Kennel Cough? But How?

[Kirty]

Tilly has been coughing all night. I suspect its kennel cough, but how would she get it? She has been here for weeks now and hasn't been for walk in over a week (because we have all been so sick). The last dog to go off the property in the last week was Pia to dog obedience. Could Pia have brought it home? If so, wouldn't they all have it? This is so weird!

[Cockerlover]

KC is an airborn disease as far as I know

[Burkes]

I one brought home a foster dog who ended up having kennel cough a week later. All my dogs are vaccinated but one dog out of two also got it, one cat out of two got it, then I got it!! All four of us had to be quarantined in a sick bed. Fortunately the Canberra strain is not severe.

Edited for spelling

Edited July 11, 2010 by Burkes

[Nevafollo]

She could of got it from neighbouring dogs, especially if they or her bark at the fence?

[Caesars mum]

also if you have recently had one vacinated with the needle, I have found that they will pass it on. I mentioned this to my vet and he said he could not rule it out from happening.

also I have found that the nasal vacine is a better preventative.

I had Caesar done with the Nasal spray and he was the only one not to get KC last time and all the others got it, now they are all done with the nasal spray.

[SilverHaze]

There is a heap of KC going around at the moment. And we are finding that it has a longer than normal incubation period - we have dogs only showing signs up to 2 weeks later, but this is from dogs from various states who all attended the one event. So we know where ground 0 is, and the incubation period has been quite long in some dogs.

[Dame Aussie]

It's possible Pia brought it back, and as others said it could be from anywhere, dogs in the neighbourhood or next door. Poor Tilly

[idigadog]

Our dogs have KC at the moment. First time in 14 years. It was 14 days after exposure before we heard the first cough. We were at the same event as SH and many dogs who were there are now showing signs.

Our vet said it can be anything up to 21 days before you hear them coughing. So frustrating especially when like us, there are 10 dogs living together and it will go on for weeks!!

Kirty, some dogs are carriers and never develop full blown KC. If you have any a/b's get Tilly onto them and make up a nice warm honey, peppermint and vitamin C mixture that she can drink. Benadryl 2-3 times a day (3-4mls) will help with the coughing.

If she gets a temperature, goes off her food or becomes dehydrated, get her to the vet. Sometimes they have to treat them with preds if the virus has spread to their lungs which in turn can develop into pneumonia.

[lappiemum]

KC is the canine version of the flu, and my understanding is that yes, it can be airborn. Also, the vaccination you get only covers one strain of what is called kennel cough and there are actually several - so it may be that if you have a vaccinated dog that gets KC its one of the strains that is not vaccinated for (or its a milder version of the one that is vaccinated for).

All the dogs I have evern owned have all had it at some point, including those who have been vaccinated. I don't worry about it now, but I'm in the less is more camp re vaccinations. I view it like the flu vaccinations in humans - those at risk should have it.

[lappiemum]

Our dogs have KC at the moment. First time in 14 years. It was 14 days after exposure before we heard the first cough. We were at the same event as SH and many dogs who were there are now showing signs.

Our vet said it can be anything up to 21 days before you hear them coughing. So frustrating especially when like us, there are 10 dogs living together and it will go on for weeks!!

Kirty, some dogs are carriers and never develop full blown KC. If you have any a/b's get Tilly onto them and make up a nice warm honey, peppermint and vitamin C mixture that she can drink. Benadryl 2-3 times a day (3-4mls) will help with the coughing.

If she gets a temperature, goes off her food or becomes dehydrated, get her to the vet. Sometimes they have to treat them with preds if the virus has spread to their lungs which in turn can develop into pneumonia.

This is the best advice.

[OSoSwift]

I have been told it can easily travel up to 20 metres in airborne droplets. So dogs walking past COULD potentially pass it on.

I have had Rommi with it as a young pup and my old Stafford got it from her. I know where it came from. The both ended up on antibiotics - Rommi was 10 weeks from memory.

The dogs are vaccinated now but it is like the human flu vaccine, does not cover everything and they can still get a case of it.

[Kirty]

I think Tilly has been here for 3 weeks now, so I doubt she brought it with her. We are surrounded by dogs here so perhaps one of them gave it to her? But none of my dogs are vaccinated against KC and none of the others have it? Its all a bit odd.

[Miranda]

I normally don't vaccinate for canine cough, some of my dogs have had it and some haven't, but those that have got over it in a few days and I have never needed antibiotics. With my last litter someone persuaded me to vaccinate with a C5 and both puppies came down with CC three months later and one was quite sick so that's the first and last time I'll be vaccinating with a C5.

I wouldn't rush out to get antibiotics, most dogs don't need them unless they are one of the very few who develop a secondary infection and I am very much against giving antibiotics 'just in case'.

[Rysup]

I had one of my dogs get KC before where it must have been from a dog walking past the house. As none of the dogs had gone anywhere at the time.

[claireybell]

My cocker spaniel got kennel cough last year but my beagle didn't! Was really strange as I thought becauase one had it the other would definately get it. Bloody awful it is aswell. My cocker is such a happy little thing, always on the go. Was horrible to see her just lying there feeling so ill.

Best of luck

[Diva]

My cocker spaniel got kennel cough last year but my beagle didn't! Was really strange as I thought becauase one had it the other would definately get it. Bloody awful it is aswell. My cocker is such a happy little thing, always on the go. Was horrible to see her just lying there feeling so ill.

I have had 2 out of 3 get it at the same time. Oddly, the one who didn't was the one who hadn't been vaccinated against it for many years (as she had a reaction the first time I gave her the vac.) The other 2 who caught it had yearly vaccs. None was seriously ill.

[WreckitWhippet]

We've had several rounds of kennel cough over the years. The dogs that have been vaccinated, have been the one's who were sickest and hit hardest by this.

The last time we had KC, it only affected by youngest dog and a bitch who was recovering from surgery. The rest , who have never been vaccinated against KC were all fine.

[claireybell]

My cocker spaniel got kennel cough last year but my beagle didn't! Was really strange as I thought becauase one had it the other would definately get it. Bloody awful it is aswell. My cocker is such a happy little thing, always on the go. Was horrible to see her just lying there feeling so ill.

I have had 2 out of 3 get it at the same time. Oddly, the one who didn't was the one who hadn't been vaccinated against it for many years (as she had a reaction the first time I gave her the vac.) The other 2 who caught it had yearly vaccs. None was seriously ill.

Both dogs had been vaccinated, thats why I thought it was so strange that they didn't both get it

[Kirty]

I only vaccinated against it once, and a month later both dogs got it. So I don't bother anymore.

Anyway, Tilly hasn't coughed since so perhaps it was something else? Maybe its just this cold air? Very odd.

[FHRP]

Didn't you have Champa at the vet last week? Could he have picked it up there and brought it home, without being symptomatic himself?

My dogs hade KC a couple of years ago, it only affected my two youngest though, the youngest was probably th eonly one who had been vaccinated in the previous 12 months for it.