kennel cough
by vita
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
Though i have read someinformation on kennel cough in the archives, I would like to know more. Boris, 14 weeks old, has kennel cough. The vet has put him on amoxicillin. It has only been 3 doeses so far, so of course the cough is still present. People havesaid that it is a cough that "sounds worse than it is." The vet says within a week's time it will go away. Does anyone know what causes this? I know that untreated, it can become a serious problem. I am hoping for the best, but let's say when the medicine is finished, this cough still is present. Any suggestions for the next step? Has anyone run into a problem finding the "cure" for this. I trust my vet, but I guess I am just worried and hope that others sharing their experiences can perhaps make me feel better or warn me of dangers that I don't know about. I hope that this query will get responses, so that when other people need to search the archives, there is more information than what I found.
DISCUSSION:
I know about kennel cough. My veterinarian told me it is a bacterial infection, and it is highly contagious. If a dog has it and breathes on your furbaby, your furbaby will more than likely get it. It can also be in the ground. Even dogs who are vaccinated with the bordatella vaccine can contract a case severe enough to require antibiotics. It can be very dangerous if untreated. Several greyhounds (racing dogs who were kept in kennels) died recently in Florida and other states.
Susan
Hi Vita~ When Princess came home she also had kennel cough and was 14 weeks old. Our vet treated it with amoxicillin, too. She took the full course and still had the cough. In fact, it got a little worse after the medicine ran out, but within a couple of weeks from then, the cough went away. It sounds horrible and can really be bothersome, especially at night or after sleeping, but it really does sound worse than it really is. It just has to run its course over time. Be sure to finish every drop of the amoxicillin...that's to ward off a worse infection while his resistance is low.
Mary, Cody & Princess
Vita,If this cough does not go away, you may need to consider a heart murmur. Sometimes vets will hear a slight murmur and not tell you. Ask your vet. I was told that Cotton had kennel cough, but he actually had an undiagnosed heart murmur. Cotton is much older than your little baby--he is 14 years old. Heart murmurs can show up in younger dogs. Certainly don't panic. Just keep an eye on him. See if the cough keeps coming back even after a full treatment of antibiotics. The vet can also aggitate his throut (sp?) to see if he is able to make him cough. I think if he can make him cough, it is not his heart--can't quite remember. I just wanted to tell you about all of the possibilities. Give your pooch a smooch from Cotton (14) and Nike (2).
Georgiann and Cotton
Hi Vita - Bailey had it also (at 12 weeks, when I got him) - Like your vet, he was on amoxi drops for ten days, then went back to the vet. The cough seemed to have gone away, and the vet had heard no fluid on his lungs afterwords (about two weeks after starting the medicine). About 3 weeks ago (he's 19 weeks old now) he had gotten another cough after getting his bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine - we were going to Florida, and the Dept of Health required him to have it to board the plane with me. While in Florida, he began coughing again, so I called the vet (I was only away for 5 days) and litterally dropped my bags in my apartment and went right to the vet - they did a series of chest x-rays and put him back on a little stronger antibiotic (he's twice the size he was when he had his first case). The x-rays looked 'okay', not terrific, he went back last week (the vet said if it is ignored, and you think it may have gone away, sometimes it isn't and can turn into pnemonia, they had two puppies, Bailey's age hooked up to IV's there for pnemonia because their owners thought it went away after the medication because the cough was gone - like me). Well, he had a second set of x-rays, and finally, beautiful, clear lungs. The point of my babbling, please, please do a follow up after the medication is finished, and maybe two weeks after that, just to make sure!! And, if you have any other pets in the house (I don't but my vet asked) get them checked as well, because it is air born. Keep us posted!!!
Mary & Bailey
It was wonderful to wake up this morning, turn the computer on and read the responses to my question. In fact, the cough is worse when Boris wakes up and that reassured me alittle. I certainly will follow up, even if the cough appears to go away with the end of the medication. It is only two days and i think I hear a loosening, cough not so dry. Does that sound possible or am i remembering what it was like with my human babies as a cough ran its course and got more phlemy. My daughter, the pediatrician said Amoxicillan is used in kids to treat similar upper resp problems, at about 10 times the dose for a kid that weighs 40 pounds. I would appreciate any advice and will kepp you posted.
vita
Since I know this posting will be removed shortyly I wanted to report that after a week Boris' cough has disappeared, we have perhaps 4 doses of medication left, that I will give him. From reading the responses, i know that this should certainly be monitored a little longer. He is due for vet appointment within a week and half for rabies shot, so we shall see. But all seems well. So glad no coughing.
vita
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