Could this be kennel cough?

[Maralynn]

Late yesterday afternoon, Kenzi started coughing just a bit while playing fetch. I didn't think too much of it but then she was quiet and a bit lethargic all evening.

 

When it came time to feed the dogs, she took a couple bites and turned away from her food - really unusual for her and I was quite worried. She was also was coughing, but just a bit. Like she was trying to dislodge something in her throat. She had been pooping and eating treats just fine in the afternoon and her breathing/pulse seemed normal so I figured that it wasn't e-vet worthy and that I'd take her in to the vet this morning.

 

But this morning she's acting pretty normal - ready to play, went out and pooped normally, no coughing and she happily/eagerly ate when a full meal when I offered it to her.

 

Symptoms seemed to go away as quickly as they popped up. Can kennel cough present this way?

 

I'm ready to wait a see with the vet. My vet is closed today but there is another one with walk in hours in late morning and late afternoon so I can get her in right away if needed.

 

 

[Sue R]

I can't really help you but I can tell you that I had Celt and Dan at a trial a few years ago. Right after we got home, someone posted that their dog had come down with kennel cough right after the trial, and that someone was a person whose dogs and mine had interacted. Sure enough, both Celt and Dan (Dan was only about eight months old at the time) came down with it and, some days later, so did Megan.

 

I did nothing but keep an eye (and ear) on them, listening to make sure that they didn't cough too much. Of course, since the two came down and then the third, I was pretty sure it was kennel cough and not something mechanical, like something stuck in a throat or something having irritated or abraded a throat.

 

For us at least, it was interestingly uneventful and all recovered well within about five days, if I remember correctly.

[mum24dog]

Sounds very like it.

 

I wouldn't bother with the vet as she's otherwise OK, especially because of the risk of infecting other vulnerable dogs by taking your dog in. It will almost certainly go away without treatment but obviously you need to keep an eye on her for any deterioration.

 

Just keep her away from areas that are frequented by other dogs until the symptoms have well and truly disappeared. Your dog doesn't need to be in direct contact with a dog to infect it and young dogs and those with compromised health conditions are often affected more severely than those in the prime of life.

 

If it's a viral type antibiotics are not going to help unless there is a secondary bacterial infection involved. Even if it is a bacterial type of URTI ABs may only shorten the course of the disease a little. I only use ABs with mine (or myself) if I really have to.

 

KC can be infectious before the symptoms appear and after they have gone. Recommendations as to how long to keep dogs away from others vary from several days to a couple of weeks. You need to assess the risk based on your own lifestyle.

 

Could be that your other dogs won't get it even though it is so infectious. That seems to be quite common but I don't know why.

 

Children's cough medicine or honey is often recommended here if coughing is troublesome but you'd need to take your vet's advice as to which, if any, of those available to you would be safe to use.

[jvw]

Coughing and lethargy can be heart related too. Keep an eye out if symptoms persist, especially with exercise.

[Liz P]

Not very likely since it resolved so quickly.

[terrecar]

Kennel cough usually goes away within a couple of weeks but not always--it can go to the lungs and even cause turn into pneumonia, so yes, I would watch for deterioration as I am sure you would/will anyway. One of my dogs had to be treated after a bout with it, but I attibute that to the stress of travel. I personally don't think it sounds like kennel cough either, but I am not a veterinarian. It is pretty consistent hacking in my experience, and in the beginning had little or no impact on appetite. JVW is right, and having lost a dog to congestive heart failure when she was 16 1/2, that is what concerned me about Hannah's recent bout of coughing. Thankfully her heart and lungs sounded strong to my veterinarian.

[mum24dog]

It is pretty consistent hacking in my experience, and in the beginning had little or no impact on appetite.

Not always. I've known dogs have it and only cough a couple of times.

I've never had a dog with constant hacking; spasmodic generally with white froth being coughed up and can be brought on by exertion. Most of the time you'd never have known there was anything wrong though.

 

As for loss of appetite, of course some dogs will be off their food at the slightest hint of feeling off colour and others will need to be seriously ill before they stop eating.

 

Most of my own dogs have tended to develop it shortly after I have adopted them, presumably because of stress and compromised immunity from being in rescue. After that they haven't had a reinfection.

[terrecar]

It was not constant. It was consistent, as in it did not resolve itself for any extended period (although I may be splitting hairs, here).

[Maralynn]

Well I guess it's not exactly resolved. She started coughing a bit after a fetch game this afternoon (temps are in the mid 30's) and she is a bit subdued/mellow today compared to normal. Another possibility might be that she ran into something and hurt her throat while playing. But looking back there has been a little random coughing for the past few days, but she's seemed normal otherwise. When she left her dinner last night and was rather lethargic then I got concerned.

 

But since she had perked up nicely overnight, ate well today and is eliminating normally then I feel comfortable taking the wait a see route at least until my regular vet is open tomorrow.

[Shetlander]

Probably nothing serious, but I would be like you and take her to the regular vet to make sure. Hope whatever this is passes quickly!

[terrecar]

It may very well be kennel cough, since you say she has been coughing randomly for a few days.

 

You are doing exactly what I would do, Maralynn. I am no stranger to the ER vet clinic, but even for Hannah's recent coughing, I did not take her to the ER vet. I waited, kept an eye on her and took her to a regular vet clinic. Also, the dog I had that developed a secondary infection did not develop that in the first few days, and she cleared up quickly with treatment.

[Shetlander]

Just wondering how Kenzi is doing? Everything is ok, I hope!