Very strange breathing - worried and waiting for feedback from our vet.

I know I posted a video last week about Marquez and asking if his breathing was normal but before we even made it home he started to breath really noisy and loudly.  It took 18 minutes from the time I took the first video until the 2nd video and where he started sounding like he normally does after a walk and it was 40 minutes in total before he had stopped and was breathing normally.
I've emailed the videos to our vet and sent her a text message explaining whats happened and she's going to look at it as soon as she's back at the clinic (They do house calls here which is why she isn't there at the moment) and get back to me.

As soon as we got home.


18 minutes later still breathing heavy but sounding more normal


I hope it's not Laryngeal paralysis/stridor or anything serious

Has anyone seen anything like this with their dogs?

I just heard back from our vet and she's spoken to one other and they both seem to think that he just really overheated this morning. She is waiting for the other vet to get to the clinic to see what she says too after viewing the videos. I'm still not convinced that this is just a case of overheating but something a bit more serious or maybe I am being paranoid?

Think our walks will have to be earlier and later when it is much cooler now as well as wetting him during our walks if this is just a case of being overheated.

ahh bless him,that is a very strange noise he's making,fingers crossed it was only over heating,keep us updated on how he's doing Diane

He does sound overheated so let's hope it that, we hake a cloth to wet darcy down with on walks, do let us know how he's doing xx

Thanks guys for that. I also hope it's just overheating too as that is easier to prevent from happening. Like the wet cloth idea too. I was really worried about him when it took forever for him to get back to normal. Even our house cleaner who is Muslim and terrified of dogs and won't go near him asked if he was ok

Walking during cooler times of the morning and evening would be a very good idea, Staffies can overheat and this should prevent this from happening. Do you take plenty of water with you while out on walks ?

Kathy wrote:Walking during cooler times of the morning and evening would be a very good idea, Staffies can overheat and this should prevent this from happening. Do you take plenty of water with you while out on walks ?

Yes had water but it obviously wasn't enough. Going to walk him earlier and later in the day as well as wet him down during the walk.

Sounds like a good idea, try and limit his running around at really hot times, they can overheat quite quickly x

Sazzle wrote:Sounds like a good idea, try and limit his running around at really hot times, they can overheat quite quickly x

One thing I will say is that I NEVER run and I wouldn't expect Marquez to run either.... A fast walk is more our pace. It's strictly walking when it comes to exercise   

It's amazing how different breeds are and something we have to remember - with our dogos, the hubby would take him for a 3km run alongside the scooter then I would take him for 2km walk about 30 minutes later and that was all here in the hot & humid Indonesian climate. The strange thing is that Marco would've kept on going if we wanted too. Another thing we have to remember is that all our dogs were conditioned to exercise because since they were old enough as pups they started their walking and running by the scooter but Marquez has spent his first year with limited exercise so it will take some time to build up. Scooter runs for Marquez may not ever happen (not here in Indonesia anyway) but thats ok.
I can't wait until we move back to Europe and to the cooler weather of the Pyrenees but the high altitude might take some getting used to for him then.

I heard back again last night from our vet and she spoke to other that she waiting to see what she said and she also said it was overheating. She said that if I'm still concerned that he could get an X-ray to check his heart for Microcardia (abnormally small heart) which could result in breathing like this but I think we will wait to see how he goes with the cooler walking conditions

We just got back from our walk and he is back to normal
Left an hour earlier, lots of water to drink and cold water over his head and neck regularly made a whole load of difference. We took a slightly shorter route but it took a little longer with all the stops (1.8km 38mins) but it was worth it. When we got home it took 5 minutes to stop his huffing

I also worked out the harness issue until I get the one I want for him or one with a d ring at the front. Have control on his collar when I need it but for most of the walk he was great with the harness and the collar was slack Definitely don't think it made things easier for him yesterday with his pulling on his trachea and restricting the airflow that he needed.

And I just picked up one one of these to take on our walks (or whenever we go out) to make sure he can drink his water properly. So paranoid now of him becoming overheated.

UK link to buy http://www.petsperfect.co.uk/products/silicone-collapsible-travel-dog-bowl

The portable water bowls are a great idea, we have a very similar one to this for Rocky which I can just fold up and put in my bag or rucsack when out for walks:

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/lifemarque-hot-dog-camping-pet-accessories-p108710

Chance overheats hun but thats come with him being an ambull and he makes weird noises, so it could most definitely be that.

I don't know whether the deliver to you or you can get them BUT these have been a god send to me but more importantly Chance

http://fillmewithice.com/

Aww poor Marquez Vin gets very overheated in the summer I always take loads of water whenever we go out. Hope he will continue to improve xx

djstratton wrote:And I just picked up one one of these to take on our walks (or whenever we go out) to make sure he can drink his water properly.  So paranoid now of him becoming overheated.

UK link to buy http://www.petsperfect.co.uk/products/silicone-collapsible-travel-dog-bowl

I'm glad the walk went a bit better, I have one of these collapsible rubber bowls, so handy they just slot nicely in my small walking bag   

I can understand your concern Diane.

Kuchar is my first Staff after 20 years of having Dobermanns, and the excessive (to me) panting worried me in hot weather (such as it gets in the UK) and took me by surprise. I am now given to understand that this is due to the shortened nasal passages in a Staff.

You are helping Marquez by carrying water to drink on his exercise and damping him down (ears, belly and inside the back legs), as well as walking him in the cooler parts of the day.

If your home is air-conditioned, dare I suggest that you shorten your outdoor walks and wear off his energy by playing chase games indoors in the cool.

ella wrote:Chance overheats hun but thats come with him being an ambull and he makes weird noises, so it could most definitely be that.

I don't know whether the deliver to you or you can get them BUT these have been a god send to me but more importantly Chance

http://fillmewithice.com/

Wow!  I love this and what an amazing idea.  I going to order a couple for him
But in the meantime since I'll have to wait as I will have to get it sent to either Australia or Spain, I'll make him one of these... http://arborescence.typepad.com/blog/2010/08/cool-collars.html

Lynda wrote:I can understand your concern Diane.  

Kuchar is my first Staff after 20 years of having Dobermanns, and the excessive (to me) panting worried me in hot weather (such as it gets in the UK) and took me by surprise. I am now given to understand that this is due to the shortened nasal passages in a Staff.

You are helping Marquez by carrying water to drink on his exercise and damping him down (ears, belly and inside the back legs), as well as walking him in the cooler parts of the day.

If your home is air-conditioned, dare I suggest that you shorten your outdoor walks and wear off his energy by playing chase games indoors in the cool.

Definitely aircon in the house here so its no surprise that his favourite spots are lying under them. We do play lots of games in his toys - and I think we have as much fun as he does. We're going to try and teach him a great pulling game that we used to do with Marco that involved us sitting on a desk chair with wheels and him pulling us around   

That sounds like a fun game Diane!   

djstratton wrote:

ella wrote:Chance overheats hun but thats come with him being an ambull and he makes weird noises, so it could most definitely be that.

I don't know whether the deliver to you or you can get them BUT these have been a god send to me but more importantly Chance

http://fillmewithice.com/

Wow!  I love this and what an amazing idea.  I going to order a couple for him
But in the meantime since I'll have to wait as I will have to get it sent to either Australia or Spain, I'll make him one of these... http://arborescence.typepad.com/blog/2010/08/cool-collars.html

I absolutely love the kool collars and i fill them with ice cubes when we go for a walk so it melts down the chest which works even better!

heres chance in his

Lynda wrote:That sounds like a fun game Diane!   

Here are a couple of videos of our game. He was more gentle when he was pulling Angel but with me he would go all out

ella wrote:

djstratton wrote:

ella wrote:Chance overheats hun but thats come with him being an ambull and he makes weird noises, so it could most definitely be that.

I don't know whether the deliver to you or you can get them BUT these have been a god send to me but more importantly Chance

http://fillmewithice.com/

Wow!  I love this and what an amazing idea.  I going to order a couple for him
But in the meantime since I'll have to wait as I will have to get it sent to either Australia or Spain, I'll make him one of these... http://arborescence.typepad.com/blog/2010/08/cool-collars.html

I absolutely love the kool collars and i fill them with ice cubes when we go for a walk so it melts down the chest which works even better!

I'll try to whip one up this afternoon and test it out on our walk tomorrow morning using the ice like you do. Thanks for that tip

Love the videos, that does look like great fun   

sounds like over heating my zoe pants in the summer after a walk ,then lies down in the kitchen on the nice cool floor and after a while has some nice cold water to drink then she's fine again. When I take her out she wears a harness and I clip her lead to that  not her collar as she pulls at times as well. hope you get it sorted  

It does look like over heating to me too. I just carry a few drinking bottles in my little rucksack as Pixee loves to drink out the bottles  .

Those cool neck collars look brillant. Thinking of getting one too.

Love the videos, great fun.