kennel cough :(
has anyone here dealt with kennel cough before? i was looking it up online and read somewhere that it usually goes away by itself in a week or two. im worried that the antibiotics are going to cost me a lot of money, but i dont want walter to have a hacking cough for 2 weeks. and id like him to be able to go to daycare with me next week.  looks like someones gettin extra belly rubs tonight |
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| im not so sure its kennel cough anymore...
my dad told me he took walter on a long walk last night and walter pulled the entire way (he only had a regular collar, no choke gentle leaderor prong collar), and the coughing started after that. is there a chance that walters coughing is from a bruise or irritation from the pressure the collar put from all the pulling? should i wait a few days instead of making sure at the vet and getting a ridiculous bill (my vet is quite expensive..)? |
| It could be kennel cough - there is a strain of kennel cough going around that is not covered by the Bortadella vaccine! If other dogs at Doggie Daycare were diagnosed with KC - I'd have it checked out!
It could also be a problem from the collar - which I may consider having that checked too - if he pulled and the collar was choking him - he could have injured his trachea. It could be allergies as well! I hope it's better by morning - but if it isn't - it's worth a trip to the Vet (or at least a call!). Good Luck! Kristen |
| I forgot to add - the kennel cough isn't usually the thing to be concerned about - it's the secondary infections that can occur with kennel cough - which can progress into a more serious illness. |
| When I was at the vet recently after we got Frank, the Dr. was rubbing the outside of his throat/esphogus to see if he coughed. Apparently if he coughed during this test there was a good chance he had kennel cough. He was fine but maybe you can try this to see if Walter coughs.
I agree with BitPresSyd, please don't fret if he does have it. When Newman was a pup he had it and with antibiotics it was gone in about a week or so. |
| i took walter to the vet today...
it cost me $90 for the vet visit, antibiotics, and a shot. i dont even know if the $30 shot was necessary, and on top of all that he gave me a prescription for a cough sepressant (which many people told me is usually in the antibiotics?). my dad just laughed at me and said 'sucks having your own dog doesnt it?' i guess it comes with the territory... but man thats half my paycheck!! also, the vet kept calling him 'waller'. there are 3 vets there and walter has seen all three so i understand that he doesnt know walter that well but i dont think its that hard to get your patients name right!! walter was also afraid of the vet and instead of comforting him and trying to get him to go up to him he let walter cower into a corner and then listened to him breathe. all the vet techs/front desk girls are really nice and love seeing walter but it seems like the vets dont even like dogs... well at least not my dog. im definitely changing vets. they give me unecessary things that cost a lot (they gave him a 50 dollar general dewormer last time which i later found out was totally unecessary because they did blood and feces tests that both turned out negative for worms) and they dont take the time to get to know my dog. argg!!! does anyone have a really good relationship with their vet that they can tell me about so i can know what to look for when im searching for someone walter and i will both like? ps- hes 71 lbs!!! |
| Glad you took him - despite your experience with the Vet!
I think that you just have to find someone that you trust their medical judgement (foremost) and that you are comfortable with (and personality helps!). Being nice and personable isn't the 1st thing I look for in a Vet - but it certainly is one of the main characteristics! Trustworthy, qualified, personable, and caring - that's what I expect! The other thing I look for is availability - there's not much worse than needing an appointment and not being able to get in to see your Vet right away! Ask for other people's recommendations - maybe they know of someone in your area that has all of the qualities you would want! I hope WALLER (  ) is feeling better soon!
Kristen |
| I got really lucky with my vet. First of all it is about 1-2 miles from my house. They are fantastic and very reasonable. When I first got Max and he had those growing pains, he was in and out of the vet probably 6 times over a 3 week period. They only charged me for one office visit which was only $24. They also called me on the weekends to see how he was doing. They really care and know who I am when I call in and Mention Max's name.
I think you can tell alot about a vet in how they act towards the animals and if they take the time to get to know them and you. My vet's office is not the top of the line, but I think that is how they keep the costs down. I'd ask about recurring visits for the same symptons. I think good vets should only charge the one office visit until the illness is cured. Anyway those are just my thoughts. Shelly and Max |
| If you are not comfortable with your vet, find another one! I actually picked up my cat and walked out of a veterinarians office once because I was so upset at the veterinarian (He wasn't listening to me and the cat, who normally loved everyone was afraid of him).
Things that I look for are how the doctor relates to the animals (very important), do they listen to me and my concerns, are they upfront with the costs of treatment, how open are they to various treatments (holistic vs conventional) and how knowledgable are they with regards to nutrition. Our primary care veterinarian is a holistic doctor that is about 30 minutes away. However for emergencies, I use a conventional doctor in the same town. Both of these doctors know each other and are quite comfortable with the arrangement - xrays go back and forth, the animals medical records are faxed to each other as needed and they have even conferenced called on occaision to determine the most effective of treatment. Talk to your friends and other people in the neighborhood with pets. Find out who they use and their opinions of the doctor. That will give you a good starting point. |
| Kennel Cough - I've had experience with this, I own a doggie daycare and we don't have many outbreaks but it goes around occasionally so here's the scoop from my point of view: Canine cough comes from the vets office, dog parks, doggie daycare and anytime your dog has nose to nose contact with any dog. Just like preschool, dogs get colds just like kids and the rest of us. Bortadella only covers a limited number of strains. Just like the flu shot, only so many strains are covered by the vaccine. I do recommend getting it because years ago, my dog had Bortadella which turned into pneumonia and 600.00 later, IV lV fluids and 2 days at the vet plus 3 weeks of mayheim and destruction in my house while she was recovering. What I do for kennel cough is as follows:
Keep the dog separated and do not put him with any other dog until he has 3 asymptomatic days. It usually takes 7-10 days to clear up. Feed him a bland diet of rice/ground meat and garlic cloves 3-6 FRESH per day, crushed inside of cheese/meat etc. Garlic kicks it. I do not give my dog antibiotics but instead just a cough expectorant given by the vet. Dogs build up immunities to antibiotics and I'd rather use them if the condition only worsens. Many strains of kennel cough are viral and antibiotics don't work on viruses. Hope this helps |
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