This is kind of a two part question .. About a week ago, I had taken my dog to the vet to treat her ears, she had been kenneled up there for the day and now it sounds like she has kennel cough. My question is how do you know for sure it is kennel cough and what are the treatments for it? She is already on steriods and antibiotics because of her ears so could this really be kennel cough or is there something else that could be wrong causing this "cough" ;? Thanks in advance.
Obviously it is true that we cannot diagnose over the net - of course.
However there are various suggestions we can make without causing harm to your dog.
First of all if the cough started a couple of days after then it can often be the tubes used down the throat for the GA. Sometimes if your dog opens its mouth wide enough you will find an ulcer/blister on the back of the throat caused by the tubes. This is not unusual.
Then if it has started about a week later then it is highly likely to be kennel cough. Unfortunately, if someone brings their dog into the surgery with it then it will spread being an airborne virus.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com If it is kennel cough then there is no treatment (as such) for it as anti-biotics do not kill a virus. However, when a dog gets kennel cough it is the complications that can arise from it that AB's are sometimes given. Such as pneumonia. This however is also rare and in general most strains of KC are mild enough for a dog to overcome itself.
So .... as your dog is already on AB's then I would suggest you start spoon feeding the best honey you can find, Manuka being the very best, and this will help his throat. Personally I have never been to the vets with kennel cough as long as it remains mild.
You can add the following to help as well whether it is kennel cough or not.
Big dollop of honey (buy the best you can afford, Manuka is the best) Big dollop of blackcurrant jam2 drops of tea tree essential oilmix with some boiled water, allow to cool then administer as and when necessary.You can give it safely as nothing to overdose on.
Obviously if it did continue then you would need to have it investigated for heart or trachea problems, but I doubt those are a concern at the moment.
When I first got my puppy he was 8 weeks old (he's 1 years old now ) and he was coughing up mucus. I got worried so I took him to the vet, and it took them forever to figure out if it was kennel cough. They thought it was distemper at first, (which scared the living hell out of me ) just because distemper is very deadly to puppies. But I called the shelter where I got him at, and they had he had his distemper vaccine, so it wasn't distemper. They just diagnosed him with severe Kennel Cough, so they put him on antibiotics, and he was fine within 3 weeks.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Just take your pup to the vet, just to give you peace of mind. Good luck=)
you wont really know unless you ask the vet. Kennel cough symptoms generally include coughing (for my pup it was a dry cough, then a wet cough), coughing up mucus, sore throat (which the vet can look down into and see if it's inflamed, causing the soreness and redness that humans get also), may have a fever, may not want to eat due to the sore throat and may just be grumpy.
does she have an ear infection? is that what's wrong with her ears? if she has an infection of some sort, the coughing could just be from the infection. humans sometimes gets coughing and colds due to infection. kennel cough is a airborne illness that is caused by being kenneled up amongst other dogs that have it. that's how its passed. she may just be having a doggy cold, or she may be having an reaction to the meds. ask the vet. they can reassure you.
ADD: the treatment for my pup was 2 pills a day of clavimox, or whatever it's called. He also had another little blue pill ..... it's been since september so i don't really remember. The vet can give you meds if it is kennel cough.
Please see your vet. Kennel cough, if that's what it is, can have a long term effect (and not a good one) on a dog's heart. Your dog needs to see a veterinarian for diagnosis and immediate treatment if needed. No one can make a diagnosis over the internet. Only a vet can prescribe the necessary medication.
