Could somebody tell me what the symptoms of kennel cough are please?? Wheeler's just come back from the kennels and hes come back with a wheezy cough and keeps sniffling :( (He had the spray up the nose done at the vet before he went which should prevent it!!!)
Thanks for your replies!! :)

Sounds like he could have kennel cough - there are different strains (like 'flu). When one of mine picked it up at a show, symptoms were mainly coughing during/after exercise, lethargy and sneezing - she did have quite a bad dose of it though(turned into pneumonia).

I took her to the vet's for antibiotics, but i believe this isn't always necessary. Apart from the antibiotics, keeping her warm and quiet was the way i treated it. Make sure he has plenty of fluids if he's off his food.

Karen

coughing.

(sorry - couldn't resist!) :)

I would recommend you take him to the vets but leave him in the car and ask the vet to come and check him :)

KC sounds more like they have something stuck in their throat than actual coughing.

Never found the KC immunisation much use, seems the bacteria/virus that cause the symptoms are many and varied and dogs do seem to build up there own immunity to it. They seem to get it when young adults and the less and less as they get older. Have long since stopped having them squirted up their nose as they seem to find that far more upsetting than the infection itself.

You just have to watch they do no appear ill with it, if they do then a trip to the vet is called for, also if the infected dog is young or old it may be best to let the vet see them, as someone said do not take a coughing dog into the waiting room, or anywhere else for that matter.

Hi
having had rescue kennels for years I am horribly familiar with Kennel cough!  The commonest variety is caused by bacteria, which is the one you can vaccinate against and it does sound like they have something stuck in their throat.  This is the only type that the vaccine prevents and even then not always. Quite a few owners take their dog to the vet for the wrong reason, thinking they are choking on a bone rather than just coughing.  It is highly contagious and virtually unavoidable.  We had an outbreak earlier in the year, caused by a boarding dog that had been coughing at home and they never mentioned it when they left him!
There are at least 4 other causes, some bacterial, some viral.  Your normal ParaInfluenza on your usual vaccinations prevents another of course.
It sounds like your dog has a viral type if there is a snotty nose too.
Lots of owners get mad if their dog still catches a cough after vaccination, but as the others are not vaccine type, they still can catch them.  Although kennels get the blame, to get it a dog has to bring it in which means it got it somewhere else, like the local park or even from a dog in the vicinity coughing.  Do let the kennels know, they may have no idea something is going round.  Most kennels have health insurance that pays for any outbreak up to about 3 days after a dog goes home so the may be able to help with vet fees.

again i lost a litter at 4weeks old with kc in 2002,which was the bacterial they where to young to flight it off,end up having chest and mengities,so i had to make the decsion on puting them to sleep,

anyone on this board at time know what i was going through,i would not like anyone elis to thruogh it,it was hard work for 3 week,

My dogs have had kc several times & the symptoms have been slightly different in each of them. My 2 3yr olds were the only ones never to have had it & the male went down with it a few wks ago, my pups were just under 4wks old. It was at the start of the heatwave we`ve had here & luckily I`d just moved them & mum to new house, it was worrying time & hard work trying to keep it contained & dogs seperate, mum of pups was the only other not to have evr had kc. Then my rescue dog went down with it but very mild case & up to now none of the others have gone done with it. I THINK it`s all cleared up now, will feel more confident in a wk or so. Terri all I could think of was you & your pups & what you went thru.

Christine, Spain.

hi christine

how the spainsh water dog doing.

terri

Hi Terry :) He`s great thanks in fact he`s coming to stay with me for 2wks this Friday, they off on holiday! He is totally spoilt by the kids & their mum, sleeps on the bed with them :D He`s a bundle of energy, goes everywhere with them, he`s a great little dog & daft as a brush!!!! I`ve not seen him tho since just before kc struck, had him for the wkend. :D
Hows things with you & yours?

Christine, Spain.