Some Advice

[rocket ronnie 243]

hi just wondering what you guys use when your dogs pick kennel cough up my mates dog been in kennels while away and come back with it

[Bosun11 537]

Depends on how bad it is mate. I've used buttercup syrup soaked soft bread with a jab of antibiotic with ok results. The linctus simply eases off the tickle and soreness, lets the dog recover. Failing that you can get a jab from the vet if things are that bad and you might fear it spreading.

[jeppi26 1,855]

Cough medicine worrks for me pal as soon as I hear the dog coughing but like bosun said depends how bad it is

[rocket ronnie 243]

cheers will pick up some cough medicine today an see how that goes

[paulus 26]

i just use benylin cough syrup

[sandymere 8,263]

Kennel cough is a term used to describe a broad spectrum of infections of the upper airways of dogs much as a “common cold” is in humans. In the majority of cases in a healthy adult dog these easily caught and spread infections will settle in their own time. A warm bed, good food and rest are the best treatment with perhaps the addition of a simple linctus type cough medicine, in truth as much for the owner as the dog. Not every dog coming into contact with an infected animal will become symptomatic but infection risk is increased if an animal is stressed i.e. in boarding kennels etc in a similar way to a human catching a cold when they’re a little run down.

 

Dogs may become infected but not obviously symptomatic in that they do not get a cough but may have inflamed airways and so need recovery time also will they will be infectious to others, so if one dog becomes infected it’s worth treating your others as having it and give all appropriate rest and recuperation etc. The infection can be passed for up to a couple of months after a case but is at its most infectious whilst an animal is actively coughing. The commonest symptoms are the presence a “hacking cough culminating in retching that may produce a little foam, fluid and is often exacerbated with exercise and may present anywhere from a couple of days to weeks after exposure. In the cases of some of causative bacteria they may last for some time in the environment, especially in damp conditions, ready to case infection to any dog coming into contact.

 

There are inoculations, nasal or injection, against this but they are not full proof as they do not give resistance to all of the viruses, bacteria that can cause it and may reduce symptoms rather than stop infection. Antibiotics may be prescribed if things don’t settle but in the majority of cases of simple Kennel cough they should not be required but rather used if secondary more serious infection follows leading to pneumonia. In most cases symptoms settle in a week or two but if the cough is getting worse rather than better then see a vet.

Edited January 24, 2014 by sandymere