Foamy Mouth, Hanging Tongue

[AngelaD]

Hi Everyone. I can't remember if I've introduced myself or my boys before, even though I've been lurking at this site for years now.

Anyway, I'm Angela, and I have two male English Bulldogs... Julio and Cesar. I'm posting today because I have a problem and can't find anything on the forum that sounds like our issue.

We have been battling allergy problems with Julio for a year or more and seem to be going in circles with no end in sight. His main issues have been infections in his ears, face wrinkles and tail pocket. We've tried ointments, pills, powders, and hypoallergenic prescription food. Nothing seems to help.

A few months ago, a new issue arose. Julio woke up with a mouth full of foam, his nose was running (green discharge) and one of his eyes was watering. We rushed him to the ER vet and they determined that he had kennel cough... even though he was not actually coughing. They gave us a bunch of pills, which he took, until we could get him in with the base vet (we're military). The base vet said she didn't think he had kennel cough at all and gave him even more pills. She said the mouth foam was nothing to worry about, that it was probably because he tasted something bitter. By then his nose wasn't running as much and his eye was fine so I think she kind of dismissed the foam problem like it would go away.

It's been two months and he still has a lot of foam in his mouth. Not drool. FOAM. We've tried lemon and that helps but the foam never goes away. Two weeks ago, his tongue started to hang out. Just a couple of inches, but it hangs out all the time so that the tip turns purple. I push it back in his mouth as often as I can but it plops right out again. Along with the foam, the tongue problem is really starting to affect his ability to eat. It takes him forever to eat a cup of food and if a kibble falls out of his bowl, it's almost impossible for him to lick it up. I can tell by the sound that his tongue problem is also affecting his ability to drink... almost like he can't lap up the water as efficiently as he did before his tongue started to hang out.

We see the base vet again on Monday but I'd really be interested to hear from other bulldog parents that have experienced this problem before and what worked. I'm at my wit's end here. He looks so miserable and I feel like a horrible parent.

[Jerr_N_Tiff]

I haven't a clue, but I just wanted to say that I hope you find out the problem and he feels better soon.  Poor guy - have you looked into megaesophagus?

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/megaesophagus-in-dogs/page1.aspx

[buddha]

I'm so sorry that you are having problems with Julio.  I have no advice but am sending good thoughts and I hope you get this figured out soon.  Please keep us posted on how his vet appt. goes. 

[Susan & the bullies]

I'm at a loss, i don't even have suggestions    is there another vet you can see? someone with bulldog experience? maybe he has a tooth absess or somthing??? Poor Julio, i hope he feels better soon and you can get to the bottom of this.

[penny]

I hope Julio feels better real soon, sending lots hugs and kisses 

[AngelaD]

Thanks, everyone. I'll ask the vet about Megaesophagus, he does seem to have a few of the symptoms.

I've been looking for a civilian vet and depending on what happens Monday, I think we might end up seeing someone else. We've always preferred the base vet because the doctors there are in the Army and what we pay goes to Morale, Welfare and Recreation, so they aren't motivated by financial gain... but in this case, maybe, like Susan said, we need someone with more bulldog experience. *sigh*

[AngelaD]

Here's a picture of my big guy, taken during the summer before the tongue/foam thing popped up. You can't tell from this pic, but he's actually red & white. Such a handsome boy, if I do say so myself.

[Jerr_N_Tiff]

He's really a beautiful boy.. 

[Susan & the bullies]

He's gorgeous!!!!    Please let us know what happens, I hope it is resolved quickly.

[winwinsmom]

He IS a bootiful bullie 

[Charlies Mom]

He is absolutely adorable!

Good luck at the vet. I hope you get an answer soon!

[DaBabaDoo]

He is so cute, I'm sorry that he's having problems.  I definitely agree that you should seek out a vet that has a lot of experience with bulldogs, they are quite different than other breeds when it comes to what is normal and how to treat them. 

How old is he and have you had him since he was a puppy w/o prior incidences?  I've never heard of anything like this before, but it doesn't really sound like allergies to me, not being able to keep his tongue in his mouth or swallow his food, does he also have problems with water?  It sounds like he's having a hard time controlling the muscles in his esophagus/digestive system.  Swallowing is a voluntary contraction of the muscles and tongue.  That could be due to swelling caused by allergies but I think I agree with the megaesophagus scenario.  The foamy mouth might be involuntary regurgitation, or an attempt to provide some lubrication to help in the swallowing process.

Does wet food help? Maybe it would be easier to get down.

[AngelaD]

Thanks, everyone!

We are back from the vet. Unfortunately, the vet didn't have any definitive answers for us but did recommend having dental xrays done and take it from there. We scheduled an appointment with a new (civilian) vet for this Saturday to have them done. We were told both vets at the new place have bulldogs of their own so hopefully they will be a better match for Julio. *fingers crossed*

@DaBabaDoo: We've had Julio since he was 2 mos old, he's 6 years old now. Up until now, he's never experienced anything like this before. He does also have a problem with water and he is spending more time at his water bowl, like he's having to work harder to get his fill. I had thought maybe the excess foam was impeding his ability to eat/drink but you could be right about it being there for lubrication... that didn't occur to me. The vet we saw today didn't really say yes or no on the possibility of it being an issue with his esophagus but I do plan on discussing it further with the new vet on Saturday.

[DaBabaDoo]

Hmm, well, I don't think I have any other thoughts but it is important to know that you've had him his whole life without problems till now.  That seems like it probably rules out allergies, unless he's developed an allergy recently.

Good luck with the x-rays and the new vets, Maddy and I will be keeping our fingers and paws crossed for a good outcome.  Keep us posted on any new news.

[AngelaD]

We went to the new vet on Saturday. She was really hands-on and got down on the floor to fully inspect him. She checked his mouth for signs of a tumor but said she didn't feel anything, thankfully. She did say that, from the way he moved, it seemed like his neck hurt. She said his lymph nodes felt good, his belly felt good, but she was concerned about his weight... for the first time in his life, he could stand to GAIN a few pounds. Poor pup. Anyway, she took blood and urine samples, gave us antibiotics and pain meds and we left feeling good about the experience... like we've finally met someone who will help him get better.

The blood panel results came in today and look good. There were crystals in his urine and something on the blood panel suggested possible muscle damage but the vet said not to freak out over that and asked us to come in later today to go over everything. I think they'll also do the dental xrays today too. I'll post again after our visit this afternoon.

It's hard seeing my little man not feeling so well, but I have a good feeling about this vet (she has two rescue bullies of her own!) and think he'll be ok. *fingers crossed*