Is this normal?

[NewAtThis8]

My boys been through the wringer. I sought a second opinion for a swollen/at times warm joint that the original vet said he would treat for pain management but no more antibiotics- I was worried about how to know whether it’s arthritis or an infection that will claim his life every time his joints swelled. The new vet agreed that the course of action / what we’ve done was exactly what he’d do but sent me home with doxycycline. He’s prescribed 8ml 2x a day for 10 days, today is day 3. He also takes tramadol and meloxicam for the pain/swelling. Today I noticed heavy breathing- it’s not constant and not open mouth breathing/gasping but it’s not something I’ve noticed before. Is this normal??? I guess I’m calling the vet tomorrow morning- but was hoping for something to either calm my nerves, to tell me it’s nothing, that all we’ve done is all
The right things, etc etc etc…. Stan in bathtub breathing heavy

 

[Farmgirl283420]

My boys been through the wringer. I sought a second opinion for a swollen/at times warm joint that the original vet said he would treat for pain management but no more antibiotics- I was worried about how to know whether it’s arthritis or an infection that will claim his life every time his joints swelled. The new vet agreed that the course of action / what we’ve done was exactly what he’d do but sent me home with doxycycline. He’s prescribed 8ml 2x a day for 10 days, today is day 3. He also takes tramadol and meloxicam for the pain/swelling. Today I noticed heavy breathing- it’s not constant and not open mouth breathing/gasping but it’s not something I’ve noticed before. Is this normal??? I guess I’m calling the vet tomorrow morning- but was hoping for something to either calm my nerves, to tell me it’s nothing, that all we’ve done is all
The right things, etc etc etc…. Stan in bathtub breathing heavy

Maybe @azygous or @Wyorp Rock could help!

 

[Jenbirdee]

My guess is it could be side effects from all the meds he is on. He seems to be active and alert though so thats great. Is he eating and drinking like normal?
@Miss Lydia

 

[NewAtThis8]

My guess is it could be side effects from all the meds he is on. He seems to be active and alert though so thats great. Is he eating and drinking like normal?
@Miss Lydia

Eating so-so, but that was how things were even before this new antibiotic. Drinking very well. He is very alert, not super withdrawn or puffed up or depressed, but my fear is that these things usually go downhill super quickly if it’s a problem. I just don’t know what to do and am afraid I did the wrong thing by taking him for a second opinion and taking the meds prescribed to him vs accepting what the first vet said when he said he’d not give him any more antibiotics. I’m desperate to have him just feel better and gain weight.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I agree with @Jenbirdee most likely side effects giving Tramdol and Meloxicam plus an antibiotic I can see where he could be having some side effects. I would call the vet and let them know, but Stan sure looks energetic and alert so I feel that is a plus. Ask if you can send the video so they can see and hear Stan. And please let us know what they say.

 

[NewAtThis8]

I agree with @Jenbirdee most likely side effects giving Tamdol and Meloxicam plus an antibiotic I can see where he could be having some side effects. I would call the vet and let them know, but Stan sure looks energetic and alert so I feel that is a plus. Ask if you can send the video so they can see and hear Stan. And please let us know what they say.

Because i haven’t had a super experience with the vet(s), I’m so scared that they won’t take this seriously- but am definitely calling in the morning. If a side effect, that would mean it should stop if the meds are adjusted or stopped, right? Basically in order to sleep tonight I need to just know it doesn’t look like he’s going to die…

 

[azygous]

Stan looks a long way from death's door step. How long has he been on the Tramadol? It's a strong synthetic opioid. It is given to birds, but you need to know that it's a drug where tolerance develops. That means the pain relieving ability decreases over time with long term use, and more is required to achieve the pain relief you expect. While this synthetic opioid doesn't cause a euphoric high, stopping the drug will cause withdrawals. I know all this because I took Tramadol a long time ago, and the experience was not a good one.

I'm in agreement with @Miss Lydia that Stan could be having side effects from one of these meds or he may even be over medicated from the combination. If you are uncomfortable with this vet, by all means pay attention to the warning voice in your head. It would be a good idea to call another vet and run this by them. A second opinion is absolutely a sensible thing to do. Stan is worth it. (I fell in love with him just watching him in the bathtub.)

 

[NewAtThis8]

Stan looks a long way from death's door step. How long has he been on the Tramadol? It's a strong synthetic opioid. It is given to birds, but you need to know that it's a drug where tolerance develops. That means the pain relieving ability decreases over time with long term use, and more is required to achieve the pain relief you expect. While this synthetic opioid doesn't cause a euphoric high, stopping the drug will cause withdrawals. I know all this because I took Tramadol a long time ago, and the experience was not a good one.

I'm in agreement with @Miss Lydia that Stan could be having side effects from one of these meds or he may even be over medicated from the combination. If you are uncomfortable with this vet, by all means pay attention to the warning voice in your head. It would be a good idea to call another vet and run this by them. A second opinion is absolutely a sensible thing to do. Stan is worth it. (I fell in love with him just watching him in the bathtub.)

Thank you so much! I’m afraid it’s me pushing for this over medication- the pain relief route was fine if it would effectively manage what was diagnosed through a (in my opinion) weak process of elimination (the swelling appeared, he was treated with antibiotics and meloxicam. It appeared again, antibiotics and meloxicam. It appeared a third times antibiotics then stopped for 3 days, then did joint tap, culture didnt grow so finished antibiotics, pain and swelling didn’t go away, enter the tramadol). I expressed concerns with the tramadol too- it scared me, I had a friend who was addicted to it for migraines. The initial dose for him also made him looped so we cut it in half. It did seem to help for now, but off antibiotics for about a month I asked the vet how would I know if the swelling in this leg, or his other leg if it happened, was an infection that isn’t going away or arthritis. We can manage the mobility, but I cant let him die from an infection and he couldn’t give me a good answer to figure out how I’d know or what we’d do if it happened. So I did take him for the second opinion, and the second vet basically said he’d treat the same way, but that some antibiotics can have anti inflammatory properties too in addition to fighting infections. He didn’t want to do another joint tap with him several weeks off the original antibiotic and I guess that’s where my concern lay from the start- I’m not a vet and am relying on them to help me help him, but I felt that starting him on an antibiotic right away because he couldn’t do the joint tap til the next week, and then doing it with only a small amount of days from when he had an antibiotic, of course the culture wouldn’t grow anything. The second vet didn’t want to do another one. So here we are with all these pain meds plus now doxycycline. It seems to be a great antibiotic and he’s taking it well without any (more) stomach upset but then enter the wheezing. Anyway, long story short is that I think my anxiety over losing him has caused me to push for too much, and maybe it is just arthritis and swelling after all. I will call in the morning and see if we can readjust some things. I truly care so much for this duck, I’d do anything for him, he really is the best; and I am just hoping for more good time because he really deserves it. It’ll be hard to reconcile if anything happens to him because I’ll feel like I failed him.

 

[azygous]

We aren't vets here. You should defer to the vets that are treating Stan. It may be his meds need adjusting. Talk to them about the wheezing. It may be a side effect from too much of the Tramadol. Opioids can affect the heart rate and that can affect his respiratory function.

 

[NewAtThis8]

We aren't vets here. You should defer to the vets that are treating Stan. It may be his meds need adjusting. Talk to them about the wheezing. It may be a side effect from too much of the Tramadol. Opioids can affect the heart rate and that can affect his respiratory function.

Definitely- thanks again!