Scared, something wrong with Tommy

[K9soul]

Tommy just started gasping and going crazy licking the floor and then gagging and dry heaving and foam around his mouth. I just got off the phone with the vet who thinks he got bit by a spider or something having a reaction to. I'm supposed to see if he gets any better in the next 20 mins before I take him in for emergency visit.

I'm really frightened, anyone who is here at the moment please say a prayer for him.

[Dogz]

Oh no. :(

We will be praying for Tommy. I hope he will be alright. :( Please keep us updated, Jess!

[[hugs]]

[Dixie Belle]

Been there. Belle got stung on the tounge by a wasp one time. Keep an eye on him. Make sure his tounge ins't swollen. If it is, screw the 20 mins. and call them back.

[MariaM]

Aww poor Puppy. I will pray for him and Thror right now!

[primabella]

Oh no :( Sending some some good thoughts Tommy's way. I hope he's alright!

[Tonya]

I'll be praying for him. Keep us posted.:(

[Holly's mom]

Oh, I'm so sorry, poor Tommy! I hope he's ok and its nothing serious. Please keep us updated.

[K9soul]

I found a red swollen place on his bottom gum. I think it is a bite or sting of some kind. I think the gasping is a little better, but I keep holding and stroking him and that calms him down. The vet said it wouldn't hurt to give him 100mg of Benadryl.

Thanks for the prayers.. will post again in a bit if he improves more. If not I've probably taken him in.

[Dog1,Cats2]

Be sure it's ONLY benadryl - no other ingredients!!! I almost killed my Sascha giving her what I take (which includes nasal decongentant and pain reliever -- both of which are TOXIC)

Ended up having to have her stomach pumped!!

[popcornbird]

Oh no! :( *praying for Tommy*

Keep us updated!

[catnapper]

Nicki's allergic to bug bites, and I have given her Benadryl on occasion after a bug bite - it does work, but give it time.

Poor Tommy, I hope he feels better soon. Nasty bug. :(

[K9soul]

He got better, the gasping/gagging was almost totally gone, but then he got up and walked around a bit and it started back up again. I gave him Benadryl, only ingredient listed is Diphenhydramine HCI.

The vet's office is closed so I want to be sure it's something that requires vet care before making him drive back in to the office, but it has been an hour now and he is still licking the floor or anything around him and seems distressed, sometimes he gags and coughs, but he will still accept water or a liver treat.

There is no swelling at all that I can see anywhere. I've called back once and he suggested giving the Benadryl just a few more minutes, but I'm going to take him in if it doesn't let up in the next 10 minutes. I just wish David were here to help me with all of this. :(

[Cincy'sMom]

Hope Tommy is feeling better soon. It always seems they get sick when you are alone.

Cincy licks furiously when her tummy is upset. Usually when she does this, she throws up, gets everything out, and within an hour or so she is fine.

Keep us posted, when you can.

[DogLover9501]

I hope Tommy feels better soon :(

[Cookiebaker]

OH NO!! :eek: Dear Tommy, I hope you will be OK soon. How very scary! But you have the bestest Mom, and I just know she will take very good care of you!

{HUGS}

[K9soul]

Well the gasping seems almost gone again. David is home now and Tommy was his usual excited/elated self when he walked in the door. He's still licking his nose/lips fairly frequently, but the gasping is what alarmed me the most and that seems gone now.

I'm going to keep him quiet and keep watching him for now. He's drinking normally so I know he's in no danger of dehydration or anything. He hasn't had any vomiting and he doesn't have a temperature.

Thanks so much for keeping him in your thoughts. It's always so distressing when something is wrong with one of them. I worry myself to exhaustion.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

I just about died when I was reading this! :eek:
Poor Tommy! I'm glad to hear he's feeling better...don't scare us like that, boy! {{HUGS}}

[Dogz]

I am glad that he is feeling a bit better. Thank you for keeping us updated.

Give Tommy extra hugs from us all.

[dukedogsmom]

Sorry I just now saw this. Hope Tommy is doing ok now. I would have been very scared.

[K9soul]

Well just one last update unless things change. He seems totally ok now. Even the licking has stopped. He just seems tired now. I think I know how he feels in that regard.

I truly appreciate everyone's concern, support and reassurance. I was really a wreck, so worried. I stuttered and stammered on the phone with the vet like an idiot :p.

I'm just so glad he's ok.

[tatsxxx11]

Oh my God, Jessica:( I nearly had a heart attack when I read your post:( What a frightening experience. Thank goodness he's doing much better now. PLEASE, keep us updated when you're able. And please give Tommy a big hug for me. I cried when I read how he was acting. {{{HUGS}}} Love, Sandra

[Holly's mom]

What a relief! I am so glad Tommy is doing better. Hugs to him and his mommy.

[Karen]

If it was an allergic reation to a sting, expect him to be very tired. There's nothing more exhausting than having your immune system go on full alert, then beating it back down. I sleep for hours aftr that sort of episode.

[slleipnir]

Glad to hear he's doing better :)

[Kfamr]

Oh dear! I just saw this.
What a scare. Tommy, don't ever do that again!

I'm glad he's doing better now, and hope it stays that way!

Give him a hug from me and my two. :D

(don't forget to give my Tasha girl one too. :p )

[K9soul]

Tommy was doing ok, sleeping peacefully, until about 30 minutes ago. He started gagging and gasping again, but not as severe as earlier, and then it seems to stop for awhile and then start up again for a couple minutes.

David is wondering if he could have asthma.. we have heard him breathe a bit funny before but it always only lasted a few seconds and didn't happen often. I mentioned the reddish spot on his gum but he pointed out that could be a little scrape from chewing/carrying those big logs around too.

I am going to call the vet again tomorrow.

[shais_mom]

Poor Tommy!!!
I hope you start feeling better asap!!
Praying that he has a good nite.

[wolf_Q]

Oh poor Tommy!! I would be worried sick too! I hope everything is ok with him!

[tatsxxx11]

Oh Tommy:( I know you're anxious to get him to the vet Jess. Please let us know what she/he says you get back. The symptoms are so mystifiying:confused: My kitty Mr. B has asthma but the sypmtoms are not the same; probably not the same in doggies. Prayers, hugs and positive thoughts being sent your way dear Tommy.

[Logan]

Jessica, I am so sorry that I am just seeing this. Please keep us posted on Tommy's condition. I do hope that whatever it is will be gone quickly and he will be back to normal!! He (and you) will be in our prayers.

Logan

[cloverfdx]

Sorry to hear Tommy is not feeling well, i will keep him in my thoughts and prayers tonight.

Get well soon sweety.

[K9soul]

Monday morning update on Tommy:

He slept through the night without any problems. I kept him near me so that I would wake up/hear if he huffed or hacked any. David said he ate normally and acted perfectly normal when he fed him and took him out. Now that I'm rested, and thinking back on his symptoms last night, they were a bit different from the afternoon episode. The afternoon episode, his symptoms seemed to be struggling with inspiration (which is why it frightened me so bad). But last night, it was kind of a huffing/coughing more on expiration at times. So I'm wondering now if his throat might not have been irritated from the afternoon episode..

Thinking about it, he was licking the floor a lot in the first episode, and could have gotten dust/hair/debris in his throat.

The asthma guess was really a total shot in the dark. I'm doubting it is that. I guess after awhile, one starts wondering so much about everything you can think of. I can't believe how exhausted and spent I felt last night! My head was just pounding.

I just spoke with the vet on the phone after giving him a little at-home physical. His heart rate and temperature are normal and he's acting normal in every other way, so I'm going back on observation but if he shows any sign of any abnormality today, he goes in right then. Dr. Nielson said to just bring him on in at the first sign of anything worrisome. Since I don't have to be out of the house any and can be with him all day, I feel most comfortable with that. I'd rather have him here to watch than to send him there for them to watch, he would be so stressed and unhappy there.

I do really respect and trust my vet, as he has treated all my dogs including Cody and Willie and I have always felt he did a wonderful job with them.

Thanks again for all the concern!

[Dot]

If Tommy chews on sticks, as you mentioned, maybe he had a small splinter crossways in his esophagus, which could have still allowed food and water to get past. If that was the case, he would have continued coughing, licking and even trying to eat grass to dislodge it. In time, a splinter would hopefully soften enough to bend and go on down, carried along with his food.

Just a idea that this might be what happened to Tommy. I hope he is okay now!

[K9soul]

Dot, that is a possibility although when he chews them he spits out the pieces, still one could have gone down, although that morning he hadn't chewed any, he just carried one around while he was out.

The thing that puzzles me so much about it is he had been sleeping in the hallway for a few hours and it just started suddenly. He hadn't been out for awhile, hadn't eaten anything recently, hadn't been chewing anything for at least a couple of hours.

Dr. Nielson still seems to believe it was an allergic reaction to something.

We may never really know I guess. I just hope it stays away, and doesn't happen again. :(

[ParNone]

hi k9soul!

boy that all sounded scary. glad to hear he's doing better. hopefully it was just an allergic reaction to something and he doesn't come into contact with it again.

Par...

[Miss Meow]

I'm sorry to hear that Tommy's unwell. Hope he gets better soon. It's so scary when these things happen {{{hugs}}}