Noticed my old girl started coughing a little last night on her walk and by the time we got home it sounded like the dreaded KC :(

She had another coughing fit this morning and wasn't her usual bouncy self so off we went to the vets... she thinks it's early kc and gave her antibiotics in a shot and some pills to take over the next 10 days (£30)

The BIG problem is I'm supposed to be collecting my Great Dane puppy on Sunday and don't want to risk her coming into contact with it :( Unfortunatley the breeder is traveling quite some distance to meet me at the ferry port (I'll be going over from Belfast to Scotland) and is also meeting another buyer who will be comming all the way from southern Ireland, so they won't be able to change the arrangements and it's Sunday or not at all :( :( :(

I've emailed the breeder to ask if she will have the pup vaccinated beforehand and charge me the extra but I'm waiting for a reply.

Any advise on what to do would be good - there's not really anyone who will be able to keep the pup for me :(

I've replyed to you on  the topic kennel cough.

ignor the bit about me suggesting you ask the breeder to keep the pup for another week.

Rox

I faced much the same problem but had a longer time scale, if it was me I would ask the breeder to keep the pup for about 4 weeks for me, it is not worth the risk.

I've been reading over some old posts about KC and there are widely varying opinions on it

This morning the vet said nothing about quarantine for her just told me not to get her over excited when out walking as this can set her off coughing.

I've got a 10 day course of antibiotics and some expensive pills to stop her coughing then she recommended Benalyn for the rest of the 10 days. She said if I can get the pup minded for a few days (until sam finishes her antibiotics) then it should be fine but I'm worried it might not be.

I've asked the breeder if she will get her caccinated this week for me but it seems that even this is a bit hit or miss. :(

Should also have said that she doesn't have a temperature and her lungs are perfectly clear :)

It's all in her throat - does that mean we caught it early or is that common enough?

A few things I've read this afternoon seem to think it's only infectious before and while she's coughing, even though she will clinically carry the virus for longer. The vet said she should stop coughing in a day or 2. 

I'm cleaning her bed down with disinfectants and washing her bedding... do you think this will help?

Kennel cough and the secondary infection associated with it can kill the young and the old. To bring a pup in to a house where a dog has been recently coughing is a big risk.

I was always under the impression that kennel cough remained contagious long after the coughing stopped .??
If pup was to recieve the nasal spray against this doesnt it mean the virus is in her  anyway ? Would subjecting her to a contagious dog mean she would be getting sa stronger dose in effect ? (I would just like to know the answer to that for my own benefit )

Trouble is the nasal spray only deals with some of the infectious agents not all.

I would suggest you try to find someone who doesn't have any dogs to help out and collect your puppy/keep it for a couple of weeks for you if it is absolutley impossible to delay collection.

I had a similar problem 10 years ago - a few days before I HAD to travel abroad for work, my elderly Border Collie started coughing and she was due to go into kennels.  A close friend who kept cats only (no dogs) looked after her for me until I came home.  If you've got a friend like that (worth their weight in gold!) I would beg a favour.

Better safe than sorry.

Maybe it might be lungworm, my westie was coughing for ages and antibiotics didn't work.  They took a throat swab plus a poo sample and it turned out he had two unusual bacterial infections in his throat and lungworm.  A 10 day course of panacur will get rid.
Good luck

That's interesting - Are you in the UK - I didn't know lungworm was around in the UK -  do you know anyone else whose dog has had it?

lungworm is fairly prevalent in the South West and in Wales.  The intermediate hosts are slugs/snails hence why it is important not to let dogs eat them.  Lungworm can also be caught from close contact with infected dogs.

Yes I'm in the South West of england.  I've not heard about anybody else's dog having it, but I haven't really seen any of my fellow dog walkers for a while.  It can be caught from horse poo.  The vet said he also had hookworm which is even rarer, they have sent another poo sample off to make sure anything that was lurking has been killed off. 

Wishfairy, hope your girl is feeling better and all goes well with your new pup :D
Clair

:D She's been great today - not even a hint of a cough :rolleyes:

With her not having a temperature and clear sounding lungs I'm wandering if it really was Kennel cough

Better safe than sorry though... the breeder has advised me to take the pup as planned and watch her carefully for signs. I'm still pestering my mom to take her for a few days tho - just till Sam finishes the antibiotics.