Argh - We've got the Cough

Ravenwood

Ravenwood

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 November 2005
Messages
11,196
Location
Devon
Visit site
As if today hasn't been bad enough (see my SB post) Flyn, my spaniel has started coughing
frown.gif


The shooting season just gone, was rife with kennel cough and I couldn't believe my luck that we saw the season through to the end and avoided it!

I have absolutely no idea where he has caught if from, but poor dog is having horrible bouts of coughing. I guess my lab will come down with it soon too.

Hugs and vibes for Flyn please - he's looking a bit bewildered!
 
Mine has just got over KC. It's really nasty isn't it. It's spreading like wildfire in South London, so if you are in the SE it wouldn't surprise me. Poor Flyn. Thankfully, the antib's work pretty quick. It's horrible to see though.
 
Poor thing, bet he's feeling sorry for himself so hope it's a mild attack.

What on earth were people thinking about taking coughing dogs out into company; don't they realise how serious it can be? Sorry, not having a go at you, it just seems so irresponsible. Even if the actual dog wasn't coughing, if they had it in their kennel they shouldn't have taken any dog out until it was well cleared surely?

Lots of hugs and treats to Flyn!
 
Thing is though P, they can be infectious before they actually start coughing. I have just had to ring my friend to warn her as we took five dogs to the beach on Sunday all in the same car. So there is a good chance her dogs will catch it too now, even though Flyn only started coughing today.

Some people though, are incredibly irresponsible and take their dogs out when they have stopped coughing, when in fact they can still be contagious 10 days or more after.
 
Didn't know that about before coughing, you always think that's the start of it don't you? Let's hope the others escape somehow though as you say, highly unlikely. We found, the only time we've had it, many years ago, that the first to have it were the worst affected and as it went through them, it gradually became weaker; but all the dogs were pretty poorly for quite some time. Well, you know how yourself feels when you've been full of flu, you don't want to be rushing about for a while as it really takes it out of you so I can't understand people actually thinking the dogs will be fine just because they've stopped actually coughing.
 
He's a typical spaniel - always so busy and on the go. He will be terribly upset when I go riding without him tomorrow
frown.gif
 
I thought the KC jab wasn't that effective anyway? Or it only stops certain strains?

Poor wee Flyn
frown.gif
I bet he is feeling very sorry for himself! It's such a horrible thing to get, I hope he is feeling better soon.
 
[ QUOTE ]
And I guess not one dog has been vaccinated annually against KC???

[/ QUOTE ]

No as GinaB says there are so many strains and you have to remember that my dogs will ride with up to 14 different other dogs a day and then another lot of dogs a couple of days later, etc through the shoot season - quite literally they will be in extremely close contact with 100's of dogs within a few months so as you can imagine if KC is doing the rounds its likely that the strains not covered by the jab will be present.

Also there are a lot of people who are not as scupulous as you or me as discussed above.

However, having said all that I think once this bout is over I may well take them to have the jab. A bit like closing the stable door once the horse has bolted
blush.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]

No as GinaB says there are so many strains and you have to remember that my dogs will ride with up to 14 different other dogs a day and then another lot of dogs a couple of days later, etc through the shoot season - quite literally they will be in extremely close contact with 100's of dogs within a few months so as you can imagine if KC is doing the rounds its likely that the strains not covered by the jab will be present. (quote)

It is not a "jab" - if you have had vaccination against KC you would know it is given as a spray intranasaly. KC is caused by the bacterium Bordatella Bronchiseptica and the vaccine is VERY effective. The vaccine for canine Parainfluenza (more often the cause of KC in the USA) is given as an injection and again very effective. Both protect against most known strains of bacterium and virus. Bordatella vaccines may be recommended every 6 - 10 months in some cases of working or show dogs. And a dog can shed the Bordatella virus for 3 - 4 months after recovery from the disease.

We field work, lure course, and show our dogs in the UK, Europe and the USA and all are fully vaccinated. Obviously at major champ shows in the same air space as thousands of other dogs and KC is rife in the UK as so many so called "professionals" never bother with any kind of vaccinations. The World Dog Show in Stockholm this month just had 36,000 entries over the 4 days and thanks to the very very strict Swedish laws on vaccination and imports not one coughing dog was heard. Go to a UK show like the Hound Association of Scotland Champ show in April and almost every other beagle, foxhound, and hamiltonstovre was coughing it's head off.

We (touch wood) in 30 yrs have only had one case of KC and that was from a 10 month old male we brought in that had vaccination papers but we found out he had fought the intranasal spray and the vet gave up trying to give it to him but put it down as done anyway. It never spread to any of our other vaccinated dogs and we isolated this male until fully recovered.
 
We've had KC as well this summer, in 2 of our 5..... and no they havent had the vaccination. The year I did vaccinate we still got it - badly.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Mine has just got over KC. It's really nasty isn't it. It's spreading like wildfire in South London, so if you are in the SE it wouldn't surprise me. Poor Flyn. Thankfully, the antib's work pretty quick. It's horrible to see though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine got it in June
frown.gif
- Am in SE London - the vets said they were seeing a new case a day rather than one per week.

Found this info on it useful:

http://www.maccvets.co.uk/fact_sheets/fact_sheets_companion_kennel_cough.htm

Anyway - My dog got it from a vaccinated dog that we walk in the park with and another dog that was also vaccinated got it. My parents dog got it too (also completely vaccinated.) My dog wasn't vaccinated against it - but clearly in this case it wouldn't have made a difference if he been.

ETS: Ravenwood - sorry to read about Flyn
frown.gif
 
I never vaccinate against KC. Have only done so once with my bitch as needed to put her in kennels and they insisted on it.....she came out of kennels with KC.
frown.gif
So dont bother now, and its horrible for them up their nose.

KC has an incubation period of 5-7 days, so usually once they start showing signs they have already passed it on.
 
Your attitude is EXACTLY why KC is rampant. The first time they are vaccinated they still do not have immunity immediately, it can take up to 14 days for it to "kick in". Often people wait until they HAVE to have it in order to place their dog in a boarding kennel and do not get the intranasal given far enough ahead for the vaccine to become effective. And did your vet specifically diagnose KC afterwards?

Horrible for them? No more horrible than an injection. We have only ever had one who does not accept it. And definately no more horrible than KC / Parainfluenza / Parvo / Distemper that dogs suffer from when owners do not get their dogs fully vaccinated wth DHLPP and Bortadella.
 
KC VACINE IS A WASTE OF TIME AS THERE IS ABOUT 32 KC STRAINS OF IT AHD AS YOU SAY YOU CAN STILL CATCH KC ONCE GIVEN...IF YOUR DOGS STARTS TO HACK/COUGH GIVE HIM BENELIN FOR CHESTY COUGHS...IVE NEVER USE IT BUT HAS BEEN RECOMENDED BY DOG OWNERS AND EVEN SOME VETS

ONE OF MY DOGS CAUGHT A COUGH WASNT SURE IF IT WAS KC...TOOK HER TO THE VET AND THEY DIDNT REALLY DO ANYTHING JUST ADVISED ME TO KEEP HER AWAY FROM OTHER DOGS,,,IT SOON CLEARED UP

THE KENNELS IVE USED DONT ASK KC TO BE GIVEN
 
That reply is a load of C!"@*. Sorry to be blunt but the KC vaccine prevents the MAJORITY of strains of the bacterium Bortadella. Attitudes like that only help to spread and strengthen the problem. I take it you also do not believe in DHLPPfor your dogs, or Flu/Tet for your horses, typhus for yourself for a holiday to known infection zones? There are always new strains of virus and bacterium but the pharmaceutical companies keep up as much as is humanly possible and prevention is better than cure.

Giving the intranasal Bortadella vaccine AND the injectable Parainfluenza protects against most strains. Bring back the days of having to present your equine flu/tet papers before entering large competition venues, and for dogs DHLPP and KC vaccination certs before getting into show venues and field trials.

And it is illegal to give veterinary advice like prescribing Benylin to someone elses dog. Dangerous in fact. Easy to overdose on Benylin. And it is ONLY a cough suppresant, some dogs are sensitive to it as it causes a release of histamines and this initself can cause a severe allergic reaction. The bacterial form of KC is treated effectively with antibiotics.

KC cases need to be seen and diagnosed by a vet. What if it is a bacterial strain the affects the pulmonary cavity - untreated - death a real possibility. And puppies and elderly dogs are particularly vulnerable to the set in of pneumonia from it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top