Kennel Cough - What to Expect?

markroehl · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 4:08 pm Post subject: Kennel Cough - What to Expect?

Tobey has kennel cough, it started on Saturday and got really bad Saturday night. He's been throwing up and isn't eating very much.

What can I expect for the next couple of days? One of our friends is a vet, who is coming over tonight to check him out, but I want to check with other weim owners who may have been through this already. Any feedback you can offer would be appreciated.

jamiekuntz11 · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 4:13 pm Post subject:

i have nothing to add but i hope that Tobey gets better and feels better...

weimdawgs · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:03 pm Post subject:

I don't have any advice, but I sure do hope he feels better soon. Love is the best medicine Soppy / in love

GrayGhost · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:18 pm Post subject:

That really depends on what it is, as to what you can expect. Kennel cough is just a general term that describes a certain set of symptoms (Tracheobronchitis), rather than a specific disease.

Now, many people specifically mean Bordetella when they say "kennel cough", but bordetella is just one of many causes.

Bordetella simply causes an upper respiratory infection. If he is throwing up, there is likely something else involved. Be sure to keep him hydrated. I typically use Pedialyte if I have a dog that is vomiting or that has diarrhea.

I am glad you have someone coming over to take a look. Smile

LuvinWeimies · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:27 pm Post subject:

Your friend will probally give you one or two different medications to clear things up. As for the vomitting, that does sound like something different. If you boarded Tobey at a kennel, which is likely the source of the kennel cough, it could be that maybe they fed him a different food than he is used to so it got his system out of wack or also it could be caused by stress while he was there, I usually only see it in the form of diarrea though, very rarely vomitting. Some dogs get so nervous while they are there that they won't eat a thing! Poor babes! If he was vaccinated for kennel cough he shouldn't have aquired it. Where I work we require it every 6 months for both boarding and grooming, although some facilitites only require it every year.I would want to see what their policy was regarding it and make sure that all animals in their care are vaccinated. I hope Tobey gets better soon. Best of Luck!

markroehl · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 9:50 pm Post subject:

He's on a few meds, so everything should be fine. His cough has slowed down too and he seems to have some more energy so that's good.

LuvinWeimies · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 9:53 pm Post subject:

Im glad he is doing better. Very Happy

sherry · Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 4:40 pm Post subject:

Jag had kennel couch a few weeks ago and he has been vaccinated for it.Jag still ate while he was sick and still had all of his energy although he couldn't play as much without having to stop and cough.He was put on antibiotics for it and it lasted for about 10 days.Good luck with your baby.

anne · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:29 am Post subject:

As GG said there are many strains and kennel cough covers an infection by any number of upper respiratory "bugs." This is why the kennel cough vaccine is a waste of money. A dog given the vaccine is not immune, they can catch another strain and they can even get it from the vaccine iteslf.
Young pups sometimes get kennel cough like kids get sick. Treat the symptoms with kids Robitussin and it will go away. In healthy pups often in a day or 2.
Antibiotics are often give as vets tend to like to hand out pills and owners like to give them (makes them feel like they are doing something about it) but if the cause is a virus then antibiotics are useless.
Pups do get this sometimes and rarely a healthy adult. Treat it like you would a human cold... Vit C and echanacea is what I'd do, they gte over it fast.