Feels like we're watching our dog die

[crowsfeet57]

I posted before Christmas asking if anybody was familiar with chronic allergic rhinitis, but got no replies.

In brief our healthy, playful 6 year old newfoundland developed a runny nose at the beginning of September, just one nostril. We took him to the vet who prescribed antibiotics and it cleared up for a month and then started again. Apart from a runny nose he was his normal self. Our local vets tried looking up his nose while he was sedated, tried other medication, nothing helped the discharge got worse and was often bloody.

The vet recommended a veterinary clinic we took him there, they did a rhinoscopy amd after 4 weeks told us it was chronic, allergic rhinitis. They prescribed medication which made it worse, when we asked for something different they prescribed steroids which briefly helped and for a few days he was on his feet wagging his tail when we went downstairs in the morning.

Now his nose is constantly running from both nostrils, it's often very bloody. He moves like a very old dog, he's not interested in going for walks. It feels like he is slowly dying in front of us. We don't know where to turn. The clinic which has charged thousands for his treatment so far, never ring to see it he is better or worse. We have to chase them all the time. Nobody will tell us what the prognosis is.

We have made an appointment at our vets to see if they can recommend a different place for a third opinion. He is still eating well but other than that he appears to have no quality of life. If anybody has any ideas of what we can do next, please, please let me know.

I'm so sorry to hear that, it must be so difficult to see. Your poor dog, it's awful when there's something wrong and you don't know how to help them.

You are absolutely doing the right thing by asking your vets to refer you somewhere else for a second opinion. Are you in the UK, and if so, whereabouts?

My cat once got a piece of grass stuck up her nasopharynx - where the nasal passages meet the back of the throat. It caused a lot of trouble, pain and distress for her until the problem was identified - bloody discharge from her nose, pink saliva, she was dehydrated because, I presume, it was uncomfortable to drink, and her digestive system became inflamed. This was all over the course of about three days. There was nothing to see during normal examination, but our vet anaesthetised her, had a good look around the back of her throat, and out came a long, bloody piece of grass! She must have been eating it and the firm stem got stuck up there.

She was so much happier once she came round from the anaesthetic. She had to have a antibiotics for a few days but she's had no further problems since then.

I wonder if your dog could have a piece of grass/foreign body stuck in his nasal passages? We were shocked by how much that one blade of grass affected our cat, but inflammation can have effects throughout the body. Perhaps your vet could look for a little grass seed or stem, caught somewhere inconspicuous at the back of your dog's nose. I hope you can solve this problem.

Just to emphasise, I know your dog has had a rhinoscopy, but for our cat the problem was the nasopharynx, so quite far back, almost in the throat...perhaps you could check that this part was also visualised.

I also know somebody whose dog was quite unwell with a fungal infection in his nose - aspergillosis. He had bloody discharge and was very lethargic (but is now fine after treatment).

Thank you for your replies. We are in the UK, in Kent.

We suspected a grass seed or something similar at first, that was what our vet was looking for. When he went to the specialist clinic they did a CT scan as well as the rhinoscopy, but we will check that they looked as far as his throat.

They have ruled out a fungal infection after trying to grow cultures for four weeks.

That sounds horrendous, poor dog and you.

Can you name the clinic? What do they specialise in?
Have you looked at reviews? (are they good).

Any other symptoms?
Does the discharge smell?
Have they carried out an allergy test ?
Have they checked the teeth, liver? Have they carried out a proper full blood scan? (We had an advanced scan, not sure what it was called iro £300 and it showed markers for things our dog may get/anything underlying).
MRI?
nasal tumour
Thrombopathia ?
(Newfoundland Type) is an inherited bleeding disorder affecting Landseer Newfoundlands. Affected dogs have abnormal platelet function.

Can you go to the clinic, without your dog and see the manager and ask them what steps they’re taking?
I think you need to push and complain.

There are meant to be vets on mn so perhaps one will see your post. Hope you get answers.

I would definitely research private/specialist veterinary clinics in your area and check out the reviews. I’m in the north west but there are certainly a few around that don’t have the greatest reputations.

If you find one that looks good, ask for a referral from your vet.

No advice from me, but couldn’t just read without replying. I hope you get some answers soon.

Get your vet to refer you to the Queen Mother animal hospital at Potters Bar , it is an RCVS hospital and excellent . A friends dog went there when he had epilepsy and they were brilliant . ( assuming this isn’t where you’ve already been ) .