Hello, I’m wondering if there are any vets or knowledgeable dog people out there who may be able to help. My little rescue jack russell, (approximately 10 but could be older) has been struggling with breathing for around four weeks now. His breathing is shallow and rapid and, in the last few days has become a little wheezy. His only other symptoms are not wanting to go for walks and generally subdued. He has no cough and he is eating. Due to lockdown I had a telephone consultation with the vet who advised an x-ray. However at the appointment the vet said he was not happy to sedate him due to his breathing and the strain on his heart. The vet tried to listen to his heart and said his breathing was so noisey he couldn’t actually hear anything. I should also add that my dog is terrified of the vet which makes a general examination very difficult. The vet (who I really like by the way) decided to treat him for potential heart disease and/or fluid on lungs. None of the medication prescribed has worked to improve his breathing. It’s possible that the Vetmedin which he was prescribed has perked him up slightly. So the situation is now the vet has kept him on Vetmedin along with another drug called Corvental and he also wants to try an antibiotic which we started today. The whole situation is very difficult without an actual diagnosis. I’m just wondering whether anyone has ever been in this situation with their dog and what the outcome was. Thank you for reading this far!
If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.
The doghouse
Any vet can scan, however hearts are difficult so it depends on the quality of your vets equipment and skill level.
All of our staff can do basic scans, looking for fluid around the heart or tumours so your vet may be able to do that but in depth scanning is best left to a pro IMO!
Ah perhaps an X-ray wouldn’t be possible conscious. He could probably be sand bagged to the stable but it would be very stressful for him and it would be risky if he was having resp issues.
If I was you I would go back and have a chat about your options. I think the wait and see boat has sailed for me personally if it were my dog as it’s gone on too long and it seems like it is effecting his quality of life, breathing issues are generally quite distressing for them even minor ones 
I hope you get some answers soon.
Hi Spotty,
I am so sorry to hear about your dog. If it’s any consolation, generally all treatment options for this sort of thing are of a poor prognosis and any improvement is often very short lived... I would have done exactly the same as you.
I am sorry for your loss 
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