[Glen]

Glen, a 15 year old Basset Hound, exhibits difficulty breathing when excited. Is there anything we can do about it?

 

[Guest]

See your vet and ask if there might be medication available to help. There can be so many reasons for his difficulty and, really, only a qualified professional should make the call. Good Luck and please keep us posted.

 

[Glen]

Going to a vet with a basset hound this age, they would find lots of things which should either be removed - like little lumps etc. - or should be treated with have drugs. We started giving Glen Vitamins (Glucosamine & Chondroitin) and after a week he was moving around like a young dog again. We think there should be a vitamin which would help him with his breathing problem. It must be his old heart. Any suggestions? Thank you!

 

[Barbara Winters]

I know bassets sometimes show signs of laryngeal paralysis as they get older such as difficulty breathing. Can't be cured but not letting the dog get excited, steroids, sedative, antihistamines can help.

A lot of older dogs get congestive heart failure and have difficulty breathing. Medicine can be given to help the dog breathe easier.

I know my vet wouldn't suggest a lumpectomy on a 15 year old basset and would do whatever she could to make my dog comfortable. If you don't trust your vet to do that, find someone else.

I don't think vitamins are going to help but then none of us here are qualified to diagnose or suggest treatment.

So my suggestion is see a veterinarian-it must be scary for Glen when he's having difficulty breathing.

 

[Basset Momma]

Our Abby is considered old for her breed. She has always had some problems breathing but they have worsened with age. She also has several lumps scattered all over. We took her to the vet recently and was advised just to watch the lumps for now- that surgery is too risky at her age. For now we are not medicating for her breathing - was told because it's related to her age- however- congestive heart failure is something to watch for... and it medicates easily. We lost an old golden retriever to this but the medicine helped for a long while (and not too expensive). I would definitely recommend a trip to a vet you trust. There might be some form of complementary treatment to help -but not unless you know what the problem is. It is hard to watch a pet suffocate from drowning in their own secretions

 

[Soundtrack]

Going to a vet with a basset hound this age, they would find lots of things which ... should be treated with have drugs.

If Glen has a condition which would be fixed or made more comfortable with drugs, why would you not want to do this?

 

[Aruuuu]

Very well stated, Miriam! Vitamins are helpful for some things, but this doesn't sound like it will be helped with OTC supplements. Please get Glen to a vet ASAP. It will be worth the money to get him the help he needs....