Hello all, some of you may recal from my previous posts we have relocated to Houston, Texas with my job and also relocated our precious Bullmastiff called Boscoe!

The journey for him went very well and thanks for the tips off here to use Ladyhaye shipping as they were superb and looked after our little man really well....

We thought all was well BUT for the last 5 days he has had on and off an odd "cough" but not a cough sort of clearing his throat....and short panting which lasts about 2/3 mins where he looks miserable then he is back to his normal self running around and playing......we enrolled him in his new vets on Wednesday and she did a thorough check of him and we mentioned this she said it could well be a change in climate, air conditioning or a mild bug off the flight......how long do we leave it before we take him back?

He has been here 9 days.....and apart from this had adapted very well, eating, drinking and bathroom all fine......

We are aware of plants here and have been careful not to let him eat or get near anything we don't know yet.....

Any suggestions would be warmly received...

Thanks

I don't have any advice but just wanted to say good luck in your new home and hope Boscoe is soon back to his normal self :-)

Hope you all settle in ok and enjoy your new life in Texas

he has had on and off an odd "cough" but not a cough sort of clearing his throat....and short panting which lasts about 2/3 mins where he looks miserable then he is back to his normal self running around and playing..


Don't want to start you panicing but has Boscoe had any lungworm treatment, his symptoms are the same as Zuma had and vet said lungworm - good news is I treated him with Advocate (can you get it over there?) and he was fine in a couple of days
Chris

Also in many parts (probably most) you need to give monthly heartworm preventative.

Advocate is called revolution in the states .

Hi everyone.....

Boscoe has been on advocate since late October in the UK because of the risk of heart worm and lung worm which we know that treats.....

Our new vet took a test for heartworm on Wednesday as precaution and we had the results back to say all clear...

Just come back from a nice walk (in the high 60's) .....a but different to UK at the moment.....and he had a great run around with no signs of anything.....so fingers crossed!

Thanks for all your feedback

He might just have been showing a reaction to the change in environment or some post-flight snuffles.  Flying almost always gives me something like a cold and US air conditioning often does the same!  Hopefully he's on the mend now

Wishing you all the best in your new life xx

Just come back from a nice walk (in the high 60's) .....a but different to UK at the moment.....

I am so jealous!!!!! Wishing you a wonderful life over there, and really hope that Boscoe will recover soon.

Not unusual for a dog to get a cough moving from the UK climate to Houston.  Partly caused by the flight after several hours in a pressurised cargo hold, and also the new enviroment where you are living now.  The a/c causes dry throats in dogs as well as humans, wait for mid April onwards when you really crank up the a/c!  The pollen counts get high too, there is ragweed which is notorious for causing hayfever / dry throat in human and animals there.

Make the most of the weather now before you get up to mid 90's and 80% humidity and the mosquito and flea popluation explodes along with the roaches (the flying tree variety and the houseold ones.

Have a great time there.

Well thanks for a great destructive post.......just done the biggest move of my life after taking 24years to be qualified enough to get this wonderful job and get this reply....moving my beautiful puppy was traumatic enough as it was and watching the little man suffer since arriving has been heartbreaking......

I came on here for advice not to have a post that makes me feel like I have made the wrong decision....

I appreciate the truth and advice but the sarcasm was not expected or appreciated .......

Next time don't bother posting......I will take the advice of the other wonderful people on here instead....

Kimbo what was that post about as can't see any negative post at all just very supportive posts ?

I am sure he will be ok and enjoy your new home as the weather sounds much better than back in blighty !

Destructive post?  Sarcasm?

Just said your dog's symptoms are not unusual and to make the most of the weather now.   Your boy will adjust to the climate, it is the human that can take longer!  Houston is a great city to live in, loads of doggy stuff year round.  Lots of dog friendly parks and lake recreational areas right on your doorstep. 

But yes it does get HOT and humid - June to September can be killer months, hence we always walked dogs before 9.00am or after 7.00pm during the summer.  And as with any hot climate country worldwide insects are much more of a nuisance than we are used to in the UK.

My husband still works part of the year there and his dog travels with him from the UK some times when he will be tied there for a couple or more months.  And this little dog even as used to the tranisition on a regular basis gets the odd dry throat syndrome on arrival.

Kimbo,

Of course it is a great move for you........ and Boscoe will have a fab life there, he will be fine I'm sure, your worried about him, {{{hug}}} even though you know you have made a great move we all feel a little worried about moves and question is it the right thing? We just do that.

Unless there is some kind of history between the two of you, I don't know of, I guess that is why you've read Harkbacks post negatively, adding to fears that might be lurking and the stress of worry about Boscoe, I think that most of us can tell a sarcastic post, I truly do not read the post in that way at all, believe me I would say so if I did. :-) It is informative and a genuine "Have a great time there" at the end, she has lived there so is giving you her experience. :-) Just as we would to anyone moving to this country.

I think when we are upset and stressed and worried as you are over Boscoe we can read things differently, read it again and hopefully you won't get the same vibe. :-)

Sorry, that I'm sticking my ore in here but I don't want you to be upset {{{hug}}} and I honestly believe you have taken the post in the wrong way.

How is Boscoe now???????

Thanks Carrington.  No "history" between us!  Just a couple of pm's when Kimbo first posted on another thread about moving to Houston and I gave some information about the area they were relocating to as I know it well being a few miles from where my husband goes a few times a year to attend to his family company.

Sorry Harkback........I read your post with the wrong tone.......it's been a very tough 10 days since moving here and I read it in the wrong context.....

Thanks to everyone else too for there feedback ......

Boscoe is a little better and appears to be on the mend.....now it's me with the cold and sore throat!

Take care everyone...

That's OK :). Know how stressful it is moving to a new country!  Get yourself some local honey (or at least Texas wildflower honey) it does work a treat on sore throats.  Glad Boscoe is over his.

Hope you are enjoying your new life there and that you have a nice place to live.  Try to get up to Lake Conroe sometime, nice lakeside areas to take Boscoe for a swim.  Some good places to eat around there.  In March the Houston human society has it's annual K9 fun run, a gentle 1 miler and you can stroll it.  Good time to meet fun dog people, probably some British ex-pats, I always do it if we are there with friends.  Dogs shows - loads in the area and state, including the big Reliant World Series in July at the Reliant Park, Houston.

Sorry did not mean to alarm you about the bugs but we do joke about them being Texas sized sometimes without giving a thought to people's feelings just moved into the state.  You will meet lot's of British people with dogs out there.  Keep us all posted.

Fantastic news about Boscoe, soon he'll be as good as new.

Moving is always a stressor even harder in another country, but everything will fall into place. Hope you are also feeling better soon. I'd love to be where you are right now, we have snow and cold brrrrrrr..... and I'm snowed in! :-)

Let us know how you are both doing, you'll be a true Texan in no time. :-D Yee ha!