How to tell if a dog has kennel cough?
October 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Kennel Questions
I am fostering a dog, she has been with me for a week. She came to us from a shelter. How can i tell if she has kennel cough? She just started making some “hacking” type noises, no sneezing though. Is there a way I can determine that its not just something stuck in her throat and that it could be kennel cough? Also, has it been too long since she was at the shelter for her to start symptoms now?
I want to understand if that is the likely case before calling the foster coordinator I worked with. Once I call them they will determine if she goes to the vet.
I just wanted to add a bit more about what she sounds like. I have never heard a dog with kennel cough, but I know my other dog “hacks” sometimes if he has something in his throat. Thats what she has been doing, and then she gags a little sometimes.
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deep constant cough this is contages
This sounds like kennel cough. Caused by stress – not what you have done but what happened before.
Call the coordinator. Antibiotics will fix it.
No Bordtella vax + kennel = kennel cough…call them
only way to really know is a vet appointment. it’s not too long, they can come down with symptoms after a week. usually the dog acts kinda sleepy, like we do when sick with a cold. could also have a runny nose or runny eyes. it’s common for dogs when they are around lots of other dogs at a shelter or rescue.
I volunteer at our local shelter and have fostered dogs myself. I have learned a lot about kennel cough (more than I ever wanted to know). It is an airborne virus that spreads quickly thru enclosed areas. In many cases it may take 5 – 10 days for the symptoms to become obvious.
Hacking or coughing is the first sign. Many times the runny nose and mucus that is coughed up comes later. Contact your coordinator. In most cases, it will not involve a trip to the vet. Most shelters have the medication on site and your coordinator can provide it to you. The last dog I fostered began hacking only 3 – 4 times a day, I was able to stop it before it progressed any further with only 4 pills over a 2 day period.
If you suspect it may be kennel cough (which it sounds like), the sooner you start treatment the easier it will be to cure. You can also help to minimize the symptoms in your foster by making sure they get plenty of fresh air. This seems to help.
Good Luck!
Canine Cough is very contagious. Check her throat passageway first. Has she had any chew bones or worse yet…raw hides. If not and she continues hacking….(there usually is no sneezing). Then it is okay to medicate for this.
You can do it 3 different ways. There are kennel (canine cough drops) from Thomas Labs or any health food store that are homeopathic. These usually help them not sound so bad….
Don’t worry, Canine cough can cure itself after a time also.
The second way is to start the dog on cephilexin and it will need to be on for 10 days approx. Size of dog will determine amount given and says.
Then if you want to hit it hard….get the dog Cipro. This is given in a special dosage and for ONLY 3 days.
Otherwise, make sure if you are fostering….your dogs get a bordatella shot every 6 months so they dont’ get it.
Usually once a dog gets it…it doesn’t get it as bad a second time. (nice to have some of these meds around…..are you close to Mexico). They are really cheap there and you will have them on hand…. bottle of 100 usually runs 9.00 otherwise you spend 3-5.00 on each pill. Cephilexin is sold as a fish med in the pet stores…..same thing as for dogs…but you can buy it without a perscription and it is cheaper.
Good luck
Kennel cough is contagious and not uncommon at shelters, even when very careful. It does sound like trying to hack something up and generally no sneezing with cough. Please report the situation immediately so the shelter can be alerted and the dog can be checked out. The quicker they catch the problem the better to control the spread among the other dogs!!!
Isolate the dog if you have others. Call the coordinator. It will need antibiotics. The main thing is to alert the shelter to avoid a major outbreak.
Bobbie F is an idiot. Don’t listen to him
Kennel cough is the flu for dogs (caught and passed the SAME as for humans), antibiotics don’t help.
That said: (sorry, I have to speak out against stupidity)
Gently stroke/press her throat. Right where the jaw hits the neck. If that causes coughing, chances are, it’s kennel cough. It’s not exact, but generally it’s accurate.
Don’t bother a vet.
It just has to run it’s course. Very old and very young animals should get antibiotics to keep it from turning into pneumonia. The adverage dog just needs rest, good food, a quiet warm place to sleep and lots of love.
Steam breaks up congestion. Run the shower on hot and let her breathe the steam.
She will be back to normal in a week or so.
here is a good web site for you to check out this site tells you what kennel cough is and how it is transmitted how to treat it and how to prevent it i hope this is helpful
http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/kenc.html
Coughing is a vague sign. To help determine the why the dog is coughing, you would need to ask yourself is the coughing related to exercise, excitement, or pulling on the leash. Coughing can be caused by an infectious pathogen, malformation in the trachea rings, which is most prevalent in small and toy breed dogs, heart issues, or respiratory issues. The only way to determine for sure is to have a veterinarian take a look at the dog.
With the history of the dog coming from a shelter in the past week and if the cough occurs at any time, kennel cough is more likely to be the cause than anything else. The time from exposure to the onset of the “kennel cough” can vary from just a few days to 10-14 days. The most common sounding cough is one of a goose honk.