Hi guys,
I've only just noticed this last 24 hours, but my staffies and boxer have been coughing loads when we first see them, it's like they are hacking for a few minutes. Once they settle down they are fine again, I called the vet and she said unless she can see them coughing she couldn't diagnose much, which I think is balls because surely they could listen to their chest?
The odd thing is my setter hasn't got it, and she's the only dog my fiance doesn't take to work with him...perhaps it's the cold air has gotten to them for a bit and they just need to be in the warm for a few days?
Anyone seen anything like this, my fiance and I have both had the flu, I don't think it can be passed onto dogs, and likewise it wouldn't explain why my setter doesn't have it.
All their vaccinations are up to date.
Any advice welcome as my vet seemed rather eager to get me off the phone :-s

It may be kennel cough  one of mine had a mild dose but the others didnt suffer from it , benylin cough mixture can help ease the coughing  , but your vet would know when they examine them  , most vets will only prescribe anti biotics if it is a bad case.

how can they catch kennel cough?  I thought the vaccinations would sort that out?  Is it something that they just have to see out on their own, because I know with coughs in humans they just let it run it's course, same with cats, when my cats got cough they just gave them a shot and sent them on their way.

Sounds like Kennel Cough and not all the dogs in a household will get it just like with a cold with us.

It is usually no big deal unless the dog is very young old or sick.

It is very infectious and the dogs should be kept to the home until all coughing has ceased.  Unfortunately it is difficult to prevent outbreaks as often it is infectious before symptoms appear.

Apparently there are different strains of Kennel Cough the vaccine only cover some

It does sound like kennel cough, they vet would only be able to tell for sure by feeling the throat and seeing if they can produce a cough. THe fact that they all seem to have gone down with it makes me think it probably is. Please keep them away from anywhere where other dogs might be as it is highly infectious.

Just one other thought.......have you considered lung worm? The only reason I ask is that my boxer has had kennel cough twice then a few weeks later he had another cough but it seemed different and it only appeared when he got excited, ie when we came home from having been out.

The vet was easily able to diagnose it from a stool sample.

Rosie

yes, luckily it's half term this week so I can be off with the dogs, wouldn't let them out to spread it to others.  Just wondering if there's a possibility they could have caught it from showing classes a couple of weeks ago as come to think of it there was a dog coughing then...if only people didn't bring their dogs out when they're poorly, would be different if they didn't know their dog was sick but that thing was blatently coughing!

I'll monitor their cough and use the treatments suggested (benylin seems to have been mentioned loads on other threads in this forum) but will keep them closely monitored. Am on the hunt for a new vet as was not impressed with the help (or lack of) mine seemed to want to give me!