wheezy dog

[Chili]

My 10 year old german shorthaired pointer has gotten more and more sensitive to the cold over the years. This morning she was wheezing like Ive heard her do in the past on cold mornings. Is there anything I can do (i put her bed close to a space heater to keep her warm... she doesnt like the cold at all) and is this a sign of a real problem? She doesnt seem to mind it but not sure if its a symptom of something else

[davet]

without her chest being listened to, it is impossible to know if this is a problem...i would get her checked out soo to see what is the internal cause...you also, with the cold weather aproaching get a room humidifier to give som releif...if she gets real bad wheexing, might be good to take her into the bathroom and turn the shower on and let her get releif from the steam...but she should be looked at..i think by the space heater might aggravagt3es the situation because of the dryness of the aoi--air

[k9Karen]

I agree with davet, it's best to get her checked ASAP. If this were a human, I'd suspect asthma, which is often brought on by cold weather, but I don't know if the same or a similar condition exists in dogs. Whatever it is, there may be something that can be done to help her.

[Traci]

Agree, she needs a full health exam.

If the space heater is not electric (i.e., kerosene), there needs to be proper ventillation in the area, kerosene can cause mucous membrane sensitivity to animals moreso than humans.

[Marty]

To help with keeping him warm, there are some heated beds in the Foster & Smith catalogue. There is also one, non-electric, that has a thermal core to reflect the body heat back. Might be safer than a space heater....

[Guest]

The wheezi-ness comes and goes during the winter only... mainly the coldest mornings. I will have it checked out next time she goes in. Was wondering if it was a common thing in older dogs maybe. She had a total blood work up a few months back and is in good health, very energetic for her age.

The space heater is one of those contained electric radiator types. She sleeps by it at night but not during the day since I dont want to leave it on when Im not at home. What she really seems to want to sleep on is the down blanket on my bed so Im thinking that may be the best way to keep her warm during the day. My house is kept mid 60s but both my dogs will shiver if the temp goes below 70 degrees unless they are running around.

thnaks for the advice... I'll make sure to bring it up with the vet.

[Traci]

I wouldn't wait for "the next time she goes in"....any time wheezing occurs, it demands a vet visit immediately...many health conditions can surface suddenly without warning, don't take that chance.