Signalment
- Age: 1 years
- Sex: female spayed
- Breed: Husky Mix
- Species: dog
Disease Notes
- Certainty: confirmed
- Final Status: much better as of day 61 of treatment
Treatment and Outcome
Problem Notes
- Coughing Sneezing: March 22/2017: Dog came for second opinion for coughing/gagging issues of a month's duration. The problem seemed to be getting worse, dog's energy was decreased and cough was now productive. Had been treated with amoxi- clav and hycodan with no response. I posted chest X-Rays on VIN, bronchointerstitial pattern seen, and DDX were infectious tracheobronchitis or eosinophile bronchopneumopathy (EB - huskies apparently are predisposed). Dog was placed on trial of doxycycline initially, which produced mild improvement.
Owners brought in sputum sample which confirmed diagnosis of EB. Dog was started on prednisone at 2mg/kg daily for 5 days, then 1mg/kg for 14 days, with gradual reduction every 14 days. Dog did very well initially, but when prednisone was reduced 0.5mg/kg BID, she started coughing again. In July, after 2 attempts to lower the prednisone dose, dog was started on San Ren Tang (Three Seeds Combo by Kan Essentials). Within 3 weeks we saw improvement. By Sept. dog was on 2.5 mg pred EOD.
Treatments
Notes: Dog is doing much better, plan is to try and further decrease prednisone dose, possibly stopping the medication completely and maintaining on herbs
Diet is largely canned or kibble
Notes: Although coughing appears resolved in this dog, she is now scratching and licking at limbs. She is chewing at medial and lateral tarsi, elbows, metatarsophalangeal joints. The skin in axillae and inguinal areas is quite pink, caudal abdomen has dark pigmentation now, owner said pustules were seen previously. Pulse is slippery/wiry, normalizes with pressure on SP points (6, 9, 10). Tongue is pinkish/purple.
Diet is largely canned or kibble