My dog has come down with something, and I would like to try to figure
out what it is without going to the vet.  She is fully vaccinated
against rabies, parvo, distemper, kennel cough, as well as any other
vaccines routinely given to dogs.

Her symptoms are: coughing, sneezing, white/yellow creamy discharge
from her eyes, diarrhea, a rash on her stomach which comes and goes
and she's lethargic.  She is a 1 1/2 year old Chocolate Labrodor who
is generally very healthy.  The symptoms have been occuring for 4-5
days now, though the eye discharge and lethargy are more recent (past
2 days or so).  She is regularly exposed to other dogs at the city dog
park, though I have seen no other dogs there with the same symptoms.

I have searched the internet for information on canine diseases and
have not found anything that matches these symptoms.  The closest
disease seems to be distemper, which I really hope this is not.  She's
vaccinated against it, so that shouldn't be possible.  Please advise
ASAP.  Thank you.

Hi bl00d-ga,
   I certainly do empathize with you and your situation. I too know
what it's like to be a worried owner with a sick pet.
   Although knowledge of various ailments that can affect our beloved
pets is very beneficial in helping to have healthier animals, I cannot
stress enough the importance of getting your dog to a vet right away!
Even if you were able to diagnose the problem yourself, chances are
treatment would still have to come from a vet. Delaying treatment
might only increase her recovery time, as well as raise the potential
for a negative outcome.
    You did not mention if your dog had been wormed. Have you
considered the possibility of parasites?
(http://www.lbah.com/intpar.htm#Symptoms)
    Here is another possibilty...
http://www.vetinfo.com/dmeningitis.html
Here is some information that you might find helpful for your dog
until you are able to get her treatment...
http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/ddiarrhea.html#Diarrhea%20with%20%20Giardia
"In an older dog with acute diarrhea there are some things that you
can do
at home that may be helpful. It is often beneficial to with-hold food
for
24 hours and to keep fluid intake to small amounts at one time without
restricting the total intake. A good method of allowing access to
small
quantities of water at once is to put ice cubes in your dog's bowl. As
they
melt water is produced in small quantities. It is usually OK to
administer
an anti-diarrheal product such as Immodium AD but your vet should
calculate
the first dose for you. Some vets advise giving a small amount of
plain
yogurt."
If the reluctance to take her to a vet is because of the high cost,
there might be some options. I for one, have found myself flat broke
with a vet emergency on my hands more than once! You might try asking
your regular vet if they would make some sort of payment arrangments
with you. I have been lucky enough to find vets who would take
payments (rather than paying the bill in one lump sum) and postdated
checks. It never hurts to ask!

Best of luck to you with your dog!
chellphill-ga

Hi b100d,

Another possibility is food allergy which some dogs develop over time.

Skin and Allergy Problems in Dogs:
Symptoms include "...diarrhea, flatulence, sneezing, asthma like symptoms..."
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/canine-allergies.html#food-flea

Good luck,
hummer

It's always worth taking a sick dog to the vet.

Vets are much better at getting a good diagnosis but, sometimes, even
they can't get a fix without further analysis.

When Daisy is sick, I take her to the vet (who is absolutely super)
and, often, he just gives her an injection and that does the trick.

Is there no P.D.S.A. near you?

I took her to a vet yesterday afternoon.  He diagnosed it as a severe
upper respiratory infection, probably caused by a virus, gave her two
shots of antibiotics and gave her a 7-day oral antibiotic
prescription.  She's feeling much better now, but the vet said it was
good that I got her in when I did, since this sort of thing can
typically progress to pneumonia fairly quickly.

Thanks for the feedback.