Kennel Cough

[oakway]

I see so many questions about Kennel Cough.

What most of you describe, to me is nothing but a common problem called Husk.

Lets go back to the beginning. The first start of Kennel Cough.

The dogs started this terrible hacking cough. It didn't stop it was continuous. The dog had pus in their eyes and from the nostrils. They could do nothing, some were so bad they could not stand.

The vets tried so hard but it was something so new to all of us.

Then the the dogs were coughing blood. They coughed so bad the blood was sprayed on the walls from ruptured lungs and then you knew that their was little hope or I should say NO hope of survival.

Whole kennels were wiped out. Especially some Greyhound Kennels.

It was the most pitiful time I have ever spent in dogs.

We are lucky now days, what with the help of preventative medicines and vaccines.

I hope this gives some of you an incite to what the original out break of Kennel Cough was like.

By the way if your dog has a nasty cough no matter what, seek advise and treatment.

Edited July 31, 2009 by oakway

[Kirislin]

Wow! I never knew it was so serious. I used to hear vets speak of it like it was just a slight inconvenience but not a real worry.

[SearchJane]

My 14 month old stafffy currently has kennel cough. I took him to the vet after his first coughing fit so they were able to dispense some cough mixture when he started coughing earnest.

He's under house arrest for 2 weeks at least and is feeling pretty sorry for himself.

Yes it can be very serious. Fortunately I only work 5 mins away so can pop home during the day to check on him.

[persephone]

Oakway- where, and how long ago was this?It's interesting, where these diseases were first noticed...

To me,your description sounds like a very severe secondary infection, following on from the original tracheitis. nasty.

I remember working with some of the first parvo cases That was just awful.

[kelpiekaye]

My first experience with kennel cough was working in boarding kennels quite a few years ago in NZ. Vaccines were available but it was not required to vaccinate to board dogs at that time. We had a dog that had recently been in quarantine from overseas, she developed a cough, then dogs in nieghbouring pens developed a cough, it soon went through the entire kennels, effecting the dogs to differing degrees. Some just coughed when excited or exersing, others got a bit snotty and coughed up flem, while others had no problems. I likened it to the common cold in humans. We had three week old German Shepherd puppies at the house that contracted KC which was scary, also old dogs seemed to get knocked around by it, however everyone got over it. It was a big learning curve for me. Vaccines do not work against all strains and if a new strain arrives outbreaks will occur, I believe. Bit like swine flu.

[oakway]

Oakway- where, and how long ago was this?It's interesting, where these diseases were first noticed...

To me,your description sounds like a very severe secondary infection, following on from the original tracheitis. nasty.

I remember working with some of the first parvo cases That was just awful.

You know its that long ago now I have difficulty in remembering exactly. Could be well over 30 years

ago.

If I remember correctly It first started in WA, and within a day or two it was in SA then Vic and then hit us bad in Tas.

That was what I called the real Kennel Cough. As far as I can remember there was no secondary infection, that was it Kennel Cough and that's what it did.

[Janba]

I can remember one of my dogs picking up kennel cough when it was still considered a new disease. At that stage there were no vaccinations and she had a very bad cough for abpout 6 weeks, bringing up a lot of phlem and was really sick. That was about 26 years ago.

I think that it was a lot more severe in the early days because our dogs had no immunity to it.

[oakway]

I can remember one of my dogs picking up kennel cough when it was still considered a new disease. At that stage there were no vaccinations and she had a very bad cough for abpout 6 weeks, bringing up a lot of phlem and was really sick. That was about 26 years ago.

I think that it was a lot more severe in the early days because our dogs had no immunity to it.

Yes, you were one of the lucky ones. Now days it's nothing to what it was when it first hit.

I do remember a vet in Tas. along with a lot others using the cat flu vaccine.

Edited July 31, 2009 by oakway

[Red Fox]

I was always under the impression that when a disease first hits a population (be it animal or human), that it has never been exposed to and therefore has no built up immunity, the reprocussions are often deadly.

But then over time the species will build up a resistance to that particular disease and it's effects will become minimal.

If this is correct than I guess that is what have would have happened with KC, and while it is somewhat mild now (and by mild I mean that we can deal with it fairly easily unless there is secondary infection) that the first outbreak would have been absolutely horrific

Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong though

[oakway]

I was always under the impression that when a disease first hits a population (be it animal or human), that it has never been exposed to and therefore has no built up immunity, the reprocussions are often deadly.

But then over time the species will build up a resistance to that particular disease and it's effects will become minimal.

If this is correct than I guess that is what have would have happened with KC, and while it is somewhat mild now (and by mild I mean that we can deal with it fairly easily unless there is secondary infection) that the first outbreak would have been absolutely horrific

Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong though

Correct.

[Sankari]

What you describe sounds just like my GR in my avatar. She had a secondary infection (went straight into secondary there was no primary infection) when she coughed it was awful and she sneezed every 5 or so mins having to wipe snotty nose, pus from her eyes. Just about the only thing she didnt get was blood spraying everywhere. She coughed up flem, could hear the rubbish on her lungs when she coughed it was terrible!

She was very close to having pneumonia and was indeed very sick. She was on medication and house arrest for 6 weeks. We sadly lost her in November after a quick battle to Lymphoma just a few months after she battled the KC which she had the KC previous to diagnosis of the Lyphoma She was so bad with KC we thought we were going to lose her. Thankfully she pulled through it but yes it can be very serious.

Edited August 1, 2009 by LucyCharzie

[pebbles]

Just been sorting through the old dog stuff to find dates - In May 1975 I had a litter, 6 weeks old, of Afghan pups and 4 out of 5 adult Affies came down with Kennel Cough. Lots of coughing and some discharge, rather like a bad case nowdays. Thankfully the pups were well away from the Adults and were OK. Not often I can pinpoint dates but I well remember the panic over that litter. I don't remember getting any treatment from the Vet. It's the only time I've had KC, cross fingers!

eta - I was living in Gippsland, Victoria at this time.

Edited August 1, 2009 by pebbles

[persephone]

Could be well over 30 years

ago.

If I remember correctly It first started in WA, and within a day or two it was in SA then Vic and then hit us bad in Tas.

Thanks :D