Question Details
Chronic Hacking, Retching In My Older Labradoodle
by DWT - December 5, 2017
Hi Steve. I have discussed this dog with you before but I thought I would run it past you again. This is a dog we adopted several years ago from the pound. She was a mess with lots of allergies, itchy, GI sensitivity with easily upset stomach and bowel. She was put on a wholesome diet and fed raw for the past five years and has done pretty well.

She has had a persistent lip and chin dermatitis that I attribute to a persistent perivulvar yeast infection due to the folds around the vulva. I have tried to treat it topically but it never goes away. She is always licking the area and I believe that it has affected the lip and chin are and moved into the pharyngeal area and nasal passages. She has a persistent hacking, retching cough (wife says it sounds dry), has nasal congestion with mild serous discharge with intense snorting at times. The hacking occurs at any time and sounds like a dog with kennel cough.

She has a tendency to get overweight. Her tongue ranges from lavender pink to pink and sometimes will show some heat patterns. She tends to be damp with some odor to her and she is the worst shedding dog I have ever seen but she only scratches around her chin. Her pulse ranges from deep, easily depressed to normal. She vomits bile on occasion especially if my wife gives her turkey necks.

I have tried SMS, qing ying tang and some Yi Guan Jian for the bilious vomiting. I have tried to stay away from ketoconazole but the wife is insisting that I do something more for her. Thanks.
Replies
by naturevet
December 7, 2017
Hi Dennis,

I would probably start with something like Xiao Chai Hu Tang. We've started to use it in some skin cases, as a sort of high level immune regulator that could help address both the allergies and the persistent infection. It also addresses vomiting and coughing, the occasional stasis and heat you're seeing in the tongue, and the deeper pulse.

That's my best guess at this point. We are using it for the same in our own adopted dog, and I'm pretty sure it will work for you

Steve
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