Dachshund with a long term cough

I have a mini-dachshund that has had a long term cough (about nine months now). It is a constant dry hacking cough. Very rarely he will throw up white or yellow foamy liquid (but not very often). In the morning, his chest sounds like it has a lot of fluid in it (like a human with an upper respatory infection). At first we thought this was kennel cough. Our vet also thought it might be congestive heart failure, but we took him to a vetinary heart specialist who confirmed his heart was fine and he has no fluid around his heart. He has been on antibiotics twice (both for two weeks at a time), but, he still coughs. He eats and drinks fine. His is very active and this hasn't stopped him from doing anything. We also have a standard dachshund and he has not been affected by whatever the mini-dachshund has. Also, the mini's weight hasn't changed (no gain or loss). We've spent over $1,000 in tests, vet bills and medicines and he still coughs. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?????::dog:

If heart problems and kennel cough were ruled out, maybe there's something wrong with his throat/trachea? Or perhaps he has allergies? Fluid doesn't sound right though. Has your vet listened for the fluid sound in his lungs? Does he cough at the same times every day, like after eating, or after a walk, or when he wakes up? Or just randomly throughout the day? Did he ever have any serious illness?

Poor little guy. Sometimes with these things the cause is never found, and it's just chronic. :sad: I hope you figure this out! :fingerscr

What happened nine months ago? Any big/small changes? Does he improve sometimes for no apparent reason and then relapse? Sounds like some kind of environmental sensitivity. His bedding? Anything you use to clean or wash should be suspect. As I understand it, animals like humans can develop sensitivies, so it could be something you've used forever, a soap, a spray (so many people seem to use Febreeze; the ingredients look innocuous enough but I'm suspicious of all those things).
I'm glad he is at least feeling OK. I don't see the mucus as important but you could get it cultured. Is it very damp where you are, fungus and mold spores can get into the lungs and cause problems if in large enough quantities. I don't know how one would test for this.
From the antibiotics, you know it is not an infection, or the meds aren't specific enough.
A virus?
Mystère.

Thank you Sable Collie and Badger for your input. Here is what we do know on some of the issues you brought to light. The Cardiologist did say that he had a narrowed Trechea, however, there are a few things that contradict that as being the cause of his cough (I'm not saying the Trechea is not narrowed....but just not the cause of the cough). First, the vet gave him medicne to help relax the Trachea which he indicated should at least help improve the problem if it was in fact the cause of the cough. The medicine did nothing. Second, one of the tests for a narrowed Trechea is to message the Trechea by hand for 1 to 2 minutes. If it provokes a coughing attack, then that is probably the cause. When we message his Trechea, it does not provoke an attack. If anything, it helps calm him down when he is coughing. Third, if it is the Trechea, then the fluid on his chest in the morning doesn't make any sence (as you indicated).

As for Allergies, that's kind of where we are heading now. His food hasn't changed so I don't think it's a food allergy. Mold / spores???? We don't have any mold in the house (no moisture problems of any kind). But we do have Hot Air heat and Central Air and the house is six years old. Maybe the duct work needs to be cleaned. That could be a source of mold. Maybe we should get that checked out.

Fabreeze is an interesting thought. We did start using Fabreeze a while back (not sure exactly when). We don't us it regularly....only if one of the dogs is sick and may have an accident....which isn't very often. They are both very well trained. And if it is Fabreeze, how do I get it out of everything. When we do use it, we freshen up everything.....rugs, furniture, etc. So, I'm not sure how to get rid of it. We haven't used Fabreeze in months now, and he is still coughing....so, I don't know if that could be the cause or not. But, it is one more thing to look into.

Thanks again for your input. We'll keep trying things and hopefully find the cause.

Yes, ductwork can harbor mold, so can carpets, and check your basement and bathrooms for any mold, you may even want to have a professional come and check your house. If you wanted to get an allergy test done at the vet, they are not completely accurate, but can give a good starting point. He may have allergies to many different things too. Since you haven't used febreeze in a while, I would continue not using it, and get your furniture and rugs cleaned, and switch to a hypoallergenic laundry detergent for his bedding and anything else he comes into contact with. A good quality diet may help too. Of course this is all *if* his problem is allergies, hopefully it will be something simple like that!

I know this may be a silly thought, but have you asked about acid reflux. I know that continuous acid reflux can cause a chronic cough and it may be relieved by massaging the trachea/throat. May want to ask the vet about that since it can also cause a dog to vomit foamy fluid and create airgurgles/fluid in the tummy.

Thanks for the thought. We are taking him back to the Vet on wed night. I'll be sure to ask about Acid Reflux. I never thought about that.