| 0615Singapore King Charles
Spaniel coughing, pet health and welfare educational for animal lovers, excerpts from The Glamorous Vets,
Singapore, sponsored by AsiaHomes Internet.
Last Updated: 12 November, 2001 The Spaniel coughs softly  "What's the main complaint?" I
asked. This handsome looking King Charles Spaniel of 8 months old looked all right.
He was a bit thin but he was eating. At this age, most vaccinated dogs do not have
viral coughing problems. He would not have kennel cough as he was not in a boarding
kennel.As if on cue, the dog coughed softly and once only. Nothing was coughed up. Most dogs don't cough at the veterinarian's consultation room. "This is the main complaint, " said Mr Stokes. "He coughs every day for the last few weeks. What's wrong with him?" The dog had been vaccinated three times and had not encountered any other dogs for the past one month. His rectal temperature was normal. I auscultated the heart and the sounds were normal. I put the stethoscope on both sides of the chest. The lung sounds were absent. Absolutely silent lungs and therefore no signs of pneumonia. I palpated the length of the windpipe from the mouth down the neck and gave it a squeeze. The dog coughed. Nothing was coughed up. What could be the cause of this persistent cough which had irritated the whole length of the wind pipe or trachea? I palpated the stomach and intestines. Full of bubbles of gas. No abdominal pain though. He struggled to keep his mouth shut as I tried to examine his mouth. The dog's mouth was not infected. So what caused his wind pipe to be infected and inflamed? "Did he bite wood?" I asked. The unusual amount of gas inside his intestines could indicate foreign bodies like newspapers, bits of wood and shoes being chewed, a life styles of young dogs. "Yes," said Mr Stokes. "I bought an anti-bite spray for the wood and even wrap up the legs of the chairs and table of the living room but he still chews them." "He must have inhaled, over several weeks, the chemicals from the spray and also the wooden splinters into his wind pipe, irritating it," I said. Anti-tick chemicals were also applied on his coat. "His eyes are red," said Mr Stokes. It was possible that chemicals might have fallen on his eyes too causing irritation of the conjunctival membranes. "Did he shake his head many times too?" I asked.  Mr Stokes said yes. There was some
wax deep inside the canal. The dog screamed when I palpated both ear canals, as if there
was pain. The pet shop dealer had advised only cleaning of the opening of the
vertical canal but not inside the ear. Much grooming maintenance and training will be needed for ears of Spaniels. If possible, do not let water or shampoo get inside the ears. The dog was treated and would be reviewed in 10 days' time, if necessary. The owner would clean the inside of the ear canals too. Definitely, no more chewing of his favourite sofa set. Could wood chewing be a compulsive disorder of young dogs, just as nail biting can be a compulsive disorder in people? How to stop dogs chewing off the house furniture is a major problem for pet lovers. |