



## janine

Sorry...I hope Storm is ok. Did you try to look down his throat with a flashlight? Maybe he got hold of a stick or something that scratched his throat? If he doesn't seem 100% I would call your vet this morning.


----------



## CAGK71

*Morning Karen!*



Karen519 said:


> Alice
> 
> So sorry to hear about Storm. So he is eating and drinking?
> Is he ancy or pacing?
> First thing I thought of was bloat. I don't think it is if he ate and drank and his gums are o.k., but I wouldn't take any chances!!
> *I would call the vet right away and get Storm in to see them.*


I did call the emergency animal hospital and they said its hard to determine but did say that since he's still eating, drinking that it might be something stuck in his throat that he's trying to clear but hard to say without seeing him. I told hubby that maybe we should take him to the hospital but he thinks we should wait (he's worried about the cost) and go to the regular vet when it opens if Storm is still dry heaving.

Since I can't sleep, I'm going to keep watch and if it looks like Storm is antsy or pacing and gets worse, I'm definitely taking him to the hospital.

So far he seems totally normal except for the dry heaving.


----------



## CAGK71

janine said:


> Sorry...I hope Storm is ok. Did you try to look down his throat with a flashlight? Maybe he got hold of a stick or something that scratched his throat? If he doesn't seem 100% I would call your vet this morning.


I haven't done that so thanks for the advise. He's sleeping quite peacefully right now so I'd hate to wake him but if he starts dry heaving again, I'll check and see.


----------



## Karen519

*Alice*

Alice

Has Storm eaten and drank this morning?
I would keep a VERY CLOSE eye on him and if he is looking exhausted-trying to lay down, or antsy and pacing-either or, get him there immediately.
Bloat will kill-just trying to caution you.

Yes, I would try to look in his throat, too, if you can.


----------



## amy22

Hows Storm doing? Hope all is well.


----------



## Karen519

*Alice*

Alice

Just checking in on Storm.


----------



## Muddypaws

Just read this thread.

To answer your first question, yes, dogs can have hair balls. Darby has coughed up two in his four years. Two of the biggest hair balls I have ever seen.

Definitely call your vet this morning and take him in to make sure he doesn't have something stuck. Dry heaving can dehydrate him so make sure he has plenty of water. If he is drinking, eating, peeing and pooping I don't think he has bloated but don't take a chance, get him in this is not normal.

Best wishes.

v


----------



## Megora

Dry heaves can also be something as harmless as kennel cough....


----------



## Chelseanr

Aye as the above poster said! I thought Rowan was dry heaving when he had kennel cough, they sound similar in my opinion. And he did throw up some water a few times just from heaving so hard. Still would say go to a vet obviously :] Kennel cough sucks but at least it's nothing serious.


----------



## C's Mom

I hope Storm is feeling better this morning.


----------



## Maxs Mom

Megora said:


> Dry heaves can also be something as harmless as kennel cough....


I was going to say it could be kennel cough. When my lab got it she was coughing so hard it was dry heaving, sometimes something came up (bile etc) she was miserable. Try to get into your vet, if it is KC you can get some antibiotics, and OTC robitussin to help ease Storm's distress. It took 24-48 hours on meds before Belle got relief. It was a rough couple days for us. 

The fact he is still eating is a good sign, could be kennel cough.


----------



## ladyhawk

Kennel cough was my first thought too.


----------



## CAGK71

Storm never woke up after the 3:30am episode and I finally fell asleep at around 4:30am so I am a zombie today at work.

This morning, Storm didn't dry heave but did cough a couple of times, he went pee and poo, ate his breakfast and drank. I called his vet this morning and she said that as long as he's eating, drinking, toileting it is a good sign.

The vet office also mentioned kennel cough and I can't figure out how he would have gotten it since we don't have any friends with dogs and when we take him to the park, he doesn't really seem that interested in other dogs.

I hope its nothing serious and have told my nanny to call me ASAP if he seems to be in distress or have more dry heaving. I work 10 mins from home so I can take him to the vet if he gets worse.

What is KC exactly? Is it a cold of sorts?


----------



## Maxs Mom

Kennel cough is a bad doggy cold. It is HIGHLY contagious, and easily spread. In fact it is the one thing that can be transferred inter species. Humans can get it from a dog and vice versa. If a dog at the park has been exposed, it could pass it to your dog. Even if your dog has been vaccinated. It is not a pure vaccine, and if you vaccinate for type "A" (example don't know the types) and your dog is exposed to "B" you can still get it. Belle was vaccinated, and got a pretty bad case. The vaccine is like the flu vaccine people get not a guarantee, just if you get the infliction it should not be as bad. 

Dogs are contagious for 10 days I believe, and can transfer by proximity. We had to keep Belle away from our fence in our yard is surrounded by dogs, we also alerted all our neighbors. However my other dog who was exposed with Belle did not get it.... go figure. 

Most kennels require a bordetella vaccine before allowing a dog to stay. That is the kennel cough vaccine. My dog was exposed at a doggy fun day event at a BIG open park. Several other dogs at the same event came down with it.


----------



## Karen519

*Alice*

Yes, have your Nanny watch Storm and take Storm to vet right away if anymore coughing, dry heaving, etc.

Kennel cough is easily spread-I think it is possible he could have gotten it at dog park.


----------



## Megora

Be aware that with kennel cough (early signs) it is usually worse at night. So your dog might be OK through the day today and just coughing if he gets overexcited (when he welcomes you home), but then he might be retching again tonight. 

When our guy got KC last fall, I swear he caught it from our cat who had been coughing and retching the week before him.


----------



## CAGK71

Maxs Mom said:


> Kennel cough is a bad doggy cold. It is HIGHLY contagious, and easily spread. In fact it is the one thing that can be transferred inter species. Humans can get it from a dog and vice versa. If a dog at the park has been exposed, it could pass it to your dog. Even if your dog has been vaccinated. It is not a pure vaccine, and if you vaccinate for type "A" (example don't know the types) and your dog is exposed to "B" you can still get it. Belle was vaccinated, and got a pretty bad case. The vaccine is like the flu vaccine people get not a guarantee, just if you get the infliction it should not be as bad.
> 
> Dogs are contagious for 10 days I believe, and can transfer by proximity. We had to keep Belle away from our fence in our yard is surrounded by dogs, we also alerted all our neighbors. However my other dog who was exposed with Belle did not get it.... go figure.
> 
> Most kennels require a bordetella vaccine before allowing a dog to stay. That is the kennel cough vaccine. My dog was exposed at a doggy fun day event at a BIG open park. Several other dogs at the same event came down with it.


If its passed inter species, could he have gotten it from Gabe or Kobe? Gabe has been coughing (usually at night) for about 10 days but fine in the morning. The boys are constantly in his face, crawling all over him. Is that a possibility that Storm caught it from them? :doh: Trust Storm not to get it from dogs but humans! He's such a people dog that it wouldn't be a shocker!


----------



## Chelseanr

Another way to tell is if you pull on his collar and he "heaves" it's likely kennel cough. I don't know if humans can pass it to dogs, but when I was reading up on it it's usually spread between dogs and immunocompromised/immunosuppresed humans such as those with HIV or undergoing chemo so it's unlikely he caught it from your son.

Even if it is KC I would still take him to the vet, we waited a week before taking Rowan on advise of my vet and he was just miserable. He had a runny nose and that awful hack for almost 3 weeks even after getting antibiotics. Something that seemed to make him more comfortable was a bit of warm water with about a teaspoon of honey in it - just enough for a few mouthfuls. He loved that "medicine".


----------



## Merlins mom

Maxs Mom said:


> Kennel cough is a bad doggy cold. It is HIGHLY contagious, and easily spread. In fact it is the one thing that can be transferred inter species. Humans can get it from a dog and vice versa. If a dog at the park has been exposed, it could pass it to your dog.


This is interesting as my vet told me that dogs cannot pass this to humans, nor humans to dogs. Did your vet tell you this?


----------



## Karen519

*Alice*

Alice

Checking in on Storm.


----------



## Chelseanr

Merlins mom said:


> This is interesting as my vet told me that dogs cannot pass this to humans, nor humans to dogs. Did your vet tell you this?



Here's where I saw it : 
Kennel Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis) in Dogs

"Human health risk 
Until recently, infectious tracheobronchitis was considered to not be a human health risk. Recently however, research indicates that _Bordetella bronchiseptica_ may cause disease in some humans, primarily those with compromised immune systems. In normal, healthy adults there does not appear to be a risk, but young children and immunocompromised individuals should take precautions against coming into contact with animals that have symptoms of tracheobronchitis."


----------



## momtoMax

Sorry to see that Storm was scaring you - it's so hard when they get sick. I hope he's much better today. Mental hugs from us - doggy nuzzles from Max.


----------



## LincolnsMom

How is storm doing?


----------



## LDGrillo

my dog does that after she's been playing with a toy that has stuffing it. little remnants of the stuffing will get in her throat, but it will come out later with the help of a cough and her tongue action.


----------



## Maxs Mom

Merlins mom said:


> This is interesting as my vet told me that dogs cannot pass this to humans, nor humans to dogs. Did your vet tell you this?


Yes a vet told me this. I think I heard about a case once too. I don't know the clinical term for kennel cough but perhaps it is a whatever (virus, bacteria) that is in both humans and dogs. 

I heard ONLY kennel cough is contagious inter species. Nothing else.


----------



## Karen519

*Storm*

Alice

How is Storm doing?


----------



## Merlins mom

Hope Storm is doing okay!

Thanks for the link Chelseanr!


----------



## CAGK71

Hi all,

Storm has not coughed once since late yesterday, evening and this morning. He is completely back to normal. It was so odd. I guess he did have something in his throat that he was trying to clear???

Thank you for all the help and totally appreciate it!


----------



## Jax's Mom

Glad to hear it!


----------



## Chelseanr

Sweetally said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Storm has not coughed once since late yesterday, evening and this morning. He is completely back to normal. It was so odd. I guess he did have something in his throat that he was trying to clear???
> 
> Thank you for all the help and totally appreciate it!



Glad to hear! Kennel cough although not serious is rather crappy for the poor pup so I'm happy he doesn't have it :] 

Merlin's Mom - Np :] I thought it was interesting and made mental note of it since I was specifically checking to see if my cats could catch it.


----------



## Katie and Paddy's Mum

Sorry, am just catching this thread now!! I am so happy he seems to be better!
As you said, it was likely something in his throat. Some good advice I got from another forum member, Ranger, was to give bread if they seem to have something in their throat. It is supposed to help it clear! You can file that away in case something like that ever happens again (hopefully not!!)

I am just so happy for the positive outcome!!
Kim


----------



## Karen519

*Alice*

Alice

So HAPPY that Storm is alright!!!!!!!


----------

