Our veterinarian dubbed our white Pomeranian a “pom-monster” once he reached his full size. The original line for Pomeranians came from the larger Spitz breed, and some white Poms, like Koi, get fairly large. Koi’s majesty catches every eye when we walk to the park. His thick white coat contrasted to the lean black shine of our Terrier-Beagle-Shepherd mix, Bridget.
Koi’s thirty pounds
and thirteen years shifted him into a new health problem last year—a cough that
wouldn’t go away. At first, we thought he had a case of Kennel Cough as he’d
gotten out front to sniff around the mailbox, a favorite spot for random
neighborhood dogs to pee on when on walks with their owners. When the hacking
didn’t clear on its own, we scheduled him an appointment.
The diagnosis, the
first stages of a collapsed trachea, sounded dire. Our vet assured us that he
could live many years with the condition. Common in Pomeranians that are
overweight and getting older, we received a steroid treatment and cough
suppressant to use as needed. At first, he rarely used the Hydrocodone
prescribed. Sometimes he’d go a month between pills. Gradually, his need
shifted to needing the suppressant about every third day. For the last few
months, that pattern remains steady. Sometimes, an airborne allergen will kick him
into a coughing fit after spending time outside. On most days, once Koi settles
into one of his spots, his cough settles, too. We can tell when the frequency
and force of his hacking increases enough to require a pill hidden in soft
cheese. When he uses this last refill, he’ll have a check-up. Our vet has
assured us that since he’s not using the suppressant daily, he’s doing well.
That’s all the encouragement we need!
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