For the past few days, the old dog, Mr. PJ, has been feeling poorly. One night, I noticed that he was gagging and coughing. Hmmm? At first, I thought he merely had a slight sinus drip but the poor dog could not rest. It kept up all night. Thinking it was a temporary situation, I waited. Two more nights (and days) of the same coughing and I decided it was time for him to see a doctor. Once there, the doc gave PJ a thorough checkup and decided he had bronchitis. Hey...I did not even know dogs could get bronchitis! So..this was the start of a lesson in health. The vet asked if I habitually use air fresheners or other sprays around the dog. Nope. Do you use heavy cleansers around him. Nope. Is he around anybody that smokes? Nope. How about exhaust fumes? Does he stay in the garage? Nope..I don't have a garage. The list went on and on until he hit upon something that may have irritated the lungs of Mr. PJ. Has he walked through any tall grass that may have gone to seed? Yes!!! Bam! Allergies may have triggered the bronchitis!
Mr. PJ and I hike about the hillside on a thrice daily basis. It is good exercise for him (and me!) and gives me a much needed break from chores. Recently, we pushed a bit further than our normal course and made our way through a rather weedy patch. Mr. PJ thought this was great fun as he was interested in the mice that darted in and out of the grass. Although it excited him, he made no attempt to pounce on any as his pouncing days are far behind him. He did linger longer than usual in the grass patch. It never occurred to me that this could be a factor in his overall health. Duh! I guess I never realized it because none of our other dogs had allergies.
So...I learned several things. Dogs can get bronchitis, there is a myriad of things that can trigger the stuff and tall grass may be a cause of worry. Ok, Mr. PJ. Get well soon and we will reroute our hikes to avoid any potential allergy trails for you.
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