Today was supposed to be our first day in our new training class. Unfortunately we didn't make it to class . When we got to training I got Ella out of the car and she immediately started coughing. About five our six, deep raspy coughs. One of the trainers (that I don't know) yelled over to me "does your dog have kennel cough?" I explained that it was the first time she'd coughed and of course I wouldn't have come if she'd been coughing before. She suggested that I just walk her up and down for a minute to see how she was as she might have got something caught in her throat. I walked her up and down and she seemed fine so I started to head over to the start of class but she coughed again. I called it a day, popped her in the car and headed home as the only thing worse than having a dog with kennel cough would be the one responsible for infecting the whole dog club! Now that we're home she seems absolutely fine. I'm thinking I'll take her on a short walk around the block soon (avoiding all dogs of course) to see how she is. Can kennel cough come on and off like that or is it more likely something had irritated her throat?
Just to add... She is vaccinated for kennel cough but I understand there is more than one strain so she could still catch it (kind of like the flu I'm humans I think).
You did the right thing...playing it safe. Real bummer that you had to miss the class though. Hopefully it was just a temporary irritation. I'd say that if it's kennel cough she'll keep coughing and it'll get worse. If it stops or improves then it's pretty unlikely to be kennel cough. Just see how she goes over the course of the day and see what the trend is. They can still get kennel cough even if vaccinated, but it's likely to be a milder strain. Obi is vaccinated but still got kennel cough (at the dog club...). Kennel cough is kind of like the flu or a cold in that there isn't just one kind (but there are worse and milder kinds).
Thanks Rachael. She looked a bit bummed when we got home so I swapped her toys for two "new" ones (we rotate her toys so they seem new). After a total of six, yes six, victory laps around the house she hasn't coughed once so I'm really hoping she's ok. If she's still cough free this arvo we'll take her for a short walk too.
Hmmm I'm wondering now if I actually put pressure on her chest/throat area when I got her out of the car. I tend to lift her down but she was a little excited today so I sort of caught/cradled her from the car to the ground and my one arm was right across her front. Perhaps I managed to hurt or irritate her throat in the less than elegant manoeuvre.
Sounds plausible to me. The main thing is not having kennel cough, which is a right pain in the bottom. Has she coughed any more today? Hopefully not
Nope. We've done some training and playing at home and then a walk this evening and she hasn't had a single cough so I'm leaning towards optimistic now that it's not kennel cough. Phew.
Thanks for asking Not one single cough since I put her back in the car at training on Sunday . Don't get me wrong, I'm so pleased that she's not sick but honestly Ella, the timing
Looks like Cooper has Kennel Cough. At least that is what the vet thinks and is treating her for. It started pretty violently early Monday morning and got progressively better as the day went on, but she still had some cough at the end of the day Monday so off to the Vet today. She seems to feel fine, but will be on antibiotics for a couple of weeks and no trips to the dog park.
Both our dogs are vaccinated for Bordetellosis, but I understand that it is not a 100% protection. We hope that Tilly doesn't come down with it.
Managing the contact with other dogs is a pain... Sorry to hear that Cooper has it. Hope Tilly stays immune.
Cooper has gotten gradually better. She only had a bad cough the first night. She still has a throat clearing harumph a couple of times a day but that is about it. She seems to feel fine, and is bored because she can't play with any young dogs. I think Cooper may have gotten something from inhaling sea water, as opposed to Bordetello. Tilly had not gotten any cough so far, so I think she will be OK.
Took Cooper and Tilly to the Vet to day for a number of vaccinations. Cooper got a clean bill for kennel cough, so she can play with her favorite Chew Toy (our Neighbors 18 month old Sammy).
