Dog has tremors and rapid breathing

Question
I have a 12 year old cocker spaniel and she (as of about 2 hours ago) has been having difficulty breathing, opens her mouth and sort of pants but just seems to breathe out of her mouth instead, heavily, like she just ran... her whole body is tensed up and she seems to have muscle tremors in her entire body.  She stopped breathing for a few seconds and started back up again.  yesterday and today she was doing great.  I gave her a bath this morning and about an hour later she was (I thought) shivering because her fur wasn't completly dry.  She didn't eat anything, that i'm aware of, out of the ordinary and the vet clinic is not answering their phones.  What can I do to make Shelby more comfortable for the night so she can at least sleep until we can take her in the morning?  She can hardly stand up and doesn't really respond to people much right now.  I am afraid she might not last the night. Obviously she's in a great deal of discomfort and I want to know what I can do to help her right now until the morning.  Thank you!

Answer
Hello Malika -

Obviously we are in different time zones because I received this message on Friday morning. Sorry I didn't receive this sooner.

Keep her warm and snuggled up with her favorite blanket or pillow. A few drops of Lavender oil in her bed or on her blanket will encourage to have a restful sleep.

If you have Bach's Rescue Remedy handy you could give her a few drops of that to help her calm down and relax the body.

Try to get her to drink water, she may be dehydrated because she is not consuming any food and is breathing heavily. You could try to get some chicken or beef broth in her too. The broth has vitamins and minerals in it that will not replace food but will at least get some nutrition into her right now. Do not force feed her, let her go to the food, when she is ready she will eat.

I am sorry your pet is in such discomfort. Given her age, there are alot of things that could really be wrong and yuor vet will be able to discuss these with you when you take her today. Sounds as though she may be having difficulties with her heart, laboured breathing is usually an outcome of such. There is a good possibility she may be running a fever as well.

Have your vet run a blood test just to be sure to check oxygen levels and white blood cell counts. She may have an infection of some sort too but I will commit to that without knowing more information about her medical past.

Feel free to contact me again if you have questions from your vet, treatment or conditions. I will be happy to help you - they are many natural ways to help your pet that are safe and effective even if she is given conventional medications.

You and your pet are in my prayers and I wish you all the best. Please keep me posted on her condition and let me know how her ailment progress'.

I hope this information has helped you and I hope your pet will be in better spirits today.

If you would like information on natural and herbal remedies for human and animal concerns please contact me at wintersaurora@yahoo.com and I will be happy to help you. I also offer a catalog of specially formulated remedies which I can send to you as well.

Thank you and peaceful blessings to you and your pet.

Sincerely,
Sharon Hubbs, AHG
Certified Natural Health Consultant & Herbalist