Westie hyperventilating?? Pls help...

Harrie123

Harrie123

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I have a Westie and he sometime sounds like his is hyperventilating, occasionally when he gets excited he does it. It actually sounds like he has something stuck up his nose. He has done it since he was a puppy but he doesn't do it that often and it never lasts long so we have never worried about it.

He is now 5, and the other day he had a really bad attack (if that's what you would call it) he did it all day, it was as if he couldn't stop it. Took him to the vets. At first they thought it was something to do with his soft pallet?? But then when the vet heard it he said it wasn't that. Vet gave him some antibiotics and said come back in 3 days we will give him a GA and x ray up his nose.

I was not at all keep on how quick the vet was to suggest GA, I have always thought it dangerous. Anyway he improved. we cancelled the GA and vet gave him another shot of antibiotics. He has been OK since.

Has anyone else had anything like this before? What happened? did you find out what it was? I don't really want to put him through a GA just for the sake of it.
 
Yes my lab was doing it last year I had a rant on here about it. The vets I had recently joined said if it doesn't improve you will have to take her to our Derby surgery blah, blah :eek: I wanted something doing then so said forget it I'll take her back to her old vets (they have a vet hospital not just a surgery near) Rang then took her in and they said well it's probably nothing I asked if they could check up her nose and throat and they said they didn't have a small enough scope thing so I asked them to flush her nasal passages they said OK but doubt it will do any good. Not had the problem since. But it was scary:(
 
GA is standard for x-rays, I would if he was mine be having him x-rayed, it's a straightforward procedure and tbh the risks aren't that high..
 
canine malignant hyperthermia - try to avoid the dog getting too excited or running too much does carry the risk of death - similar to overheating in car
 
Amazing beeswax to make a diagnosis over the internet...
I would have said more likely to possibly be a tracheal issue, given the size of his dog, or a nasal passage blockage. Something that requires an x-ray to show up, but that's just me.
 
or possibly just reverse sneezing - sharp intakes of breath through the nose - usually due to irritated nasal passages or pharynx
 
Our yorkies used do this when they get over excited , my daughters 3yr old one does it also, its something that has never worried me, mind they didnt have the hacking cough afterwards with it.
 
Hard to tell from just a written description but does sound a bit like reverse sneezing. If your vet still wants to x ray ask him if he can do it under sedative rather than a GA.
 
Yes beeswax is quite a clever person, actually my dog does the same thing so therefore i have a good idea what it is from experience, was just offering an opinion - isnt that what forums are all about - or is it just the likes of you who can give opinions.
 
My Border Terrier hyperventilates if the house is too warm, he prefers an ice cold house. He'd be much happier outside if his companion, the old girl, could tolerate the freezing temperatures. Mind you, saves a bit on the heating :)
 
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