Need advice for my 12 year old shih-tzu who has breathing problems.

[henslee]

She's a miniature (7 1/2 lbs). She seems okay during the day but at night, she wheezes and gasps for air and has a hard time sleeping. I run a vaporizor and a humidifier for her at night and am getting an air purifier. Vet has me giving her Theolate liquid 2x a day and Biaxin 2x a day. She's had all sorts of tests. The ones that came back don't seem abnormal. He thinks its allergies but the room has nothing allergic in it. I am in the NE and the humid weather is defintitley a factor. The apt. is air conditioned. Any ideas anyone?

[Raven]

1. Oh dear! Could it be something she eats or chews at night

before bed? Sometimes food or those rawhide chews can cause that...especially with an older dog.

[henslee]

2. Good thought, Raven but no. She is 100% monitored. And right now

she is too weak from being up all night to chew a toy or really play around. boo-hoo.

[eleny]

3. Perhaps a dehumidifier would help?

I was born and raised in the NE and my folks kept a dehumidifier going. It helped to keep down the molds and mildews I was allergic to. Just a thought. Sorry about your dilema.

[RhodaGrits]

4. If your local vet has done a thorough workup and she's

not doing well, ask the vet to give you a referral for a second opinion from a specialist. Most veterinarians will have no problem with this. And if nothing else, it will alert the vet that you are very concerned and need more help getting her as comfortable as possible. (If there is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease it can be tough to manage.)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. Get her back x-rayed

Spondylosis is a problem with Shih-tzus and the breathing problem may be her struggling because of back pain as she is lying down.

[henslee]

6. thanks y'all for the tips. I will act on them.