Phil & Candace,

Thank you for your responses.  The vet and previous vet (I spoke to
today) believe he may have developed asthma.  Today's vet gave him a
short-acting steroid to see if it would help with the labored
breathing. If not, both of them suggest an abdominal ultrasound since
chest x-rays showed nothing except some spinal trouble.  If his labored
breathing has not improved by Wednesday, I thought I would see a
specialist in internal medicine whom I have seen before in the Boston
area.  Since March, his symptoms have ranged from appearing to be
diabetes, thyroid problems, spinal pain/arthritis, etc., etc.  They
said if I take him to a specialist in internal medicine, with all the
records, I'd have the best chance at figuring out what is wrong.  They
both thought the gulping could be related to asthma, as a new allergic
reaction to something. He had wax in his ears associated with
allergies, she said today. I don't understand why this is so hard to
figure out, except that his symptoms keep changing. The other thing
they mentioned was cancer; hence, the abdominal ultrasound.  The pain
in his left side was gone today, but he still has moderate labored
breathing, so he is not OK.  I will check out the ref's you gave me,
Phil, and see if I find something more suitable than the MA Vet
Referral Svc in Woburn, MA, where I took my elderly Pug dog for eye
care (opthalmologist).  Dr. McNabb was exceptional with that.

Take care & thanks again,
Debbie & *Henry*