My dog Bookie, a 1 yr old Pomeranian, always has trouble breathing. He gasps for air at least 3x an hour. I looked it up they said it was 'reverse breathing'. When he does it i massage his throat and he stops. He has allergies/asthma i think. I cant afford to take him to the vet to find out what medicine i need to get him. What can i do to prevent this from happening? What medicine can i get him to stop the gasping? He also wont eat unless i feed it to him personally. Hes so skinny. HELP!!
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I'm sorry Bookie is having such problems breathing! Unfortunately there are no medicines that you can get to help him with this, as any asthma and allergy medications that are safe for dogs are available only at the vet. It's possible as well that his breathing breathing problems are not caused by asthma or allergies, but rather something else such as a collapsing trachea. Small breed dogs are at risk for this. The only way to know for sure what medications to help Bookie is to have him seen by a vet as soon as possible. It's very serious he is gasping for air so frequently, and it cannot wait as breathing problems can quickly lead to respiratory distress and possibly death. I will give you some resources that may help you afford a vet, and I recommend seeing if you can borrow money from family and friends. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/
God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help. The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information. Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. IMOM is dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged.
Please take Bookie into a vet asap. In the meantime, switch from a collar to a chest harness to see if that helps, and avoid respiratory irritants. I hope this helps!
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