Coughing... Could It Be?

[~Helen~]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

I've had a bit of a search and learned some things about treating kennel cough from old threads (and added them to FAQ for anyone who's interested). But I'm not even sure of the diagnosis here Can anyone help?

Josie is her usual self, eating well etc, but since this morning has had little bouts of coughing as if she's got something stuck in her throat. They last for about 20-30 seconds, and sometimes she brings up a bit of foamy froth (white). This can happen at any time, even if she's asleep, and doesn't seem linked to exercise (it didn't happen at all when we were walking today). She isn't sneezing, hasn't got a runny nose, and doesn't seem ill at all.

Now - if it is kennel cough, is Lola at risk of anything more than catching a cough (she's 16 weeks, so is she likely to become very ill if she does catch it?). And secondly, I'm going to be looking after Lola's sister for the weekend as her owner has nobody else to look after her so what should I do (Lola's sister was here for a couple of hours yesterday, so she's already had contact with Josie...)

Any advice? What are the chances it is kennel cough?

 

[Pennymeadow Whippets]

Hi Helen if it is kennel cough it needs treating with antibiotics she will also have a tempreture the chances are every dog she has been in contact with could also have it another possibility is fluid on her lungs from a cold or that type of thing :luck:

 

[~Helen~]

Okay. Should I get her seen by a vet at this stage, or just wait and see for the rest of today?

I've just offered her some warm honey and lemon, but she wasn't keen :b

 

[BeeJay]

It sounds like it could be Helen. From what I've been told it's rife at the mo around Somerset both the Weston areas and the Midsommer Norton areas and also Devon areas. You will know for certain if Lola and Josie's sister come down with it. If you phone your vet they will tell you if it's going around where you live.

If it is then Lola is very likely to catch it too as she lives with her. AB's to prevent any secondary infection is a good idea. Also if they do have it. Don't take them out and about as they will infect others - 3 weeks after coughing is when you can say that they are clear of infection and don't let them race around for a couple of weeks afterwards 4-5 weeks as a precaution to make sure that their lungs will have healed properly.

Different dogs react differently to KC. Some dogs in a pack will cough once, others will cough and bring up flem and others won't cough at all. Occasionally a dog will develop a secondary infection and it's those that become very ill. AB's should stop that from happening. They will have a slight temp but unless they are coughing a lot and bringing up lots of flem they often don't show any other signs.

Incidentally KC is caused by a virus so AB's won't work on it but they will prevent a secondary problem such as pneumonia. Most dogs won't get secondaries but it's not worth the risk IMO.

You can give them Benalyn (sp?) cough medicine to help them with the coughing. Best to get her to the vets IMO.

 

[Joanna]

Fynn had it in the summer. It was quite mild, and really, there is nothing that can be done, apart from keep them comfortable. I was told by a vet to treat them as if they were a child with a cold. Plenty of fluids , cough medicine/ honey and lemon to help with the symptoms, and rest. It will very much depend on your vet as to if they give A/B's as it is viral. Same as with Dr's. Incidentely, Archie didn't get it when Fynn had it. As with colds, all the strains can vary. I would certainly contact the vet for advice about Lola, and also what to say to her sister's owner

 

[~JO~]

Poor Josie Its does sound like KC to me. I'd ring your vets for advice as the last thing you want to do is take a dog with KC into a vets surgery.

Beejay - thats not good news that there is a lot around here, time to increase my boys Garlic & Fenugreek tablets I think.

By the way Helen, KC normally sounds worse than it actually is, but it is a virus which is self-limiting although secondary infections can occur and obviously puppies are more susceptible - so ring up the vets and lots of :huggles: :huggles: to Josie :*

 

[~Helen~]

:thumbsup: thanks for that tip about not taking them into the vet, Jo. I hadn't thought of that. If she has got it, I'd be taking it in there

I've just spoken to one of the nurses on the phone, and they said to just keep an eye on her until tomorrow (it might be a piece of grass that's irritated her, and she is a one for eating grass!) I told them the situation with Lola's sister (she's registered with the same vet) and they said just hold on until tomorrow - if Josie's still coughing then they will see her and decide what to do about that as well.

 

[Lanakeshena]

Okay. Should I get her seen by a vet at this stage, or just wait and see for the rest of today?

I've just offered her some warm honey and lemon, but she wasn't keen :b

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Hi Helen,

I give mine a spoon of honey, i just wipe it on their tongue, if they are coughing, but in our case it was not kennel cough, the lemon was probably a bit strong for them, just try the Honey on its own.

Hopefully it will soothe the cough.

 

[Julie D]

Hi Helen, is Josie making a 'hacking'sound like something is stuck in her throat but it looks involuntary when she does it ?

This is what Ella was doing, she only had 1 drop from her nostril, a lot of sneezing, but the hacking was what made me take her to the vet.

Vet took her temp. listened to her chest and neck and felt for swollen neck glands, which she did have and diagnosed k.c. she said the glands were pressing on her trachea and that's what the hacking was, said it's prob. bacterial ( k.c. can be either viral/bact) and gave an anti inflam injn in scruff of neck and 5 days antibx.

Ella had to stay indoors for a few days and not contact other dogs for 7 days !

The sooner you take Josie to the vet the sooner antibx can be started , and poor girl will have to stay away from her little friends as it's very infectious.

She seems well now (1 week later) so I hope Josie gets better as quick

:luck: :huggles: to the girls

 

[BeeJay]

Hopefully it'll just be something that she's swallowed Helen.

 

[ILoveKettleChips]

Poor babies!

If it is KC, which it very possibly is, don't worry too much - for the majority of dogs it's an irritating tickle for a week or two and no more. Those dogs which go on to suffer complications are in a minority, and your young and healthy girls should be fine.

In terms of seeing a vet, if they are at all off colour I would suggest you arrange an appointment. We always ask clients whose dog is coughing to leave the dog in the car when they arrive! Although others are right in saying that kennel cough can be caused by a virus, it can also be caused by bacteria (it's a syndrome rather than a specific pathogen), and so most vets prefer to treat with antibiotics. Even in viral cases, there's a risk of bacterial infection of vulnerable cells following damage by the virus. If they are coughing to the extent that they can't get rest, your vet may prescribe an antitussive for a day or so.

And no mixing with other dogs until the 3 week mark, I'm afraid, or minimum one week after the last cough. It's a horrid thing for them to have!

 

[Janimal]

Get Well Josie :huggles:

 

[anslinmcg]

:huggles: Get well Josie :huggles:

 

[~Helen~]

Well, she's still coughing a bit, although not bringing up the frothy stuff today, so I've seen the vet (we were like lepers, going in at the end of surgery when everyone else had gone :b )

No temperature, but some prophylactic antibiotics and an injection to sooth the throat muscles. So we should be on the mend soon. And in fact she hasn't coughed for about 3 hours now, which is good :thumbsup:

 

[anslinmcg]

Glad to hear that Helen. :huggles:

 

[BeeJay]

> (we were like lepers, going in at the end of surgery when everyone else had gone )

LOL! Sorry but it is just like that isn't it. Some friends of mine had to go out through the back door.

Hope that she's 100% soon.

 

[bappit]

Soon be on the mend Helen :thumbsup: Both mine had mild case the other week, antibiotics and you would'nt know it now.

 

[*Lesley*]

Only just caught up with this Get well soon Josie :huggles: :huggles: :huggles:

 

[whippetmad]

get well soon Josie :huggles: :huggles: :wub: :wub:

 

[jue332]

Get well soon Josie :huggles:

Julie