dog diagnosing cat illness?

[tigersmom]

my 4yr old golden retriever is constantly sniffing where my 13yr old bengal cat has been. They are both males and the cat has been spayed. My cat has had a cough or asthma for over a year now. Last year I took him to the vet where they did all sorts of tests, bloodwork, xrays & scans etc. It was very expensive & my cat was petrified over the few days they did all this. The vet said his heart looked unusual but it was fine. He gave me theophylline for the cough which did help. Also the cough was worse in winter, possibly the drier air. I just took the cat again last month for checkup because he's been coughing more. I couldn't afford to run all the tests again. I got more theopylline for him and it isn't working as good. The cat is the boss of my dog, they tolerate each other, but the cat can scare him with a look. We also have a 1yr old female bengal cat, unspayed (temp due to $$). My question is for the last 2 months or so, the dog has started sniffing the spot where my older cat has been. If the cat is lying on the carpet and walks away, the dog will actually lick that spot repeatedly. My dog is a sniffer but it just has been crazy the way he's always trying to sniff this cat & where he's been.(He sniffs the female cat but nothing like this new obsession with my older cat) Is it possible the cat has cancer or is dying? Would a cat this old survive surgery if he had cancer? I just want my cat to have a good quality of life, but now I'm scared he's dying because of the dogs behavior. Is this normal or is the dog detecting something that the vet didn't see? Have you heard of anything like this before.

[lindapalm]

I agree with Ginger899, I think your dog is sniffing for that reason, maybe even the cats fur is wetter than normal , after peeing so much because of the meds , and hes leaving more scent than normal.  I would definately give the vet another try, and would not hesitate if surgery is necessary.  You could get a lot more years out of him that way.  Our cat coughs and snorts from allergies, more towards the fall and winter.  Did they definately rule out allergies for yours?  I know what you mean about having a hard time getting him there, and them being scared while they're there, but keep telling yourself its for his own good, and he's a lucky cat because he's getting so much care.

[tigersmom]

Thanks so much for the reply, I didn't even think that the medicine could be the reason for the dog's behavior. You right with the full bladder etc and also possibly maybe the medicine just makes his urine smell different as well.  You're post made me feel better & Tiger does have another vet appointment although he does freak out with stress, he"ll just have to deal with it for his own good (& mine). Thank you again!

[ginger899]

Well yes, it is well-known that dogs can sniff out cancers. But when they do that I believe they have been trained in a certain way (?) much like police sniffer-dogs are trained. I think so. I used to take my dog, years ago to help look after my mother, and at the time she had ovarian cancer. But my dog showed no especial interest in sniffing either her, or where she had been sitting etc.

Theophylline is a "Xanthine" drug, used to treat bronchoconstriction. Xanthines are related to caffeine, and many of the side effects are similar to those of caffeine. One of them can be increased urine output. I am wondering...if your cat has to pee more frequently, or has a full bladder more often, it could be that he leaves tiny "spots" where he has been lying. Maybe not enough for you to notice any smell, but enough to interest your dog...? Just a thought.

I know your poor cat has had enough pokings and proddings and vet visits, and I understand what you mean about the stress, as my dog hated going to the vet too. It used to stress her. But at age 13 (although that doesn't have to be an advanced age for a cat and some can live to age 20) -it might be a good idea to have a senior blood panel, and a regular health check done on him every 6 months. And thoroughly check for any lumps and bumps regularly.
Bloodwork shows up a lot about any trouble or imbalances going on, before any symptoms occur, in most cases, so the quicker something is caught, the earlier it can be treated.
As for surgery....most 13 year old cats, and dogs, can handle surgery very well. The trouble with your cat though, would be his heart condition, and any lung problem. So you would have to be prepared for the vet to say he was not fit for surgery....I don't know. However, certain sedation may be OK, and some minor surgeries, with sedation can be done under local anesthetic.