My puppy has got Kennel Cough and my vet won't treat it, advice please

Demolition_Derby

Demolition_Derby

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My 4 month old started coughing quite badly on Wednesday afternoon/evening, she eats ANYTHING that is on the floor so I thought she may have something stuck in her throat - I put my fingers down as far as I could but couldn't feel anything. By yesterday mid-morning she was coughing very badly so I took her to the vets, he confirmed it was Kennel Cough. He said that some vets treat it but a lot don't. I always thought that it needed to be treated so I questioned this, he said there was no point as she would fight it off herself and if he gave her antibiotics it would only be to make ME feel better and it would make no difference to her
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By the end of the consultation he still hadn't mentioned any sort of 'isolation period' even though I told him that I walked her in a park with lots of other dogs so I asked him about it. His reply was 'she can walk around other dogs just don't stop to chat for too long'. I'm sorry but is that not how this virus is passed - by contact with other dogs?? It seems ridiculous to me.

So in conclusion even though I expressed a lot of concern he refuses to give her antibiotics unless she gets much worse. She woke up this morning with a very snotty nose and although she could breathe through it she was weezy
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Do I take her back to my vets and show him that she has got worse?

I have never had a dog with KC before but my friend who I walk with during the week took her dog to the vets yesterday too (different vets but same village) as she was coughing too and they told her to isolate her for 2 weeks, gave her antibiotics and told her that its quite serious
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Any advice please? Shall I leave her to fight it or take her to a different vets?

Thank you
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your vet is probably reluctant to give antibiotics because its most likey viral. The only time one of ours was given any, was when he sounded chesty with it as well.

try steam - take her into the bathroom when you shower
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Also, benelyn chesty for kiddies works well to sooth.

As for being able to walk round other dogs! Utter crap! KC competetition rules state that you must keep your dog away from shows for 21 days AFTER coughing has ceased!! Even then, they can still be carrying & infecting others. PLease - keep your dog totally isolated for at least this period! (my vets btw, wont even allow you in the waiting room, you are seen in the car if you suspect kc)

hope she gets better soon!
 
As above, you can try children's benylin. You're obviously worried so either take her back or go to a different practice.
 
Thank you - I will go and get some Benylin. I was just worried that it was getting worse and she is looking very uncomfortable.

I will also keep her away from other dogs (as I thought but I was very surprised at my vets reaction).

Thank you for your help
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it can be distressing to watch them with it, its horrible! Its only really serious in old/infirm dogs or very young puppies... you might need a syringe to get her to take the benelyn
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He should of def mentioned for you not to take her anywhere near other dogs,thats the first thing we say to our clients when they present us with a dog showing signs.

We also give anti biotics to help with recovery,even if it is just viral.
 
We had a dog from rescue a couple of years ago who came home with awful kennel cough. As with you, the vet said there was no treatment he could give due to it being viral.

We took him home, and within a few days he had a burning temperature and was just sleeping non stop. They agreed to treat him as apparently it had progressed to a chest infection.

Just keep a close eye on her, as the vet says, she should be able to fight it off herself. If she gets any worse, then try taking her to a different vets. I do agree that it is odd that he said she is fine meeting with other dogs
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it's a bit like human colds I suspect, people want something but actually a/b's will do no good! (I suspect )
 
I can't believe your vet said it'd be ok to walk her just don't stop and chat for too long!!! Vets continue to amaze me at the weird things they come up with!
As has been said Benylin might help her feel a bit better/more comfy.
I'd call your vet (or maybe find a new one) if she gets worse as she is only 4 months old so might struggle to overcome it if it's a bad case
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No wonder there are other dogs in the village with KC if the vets are telling you to walk around together!
I know many vets do not let suspected KC cases into the vets and just say isolate the dog but I'd be concerned at a pups ability to fight off a bad case on their own.
 
We kept Loki away from other dogs for 3 weeks when he got KC. So he went out in the garden and once the coughing had stopped I did walk him on the lead around some quiet roads once a day - we didn't ever see any other dogs and he is not a 'dribbly' dog and so wasn't spreading saliva everywhere - so I think I was minimising the risk. Is a real pain tho
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Kennel cough's pretty much like a human cold so there's not really a lot in the way of treatment - I think someone's already said that though
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I'd be inclined to change vet though as he doesn't seem to know what he's doing.

You're doing the right thing keeping her away from other dogs, our vets don't let you take the dogs into the surgery if you think it's kennel cough unless there's a serious problem because of spreading it so I'm surprised your vet said it was ok to have her out and about.

It's a pain in the backside! It swept through all of ours just before xmas 07, it sounded like we'd got a houseful of smokers with 11 dogs coughing away LOL
 
According to what I know, as long as your dog haven't developed pneumonia, your veterinarian was correct to not give your dog any antibiotic. Unless it has gotten to his/hers lungs, antibiotics will be of as much use in your dogs body as if you flush them down your toilet.



I've copied my own answer from another thread on this subject : Usually the dog is well again after 7 to 10 days, but it can take up to 3 weeks. Treatment in Sweden = Rest, good quality food and more rest. If he/she gets fever or if it's affecting their general condition, more than normal for a sick puppy/dog ( don't ask me how you're supposed to be able to determine that ), then he/she needs to be taken to the vet.
Some sort of Kennel Cough can lead to pneumonia, or cause bacterias to grow in the lungs, BUT others don't. If it gets to their lungs, that's when they need antibiotics.

As far as I know, once they're cured, they're cured for this time. But Kennel Cough can be compared to the sort of cold that older humans are told they should go and get themselves vaccinated against each autumn, in the way that it comes to an area, some dogs get it, some dogs don't, then it goes away, and then next year, or a few years later, the same or another sort of Kennel Cough might come back. And if it does, your dog might or might not get it again.

It's highly contagious, so avoid other dogs, but if you've more dogs than one, I don't really know if it's any point trying to keep them apart.
Though we had Kennel Cough in my area one year, it's a densely dog-populated area and neither of my two dogs I had then, got it.



Summary of advices from a very good book that I have :
Human cough medicine, to dogs below 5 kg. a ½ teaspoon, to dogs about 10 kg. 1 teaspoon.

A little extra C-vitamins can help the immune system, but in large doses it can cause diarrhoea, so if he/she does keep his food down, you shouldn't give him/her a full daily dose of C-vitamin in the shape of supplement. Daily dose for a small dog is 100 milligramme, medium size dog 250 milligramme.

Heat up the food a little bit before your dog gets it, and/or blend it with meat broth.

Hoover and dust your home an extra time, so that there will be less particles for your dog to be able to inhale.

Use a harness or a Halti and not a collar, to avoid putting the extra pressure on the throat from the outside.



Also there's is different sorts of Kennel Cough, and the vaccine doesn't cover all of them. So even vaccinated dogs can definitely get Kennel Cough, and as I understand it they might even be able to get the sort they're vaccinated against, but the vaccination prevents them from developing the bad symptoms.


Hope your dog gets well soon.
 
My vet swears by the homeopathic nosode for both prevention and treatment of kennel cough. He says it's the only thing that works. He's a 'normal' vet not an alternative one.
 
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