Hi,
I need some info and advice urgently, I'm so worried.
Over the weekend my 6 month old Staff pup seemed to have something stuck in her throat. Every so often she would really wretch as if tring to get it out. She seemed ok in every other way so I wasn't really worried when I couldn't get in to the vets. I thought she might cough what ever it was up. The reason I was so certain it was something stuck was because it happened straight after her walk round the park on friday, and she chews everything. Anyway took her to the vets today, and she said it was kennel cough. She said it's all in her throat and she'll be coughing up mucus. She gave her an injection. The reason I'm so worried is I've got a bitch at home nearly 6 weeks in pup, also Toesy my 13 month Staff. The vet didn't seemed worried, she just said if your male starts coughing bring him in and I'll inject him. She said she can't do anything for the bitch in pup. she said it shouldn't be a problem. she said try and keep them seperate. Neither of the other two have coughed yet, and Rio has coughed for 5 days, do you think if they were going to catch it, they would have caught it by now. And if my bitch gets it, what are the chances of it causing problems with the pups. Also if she does get it and the vet won't treat her, how will she fight it off. All the vet said was as long as she keep eating, her pups will be ok, but I'm not satisfied. I'm so so worried. Also is that all the treatment Rio needs, as she never told me to come back. She said I could give her kids Benalyn (sp) cough mixture to soothe her throat.
Can some one please help.

Michelle.

i know someone who's dog had it and they had two injections, one antibiotic & one anti imflamitory, then the dog was put on a course of antibiotics for 1 week at 3 a day then had to back for a check up, they then put the dog on another weeks course just to be sure.

Luckily not had it ourselves, so only going on other dogs treatments, it is supposed to be contagious so i won't let the other dogs near the bitch in pup. Someone will come along real soon and give you some expert advice :)

Emma

Michelle
I have no personal experience but its touched upon here
here

read some of the replies further down

Hi you need 10 days on anti-biotics i use synulox and they have warm drinks of Honey and Lemon twice aday and high dosage of ESTER C.or if you cant get that then VIT C. and dont take them out will just have to make do with the garden, if your in whelp bitch gets it then she can have the Honey and Lemon drink and if she get real bad your vet will have to put her on some anti biotics.In whelp bitch's can have SYNULOX

Hi,
Thanks everyone.
I wonder why my vet didn't give me a course of antibiotics then, does the vet have to prescribe Synulox.
Also I wonder why she said she couldn't treat a pregnant bitch.
Does anyone know how quickly it spreads through dogs, It seems strange that only one has got it, is there a good chance the others won't get it. Rio doesn't seem to be coughing half as much as she did.
Some one told me tonight that it might be some other kind of throat infection, as with kennel cough they usually have mucus coming out of their nose, and up to now she hasn't.
You say give them warm honey and lemon drinks, do you make that yourself or buy it, and do they like it and drink it as they would milk, or do you have to feed like medicine. Is it to sooth the throat.

Michelle
there are quite a few varients of KC- some more severe than others but it is meant to be pretty contagious .
Have any of them had the nasal spray by the way ? Though i believe this still doesnt mean they wont get it :rolleyes:
I'm sure Ruby will be fine
Best wishes
lesley

No none have had the nasal spray,
They were all in the kennels 2 weeks ago Fri 2nd to Mon 5th. So maybe she got it from there. Saying that though, when I think back to the day I took them to the kennels, I remember Toesy kept making a funny noise through his nose, not a cough, more like a snort. I remember saying something to the lady about it, and she commented on the fact that Staffords always make noises like that. But I said he didn't normally, it was a new noise to me, but I forgot all about that until now. So I wonder if he's actually had something first.  But would his go so quickly, and would it take another 2 weeks to come out in Rio. Thankfully there is no sign of Ruby getting it yet.

Michelle.

Hmm seems to be back again, Friend has a litter of puppies, now a week old, and his two males dogs have KC!!! This means the pups are "quentined" from anything and everything including visitors!  So we can't go and see them!!!

Rox

Hi, from what I know about KC it is like the common cold in humans and has many variants.  As such it is a virus and no antibiotic will help.  All antibiotics can do is help where there is a secondary bacterial infection (or maybe prevent one?).  You vet is probably right and unless your dog takes a turn for the worse and seems 'ill', then it just has to run its course.  It is contagious though, about 5-10 days incubation I think, but it may be that as with a cold in humans, your other dogs just do not pick it up.  Hope this helps put your mind at rest.  Just keep a close eye on her.  Also it is always best not to give drugs during pregnancy unless absolutely necessary.

Fiona

You give the Antibiotics to stop the secondary infection starting as in all bullbreeds you need to be very careful as it always goes on to the chest and you dont want that so good vets know this and tell you to start them on antibiotics just in case.

MY LITTER BACK IN 2002 die of kc,granmum had it the day brie give brith at 10 day early,result of the birth was 4 day later she went down with kc,the puppie were tiny in weight but started going down with kc at 10 day old,beacuse they were so small to cough it up they got secondary infection and had to be pts at 4 weeks old,

i would put the mum on antibiotics know and untill two after she had the puppie so she dose get a secondarry infection,which brie did  as well,plus it will go in the blood steam for the puppies in case they are born earley
the only think the puppies can have at a young age is synoxl,mine were on it for 5 weeks.there is another antibiotic but it got side effect to a very young puppy.

watch the bitch icase she gose into earley labour which brie did.

if you want to call me for a chat please do so on 0125231067

When some of my dogs got Kennel Cough about 3 years ago I discussed it over the phone with my vet.  We both agreed that we would NOT treat with anything like anti-biotics unless this became absolutely necessary.  At the time I had one dog aged about 12 who had a bad heart.  My vet did give me some synulox to use if I felt it was necessary on this dog because of his heart condition.  He and my other elderly dog did not catch Kennel Cough so he didn't get the anti-biotics.  The remainder of my dogs caught it one after the other and none of them received any treatment other than a little bit of cough medicine for one of them and all of them were over it in a very short period of time.

Joan
Take the rough with the smooth

Thanks everyone for all the replies,
Still a bit confused, some say a course of antibiotics is necessary, others say it isn't.
Rio is still coughing on and off, other 2 are showing no signs. I was told not to bring Toesy to the vets unless he coughed. Also told if my pregnant bitch got it, there was nothing they could do, as treatment would kill the pups. She never mentioned Synulox. Do you think I should just leave things for now, and see how Rio gets on. Then if any of the other 2 show signs, go back and ask about a course of antibiotics and Synulox.
Usually how long is a dog affected by it.

Michelle.