Kennel cough

Hi and welcome to Terrier Talk!

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

Join our community!

If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features.

Kennel cough; Risk to the Ds
Topic Started: Sep 4 2009, 06:52 PM (72 Views)
zandd	Sep 4 2009, 06:52 PM Post #1
Moderator Posts: 23,519 Group: Moderators Member #48 Joined: February 5, 2005	Angela needs to get a poorly lass from Bristol to Tailends Sunday,I could do this BUT she "may" have kennel cough,she also has heart problems and lung tumour so cough could be due to that.She has been on antibiotics for 8 days now - if I take her I will need to have my two with me as it's just too long and too far to be away from them.Would they be at risk if it is Kennel Cough,they aren't vaccinated and I know very little about it,what would you advise?



Kimmie	Sep 4 2009, 07:11 PM Post #2
Chatterbox Posts: 1,314 Group: Full Members Member #168 Joined: January 12, 2006	They would be at risk of contracting KC I would say, if she has it. KC is an airbourne virus so your dogs wouldn't necessarily have to go nose to nose with an affected dog to contract the virus. Although there is a vaccination out there for KC, it only covers a few of the various different strains of the KC virus so even a vaccination against it isn't a sure form of protection from it. KC shows approx 7 days from first contracting the virus and takes up to 3 weeks after the coughing and runny nose have gone before it's out of the system and is no longer contagious. I give my two KC nosodes and neither of them have contracted KC since they have been having them - but of course with the short period of time between now and you doing this run they wouldn't get to you in time or have any kind of protection. Even when other people's dogs have contracted KC at shows Kira has been too, she's been lucky enough not to contract. I'd err on the side of caution, especially as Daisy :wub: isn't quite a spring chicken. Edited by Kimmie, Sep 4 2009, 07:12 PM.



zandd	Sep 4 2009, 07:37 PM Post #3
Moderator Posts: 23,519 Group: Moderators Member #48 Joined: February 5, 2005	:err: that's what I thought,it's more than likely the cough is due to her heart condition or lung tumour but don't think I can risk it.I won't drive more than an hour away from the Ds - daft I know but there's only me to care for them and this trip would be 3 hours one way.



Linda & Fred	Sep 5 2009, 07:22 AM Post #4
Chatterbox Posts: 916 Group: Full Members Member #571 Joined: November 28, 2007	I was told by the vet who homechecked me for boarding, and by my own vets (who I asked with regard boarding as well) that it is passed in saliva, so it's airbourne in that if the dog coughs droplets will go flying and your dogs breathe them in they could get infected (if the dog does have KC). If you let your dogs drink from shared water bowls, for instance at country parks, there's a risk of infection there anyway. Kennel cough takes a long time for a dog not to be infectious (so I have been told). I've also been told that carrying dogs in my van is a very small risk (even having dogs in my house is too small a risk to need to vaccinate my own dogs), while being slobbered on by slobbery dogs is a much higher risk. Why don't you give your vet a ring and have a chat? They should be able to give you a much better idea of any risk.



Halfpint1775	Sep 7 2009, 09:44 PM Post #5
Chatterbox Posts: 1,622 Group: Full Members Member #284 Joined: August 21, 2006	My best friends dog was diagnosed with KC today. I'm really worried as she was contagious from Saturday and both mine went together in car, walked together and possibly drank from same bowls. They also went walks yesterday. I'm worried for Musty. At 14 I'm not sure how bad it could get for him. She has to keep all her dogs in for 2 weeks. Her other 2 dogs are fine at the moment.



zandd	Sep 7 2009, 10:09 PM Post #6
Moderator Posts: 23,519 Group: Moderators Member #48 Joined: February 5, 2005	Keep an eye on them both Lorna but don't worry too much,have a very good recipe for dog cough mixture from Wiccaweys which many folk have used. Oh and Nellie arrived safely at Tailends on Sunday evening,lucky girl.



Kimmie	Sep 7 2009, 10:26 PM Post #7
Chatterbox Posts: 1,314 Group: Full Members Member #168 Joined: January 12, 2006	Give them both some runny honey will help build up their immune system, they will love it too. :yippee: Get some of the Benylin non drowsy cough mixture in too as this helps soothe their tickly throats should they contract KC. Will take about 7 days for symptoms to start showing if they have caught it.



Linda & Fred	Sep 8 2009, 11:08 AM Post #8
Chatterbox Posts: 916 Group: Full Members Member #571 Joined: November 28, 2007	Kimmie Sep 7 2009, 10:26 PM Get some of the Benylin non drowsy cough mixture in too as this helps soothe their tickly throats should they contract KC. Will take about 7 days for symptoms to start showing if they have caught it. I'd avoid human medicines unless the vet recommends them, especially if they are insured and you want to make a claim if they do get KC. Hopefully they won't catch it, there won't be much saliva in the bowl I don't suppose? Small dogs don't create much slobber.



Kimmie	Sep 8 2009, 12:54 PM Post #9
Chatterbox Posts: 1,314 Group: Full Members Member #168 Joined: January 12, 2006	My vet did recommend the benylin instead of the antibiotics as the antibiotics prolong the illness. Though maybe ask your own vet - as obviously opinions differ.



Tafia	Sep 8 2009, 04:06 PM Post #10
Total Gas Bag! Posts: 6,016 Group: Full Members Member #134 Joined: November 17, 2005	Kimmie Sep 8 2009, 12:54 PM My vet did recommend the benylin instead of the antibiotics as the antibiotics prolong the illness. Though maybe ask your own vet - as obviously opinions differ. Antibiotics are worse than useless with viral infections. Pointless to perscribe them and in the long term, with more and more bugs becoming resistant, highly dangerous.



1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)


« Previous Topic · Health and Diet · Next Topic »