New to this forum & have sick Frenchies! Please help- all advice appreciated

[lisamarie118]

Hey everyone!!
I am SOOOO grateful to have found this online forum. I paid a vet online last week (just answer.com) because I didn't know this website existed hmy:hmy:

A little about my gremlin family: I got my first French Bulldog in 2008. Growing up my mom bred Sharpei's and we also had Chow-Chows. After getting Gremlin in the summer going in to 9th grade we got Gizzy Goo shortly after in 2010... the rest is history! Currently we have 4 franchise (3 are mine and 1 is my moms) My guys are named Gizzy goo (7) Fred (1 year and 9 months) and Henry (8 months)

Fast forward to May 31st....
my mom scheduled Henry to be neutered 5/31/18 at our local SPCA (now known as Providence Animal Center) in Media, PA. That night Henry came home at 4:30 and threw up around 6 and again at 6:30. I called the SPCA immediately and NO ONE called me back. Later that night he was eating & drinking with no vomiting and seemed fine. A few days later I noticed he had a cough and was reverse sneezing. My vet didn't have any hours available that day but was open for emergency visits which are $95 strictly for bringing them in through emergency and that is without the cost of exams/medications. I brought Henry back to the SPCA the following day (June 8th) and it was a nightmare. They barely checked him out, didn't listen to my concerns, and frankly didn't seem to care at all. They were with him for less than 5 minutes and would not allow me in the room with him which caused me to panic! (I am always in the room with my boys during their visits) Anyhoo, they gave me doxycyline and told me to finish the prescription over the next 10 days. They never gave me a straight answer nor did they give him a diagnosis. All they said to me was that they SPCA is a "kennel" like environment and they wanted to take preventative measures. Henry has still been reverse sneezing & regular sneezing but it has gotten less & less as the days go by. I have noticed Fred & Gizzy Goo sneeze a few times but nothing too crazy.

Heres the problem:
The day Henry got on his medication was the same day my order from chewy.com came. I had just switched to a new brand of food (American Journey) and tried out the salmon & sweet potato. My guys loved it for the first few days then stopped eating it (first time trying a fish based food). Yesterday I bought a small bag of Castor & Pollux Organix sweet potato & chicken to see how they do with chicken. They love it! (so far it's only been a day) I noticed Fred last night sneezing and reverse sneezing the way that Henry has been. He woke us up at 730 A.M. reverse sneezing that turned in to vomiting. He threw up all over my bed, carpet, down the stairs, living room & outside. He has been coughing today also (like a deep cough) but it has seemed to stop. About 2 hours later around 1030 I noticed Gizzy Goo sneezing and reverse sneezing. AH!!!!! I don't know what this is! My first though was kennel cough- which is like the common cold for human beings and can just run its course without the use of antibiotics. The antibiotic Henry was given hasn't done ANYTHING for him & I feel like this virus is just slowly going away on its own.
I scheduled them a vet visit but until then I desperately need some answers from experienced Frenchie owners!
I am not big on modern medicine and try very hard not to give my dogs antibiotics when not absolutely necessary. Antibiotics destroy all the good gut bacteria as well as the bad and I know the damage it has done to me personally over the years.
However, any and all advice/suggestions/thoughts/concerns are GREATLY appreciated!!!!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!
Lisa

 

[2bullymama]

Hello and welcome!

This all sounds like it could be allergies to me... what is in the vomit when it happens? The cough could be kennel cough as I'm sure the SPCA is loaded with dogs that are carrying it and not vaccinated.

I checked the food, it is a 4 star rating on dog food advisor, so I would look to get off chicken protein as that tends to be an issue for a lot of bulldogs (I think it is more how it is processed, not the meat itself).

Reverse sneezing, is usually, in my experience, due to allergies... my guy does it all spring and summer, but rarely in fall/winter. Benedryl twice a day helps lessen the impact -- 1 mg per pound.

 

[FroxerMom]

HI and welcome! I'm sorry to read about what you're experiencing right now. I was thinking kennel cough, as I was reading through, but not sure how the vomiting fits in (could be the new foods) and I don't know what reverse sneezing is!?

I hope your upcoming vet visit gives you the answers you need. Until then, there are really experienced people on here who have helped me with my health questions over the last month or so. Maybe they can chime in...

Good luck!!

 

[Honeys Owners]

Sounds like kennel cough, should usually go away on its own in about 14days, but may progress to pneumonia in young or debilitated dogs, and doxycycline 5 mg/kg twice daily is the antibiotic of choice if vet thinks treatment is required. Other possible antibiotics that could be used include amoxicillin/clavulanic acid or trimethoprim/sulfonamide.

 

[davidh]

The reverse sneezing is from allergies, the cough could be kennel cough, but could also be from allergies. Finding what they are allergic to is hard to do. Try to find a good Frenchie vet and see what hey think. Not every vet is a good Bully or Frenchie vet.

 

[lisamarie118]

Thank you everyone!!
The vet today said Fred has kennel cough and Henry transmitted it to both him & Gizxy Goo after being at the SPCA. They were nice enough to prescribe doxycycline for Gizzy Goo as well (based off a video I took this morning) so now all 3 are on doxy.
I went in to work 2 hours late once we got home and my mom stayed with them. She cooked him some rice and meat and fed him a little at a time. He was throwing up a lot while I was at work. I just went to get my family from my mom and bring them up to bed and Fred threw up all over my room. I called the animal emergency to tell them I was on the way and they told me not to come. They said the throwing up is a part of kennel cough and I have to get him to take the doxy. How do I do that if he’s throwing everything up ?! He looks drugged and my heart breaks for my baby he’s so sick

 

[lisamarie118]

Okay! I remember years ago when I was younger my mom would take our English bulldogs to a bulldog vet. I’ll have to find where that was! Thanks

 

[lisamarie118]

[MENTION=3191]FroxerMom[/MENTION] apparently throwing up is a part of kennel cough which I never knew! A vet years ago told me about reverse sneezing and I never knew it had a name! It’s when dogs sound like they’re choking/gasping for air and breath in heavily through their nose. It’s hard to explain but once you watch a clip you’ll know exactly what it is!!!
Thank you for your response

 

[lisamarie118]

[MENTION=2]2bullymama[/MENTION] the vomit is mostly phlegm and bile. When it all started this morning it was strictly kibble from the night before. I’ve heard of frenchies having chicken allergies and always assumed it was from the GMOs and hormones in the chicken. This is their first time getting a chicken based food. Also none of my frenchies have had allergies (thank God) so I’m not sure.
What do you feed your guys?

 

[FroxerMom]

[MENTION=3191]FroxerMom[/MENTION] apparently throwing up is a part of kennel cough which I never knew! A vet years ago told me about reverse sneezing and I never knew it had a name! It’s when dogs sound like they’re choking/gasping for air and breath in heavily through their nose. It’s hard to explain but once you watch a clip you’ll know exactly what it is!!!
Thank you for your response

Oh ok, my Frenchie has done that twice and my Pug did it often...I just never knew what it was called
Hope the meds clear everything up for your pups quickly!

 

[2bullymama]

@2bullymama the vomit is mostly phlegm and bile. When it all started this morning it was strictly kibble from the night before. I’ve heard of frenchies having chicken allergies and always assumed it was from the GMOs and hormones in the chicken. This is their first time getting a chicken based food. Also none of my frenchies have had allergies (thank God) so I’m not sure.
What do you feed your guys?

For MANY years I feed Fromm Pork and Peas, about 7 months ago I made the switch to raw ue to the level of allergies my Bulldog (Lambeau) has... Cheli has always be great regardless, except mackerel, wow... he scratched 24/7 for a full week till I took him off it. Now, raw fed with a rotation of Tuna, Duck and Turkey.

I order from a place in the Pocono area and it is shipped frozen to my house.

 

[lisamarie118]

[MENTION=2]2bullymama[/MENTION] oh that’s awesome! After my babies get over the kennel cough I wanna make the switch to a raw food diet. How much is it for the local guy to ship to your house? I have something similar around me apparently in Pennsylvania and was thinking of looking in to it! I am personally vegan and don’t think I could stomach making them raw meals with different animals but I want them eating raw eventually!

 

[Honeys Owners]

[MENTION=2]2bullymama[/MENTION] oh that’s awesome! After my babies get over the kennel cough I wanna make the switch to a raw food diet. How much is it for the local guy to ship to your house? I have something similar around me apparently in Pennsylvania and was thinking of looking in to it! I am personally vegan and don’t think I could stomach making them raw meals with different animals but I want them eating raw eventually!

You can always try a dehydrated raw product like Honest Kitchen, Spot Farms, Grandma Lucy's if you can't tolerate frozen raw. It isn't quite as healthy as frozen raw but a lot more convenient.

 

[FroxerMom]

I switched mine to raw (due to suspected allergies) almost a month ago. The folks on here helped me with the transition. Happy to report that ALL of Daphne's health issues have cleared up. I started seeing improvement in only a week. She's tip top now. I'm so happy. I do duck frozen patties and nuggets with raw goat's milk. I am fortunate to have a pet supply store 5 minutes from my house that sells all this. It is very expensive, but like I told my husband, would you rather be running Daph to the vet every other week (we were seriously going every 8 days) and getting meds for issues, or just pay more for food and really only go to the vet (hopefully) once per year for her annual check up?

Good luck - hope the KC is getting better

 

[Cbrugs]

[MENTION=2]2bullymama[/MENTION] oh that’s awesome! After my babies get over the kennel cough I wanna make the switch to a raw food diet. How much is it for the local guy to ship to your house? I have something similar around me apparently in Pennsylvania and was thinking of looking in to it! I am personally vegan and don’t think I could stomach making them raw meals with different animals but I want them eating raw eventually!

Hey...I can relate! I have been a vegetarian forever but my boys eat raw. I switched Jax to raw a few years ago because no kibble was working out and I thought I would have a hard time with it but I really don't because I know it is the best option for them. The only way I will feed it is if it's already ground up. I don't do body parts, I don't want to see it looking like any animal. So I usually get patties or chubs and I just don't think about it. They love it!

 

[lisamarie118]

You can always try a dehydrated raw product like Honest Kitchen, Spot Farms, Grandma Lucy's if you can't tolerate frozen raw. It isn't quite as healthy as frozen raw but a lot more convenient.

I would much rather do frozen raw. I can handle that! I was looking in to making it myself and thats what i can't handle haha!
I ordered a bag of frozen raw off of chewy.com last week before I knew this website existed. I believe it's Tylee's? I mixed a tiny bit in to kibble yesterday but am going to wait to really transition my boys over until they are better.
What are good frozen raw products? Do you use one in particular that you love?
Thanks!!

 

[lisamarie118]

I switched mine to raw (due to suspected allergies) almost a month ago. The folks on here helped me with the transition. Happy to report that ALL of Daphne's health issues have cleared up. I started seeing improvement in only a week. She's tip top now. I'm so happy. I do duck frozen patties and nuggets with raw goat's milk. I am fortunate to have a pet supply store 5 minutes from my house that sells all this. It is very expensive, but like I told my husband, would you rather be running Daph to the vet every other week (we were seriously going every 8 days) and getting meds for issues, or just pay more for food and really only go to the vet (hopefully) once per year for her annual check up?

Good luck - hope the KC is getting better

[MENTION=3191]FroxerMom[/MENTION] aw yay I love hearing that about Daphne's allergies going away and that's she's doing so much better in such a SHORT amount of time! that gives me so much hope I agree completely with what you said to your husband- it's so much better for us as parents to take care of them at home & feed them well because what's the alternative?? Have them going to the vet constantly put on different drugs/medications which weakens their immune system and may make other problems worse? no thanks!
I moved back in to my mom's house about 2 years ago and it's been difficult to get her on board with all of this. She actually thinks I'm crazy when I talk to her about it! I'm 24 and transitioned my boys over to Organix Castor & Pollock a week or so ago and they love it. I told her I am going to wean them off kibble to raw and she thinks I'm out of my mind. I can afford to do so if I cut back on other stupid expenses and my dogs mean the world to me so it's worth it!!

As for the kennel cough it's been a nightmare. I really had to baby Fred yesterday- I fed him slowly by hand and gave him tiny amounts of water at a time to prevent him from vomiting everything up. He did well from about 8AM until 3PM when my mom came home and fed him God knows what and he started reverse sneezing/gaging/ then vomiting. This went on for hours until his belly settled and I waited to feed him until around 8:30. He was fine from then until about 2AM when he threw up all over my bed and continued on his vomiting fit until about 3AM. I can't believe this is KC!!! My other two boys were never throwing up like this! It's actually heart wrenching and I feel so powerless watching him suffer.
My moms immediate response is to bring him through the emergency vet but everytime they tell us no this is normal kennel cough (and from what I've been reading they're right!)

anyhoo! how was your transition to raw [MENTION=3191]FroxerMom[/MENTION] ? what did you start with and what do you feed now? I have 3 boys to feed all different ages

 

[lisamarie118]

Hey...I can relate! I have been a vegetarian forever but my boys eat raw. I switched Jax to raw a few years ago because no kibble was working out and I thought I would have a hard time with it but I really don't because I know it is the best option for them. The only way I will feed it is if it's already ground up. I don't do body parts, I don't want to see it looking like any animal. So I usually get patties or chubs and I just don't think about it. They love it!

[MENTION=188]Cbrugs[/MENTION] hahaha I'm so happy you can relate!! When I first started looking in to raw feeding (last week) I decided to look up DIY. When I started reading about animal hearts, livers, bones, etc. I almost threw up and immediately exited out of everything I had opened up on my phone!
What are you feeding currently? I would much rather get frozen raw premade food & not think about it like you said!

how long have you been a vet for? is it true vets don't get much schooling on nutrition of dogs? and how was your transition to raw? thank you for responding to my post

 

[Cbrugs]

[MENTION=188]Cbrugs[/MENTION] hahaha I'm so happy you can relate!! When I first started looking in to raw feeding (last week) I decided to look up DIY. When I started reading about animal hearts, livers, bones, etc. I almost threw up and immediately exited out of everything I had opened up on my phone!
What are you feeding currently? I would much rather get frozen raw premade food & not think about it like you said!

how long have you been a vet for? is it true vets don't get much schooling on nutrition of dogs? and how was your transition to raw? thank you for responding to my post

I was looking online when I first started feeding raw at a website where you can order frozen raw and I clicked on a page where you could buy duck heads and rabbit feet and all kinds of nasty things and there were pictures! I was mortified and closed out of it so quickly hahahahaha.

I use a few different brands, Vital Essentials, Tucker's, Primal, Nature's Variety. A couple other brands are Steve's and Stella & Chewy's. Answers is another good one. And you wouldn't even know at one point these patties were animals!

Oh, I am not a vet. But a lot of vets do not study nutrition and don't understand. Thankfully my vet doesn't care that I feed raw.

I had no problems when I transitioned my guys. Jax went cold turkey, from kibble one day to raw the next and never had any issues. Louie, my bulldog, still gets kibble the am but raw in the pm but it's more a cost issue with him cause he eats so much. At some point I would like to switch him to 100% raw.

 

[Frenchie Grrrl]

I'm a member of a raw feeding FB group and there are a surprising amount of vegan and vegetarians that feed raw to their dogs and cats. I just think that shows true love and I'm kind of amazed by it. I'm sure it will take some getting used to, and you may never get to the DIY point, but if money isn't too much of an issue, that's ok. Something that's frozen into little nibs or chunks might be easiest to start with because it doesn't look so much like raw meat.

If you are open to homeopathy to treat kennel cough, you might want to see if you can get a hold of some homeopathic nosodes for kennel cough. I read this study one time and it seemed really effective in significantly shortening the length and severity of the virus. Many do phone consults. Just a thought.