Kennel Cough

[tatertot]

My dog has been diagnosed with mild kennel cough. She is not coughing a lot, but very snuffly & sneezy. The vet has not prescribed any medication as it is mild, but has said I can use a cough medicine to ease her cough if necessary. Just wondering if there are any natural remedies to speed up the recovery time? We are meant to be doing an obedience class, which I will post-pone (I have been in contact with the trainer) should she not show signs of a cough for 7 days prior to the class. Her lymph nodes are still swollen and she is a more lethargic version of herself.

Thanks!

[*kirty*]

Honey can soothe the throat.

[megan_]

Good on the vet for not giving antibiotics - there is no cure for kennel vouch. I give mind warn homemade chicken stock to encourage drinking and the chicken fat coats the throat.

[Erny]

Active Manuka Honey (AMH). Has more to it than general honey. The higher the UMF the better. I like to use at least 25 UMF but will use 20 UMF if anything higher is not available. I don't much bother with anything less than 20 UMF and have no faith in the supermarket varieties that are (e.g.) 5 UMF. The better AMH is sourced via health food stores.

The higher the UMF the more expensive it is though. Be prepared to fall over backwards. But it is great stuff. I dosed my boy with it (from the teaspoon and periodically as a drink to encourage hydration) - his version of canine cough evidenced as a sore throat and a cough. I caught it early and symptoms were diminished inside 24 hours and gone inside 48 hours. I still kept him in and avoided stress for the minimum 10 - 14 days beyond symptoms though. He loved the honey treatment :) .

[Scottsmum]

Good on the vet for not giving antibiotics - there is no cure for kennel vouch. I give mind warn homemade chicken stock to encourage drinking and the chicken fat coats the throat.

This prompted me to google something i read recently:

Drink plenty of hot liquids. ... ... warm gelatin or broth based soups. Hot liquids help thin mucous secretions and drain mucous secretions faster. Cold liquids l slow the draining of mucous secretions. Chicken noodle soup has been shown to be better at thinning and draining mucous secretions. Remember to hold your head over hot, steaming liquids while you drink.

Flavored gelatin can be prepared with water or broth and drank as a liquid rather than waiting for the gelatin to set.

http://www.dietitian.com/coldflu.html#.Ut5VHHnOjRY

Edited to add: That's almost a complete copy and past above - I'm not suggesting you give HOT liquids to your dog. ;)

Apprently the gelatin is good to coat the throat. It's also good for hair and nails so I assume it would be great for the coat.

Maybe some hearty chicken noodle soup / stew with a bit of gelatine - will at least make pooch feel spoilt :)

Edited January 21, 2014 by Scottsmum

[westiemum]

What Erny said. Manuka honey IMO is the kennel cough miracle cure - and the westies loved it. My two oldies picked it up at a very large dog meet - and the honey was brilliant and while expensive to get the really strong one it's still cheaper than a vet bill! I got mine online from NZ. No probs with the post. Oh and don't buy the insipid supermarket strength - it's not strong enough. Hope that helps.

[Wundahoo]

The best natural remedy that I have ever used for kennel cough is a tincture of time.

[tatertot]

thanks everyone, looks like i'll be off to get some honey - regardless of the price :)

[Erny]

It's great to always have a jar in the pantry - great for dog and human ailments alike :) .

Same goes for Calendula Tea :) .

[Queen Maeby]

Manuka honey.

[sandgrubber]

Time and patience. ..wait it out. Kennel cough is more alarming than serious in a healthy dog. Often it's just a few days. At worst, a few weeks. You can try to make the dog more comfortable.

[tatertot]

Oh I know it's not dangerous, I just want to be cleared for obedience!

[Airedaler]

This article may be of interest to you

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/09/09/9-natural-remedies-for-kennel-cough.aspx

[tdierikx]

I'd be waiting for a good 2 weeks AFTER the symptoms have cleared up before taking your dog out anywhere... KC is still contagious for up to 2 weeks after the symptoms have cleared.

T.

[tatertot]

Yup I have to wait for next round of obedience.. We had a window where we had enough time to be clear, but she's still showing signs so we're out.. She'll do anything to get out of training :laugh:

[Steve]

How quickly they fight it off is more about the immune system than anything else you can use lemon and honey to sooth the symptoms but the body has to fight it off - best if you can look at boosting the immune system rather than trying to treat the symptoms.

I have a tea designed to boost the immune /respiratory system which has Echinacea, Lemon Myrtle, Astragalus ,calendula and Siberian Ginseng which you can mix with honey - You can drink the tea yourself if you want to boost your immune system too and put the dregs - the tea leaves - over the dog's food.