kennel cough from vaccine or allergies?? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

LaurenThig · 05-12-2008, 03:17 PM

Hi to all,
I have a 7 week old Yorkie puppy. My husband and I picked her up last Saturday a few hours after she'd had her first Vanguard vaccine. She seemed a little tired and listless, but perked up later that night--the breeder thought she may have been having a little reaction to the shot, so we didn't worry much. However, by last Sunday she began to develop a cough that ends in a gag--very much like kennel cough--and it happens mostly when she's resting. My vet examined her, said her lungs sounded clear and prescribed Clavomox, which she's been on since last Tuesday. The cough is still hanging around, and lately she's been shaking her head a lot and scratching her face and biting her feet. Does this sound like kennel cough, or could she be having an allergic reaction to food? We're feeding her Science Diet right now, but have picked up some puppy Wellness. Everything I've given her so far contains chicken--could this be the problem? She's eating, drinking, and definitely playing... doesn't act like she feels bad at all. Any suggestions or advice are appreciated!

Ellie May · 05-13-2008, 06:20 AM

Welcome to YT

Seven weeks is usually considered too young to have food allergies.
If it was just the ears itching I would think ear mites but since it's other parts of the body also, I would think other types of mites (sarcoptic or demodectic). Has she had a skin scraping?

Six weeks is really too young for her to be away from her mother, so she will have to be watched extra close for hypoglycemia. Because she had a vaccine so young it would have counteracted the immunity that her mother gave her making the vaccine and the immunity from her mother "ineffective", so she is totally unprotected from disease right now. This happens to most pups but because she is so young, I would hesitate letting her walk outside at all.

It's hard to say where the cough came from.
What was in the vanguard vaccine?

LaurenThig · 05-13-2008, 01:42 PM

Not sure what was in the vaccine. I'm going to talk to my vet when I take her back about that. What about further shots... any info on what I need to check on as far as dose sizes and amounts given at one time? I'm a little nervous about her next round since this one didn't go over so well.

Lily is doing great today... she was babysat by her "aunt" all day and played, played, played. No major scratching today either... wonder if last night was a fluke? At any rate, I'm keeping her on the Wellness for the time being since everything I've read on it is really good.

THANKS for the response!!

KYBLUE · 05-13-2008, 06:30 PM

no lepto please ask what you vet is giving her and wait three weeks until the next shot she is just to young to be away from mommy

good luck with her

Fender · 05-13-2008, 06:41 PM

we got our bordetella nasal vaccine 4 weeks ago and we have been sick with the coughing/gagging since then. It is always when he sleeps. We stared antibiotics 2 weeks ago and it does seem a little better, bot not enough

LaurenThig · 05-14-2008, 01:37 PM

That's exactly what Lily does... always when she's about to go to sleep or waking up. Never when she's playing or anything else. What has your vet said?

littlelady · 05-15-2008, 07:14 PM

I bought a yorkie a year ago that had kennel cough and he subsequently developed pnuemonia. I had him on antibiotics for almost the first month or two after getting him. I started using a warm mist vaporizer right next to his basket he slept in a tall laundry basket next to my bed. That seemed to help him more then anything. If i had a fan on in the room that seemed to make his symptoms worse, sneezing, cough. scratching at his nose.

Cati · 05-16-2008, 03:25 AM

FYI the bordetella vaccine that is given to prevent kennel cough may actually cause some dogs to develop a mild form of kennel cough. There are various strains of kennel cough and anytime you take your dog anywhere you could be exposing him/her to one of these strains...even if your baby has been previously had the bordetella vaccine. This happen with my oldest yorkie when she was just a pup following her bordetella. Our vet explained to me that any dog with a weakened immune system (such as yours due to the young age) is at an increased risk for catching one of these strains. Her symptoms were similiar to a cold with the watery eyes and the pawing at her face was attributed to a mild ear infection she developed with her "cold."

littlelady · 05-16-2008, 11:18 AM

I have read alot of weakened immune system but how to help them. I bought suppliments from petsmart. I couldn't get him to eat it. I kept these in zip lock baggies to try and keep them fresh. I did not try fresh beef liver or chicken liver. If I had bought these should I have cooked it or given it to him raw.
what I thought was weird is my older female yorkie has a never had symptoms.
any way it is kinda mute now Buddy was hit by a car May5th at 3

m right in front of my house . He was chasing a ground squirrel and ran into an on coming car, broke his neck instantly. I miss him so much.

KimMaple · 05-16-2008, 11:25 AM

I am not sure but just wanted to say that Dudley (will be 2 in Oct.) has allergies, he sneezes when it is allergy season (like now). Vet said to give him a little children's Benadryl and it helps.

zoeybear · 05-16-2008, 11:26 AM

Mine got kennel cough from the nasal vaccine. I read about a "test" you can do by pressing "GENTLY" on the front of the throat at the colar line. This is exactly what my vet did when we went back for a recheck. It caused Baby Chloe to cough. She also did a "gag" at the end of the cough. I was hesitant to suggest it because you could cause damage by pressing too hard on a Yorkie's throat. My vet opted to skip antibiotics and just gave a shot for inflamation. It took about a month for the cough to completely resolve.

NrfnKiva · 05-16-2008, 04:09 PM

yep, mine also got kennel cough from the nasal vaccine.
she had such a severe reaction that fort dodge(the manufacturer) paid for all her treatment.
we have it written on her record to never ever give her the vacine again.

05-12-2008, 03:17 PM	#1
LaurenThig Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Greenwood, SC Posts: 53	kennel cough from vaccine or allergies?? Hi to all, I have a 7 week old Yorkie puppy. My husband and I picked her up last Saturday a few hours after she'd had her first Vanguard vaccine. She seemed a little tired and listless, but perked up later that night--the breeder thought she may have been having a little reaction to the shot, so we didn't worry much. However, by last Sunday she began to develop a cough that ends in a gag--very much like kennel cough--and it happens mostly when she's resting. My vet examined her, said her lungs sounded clear and prescribed Clavomox, which she's been on since last Tuesday. The cough is still hanging around, and lately she's been shaking her head a lot and scratching her face and biting her feet. Does this sound like kennel cough, or could she be having an allergic reaction to food? We're feeding her Science Diet right now, but have picked up some puppy Wellness. Everything I've given her so far contains chicken--could this be the problem? She's eating, drinking, and definitely playing... doesn't act like she feels bad at all. Any suggestions or advice are appreciated!

05-13-2008, 06:20 AM	#2
Ellie May YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 5,074	Welcome to YT Seven weeks is usually considered too young to have food allergies. If it was just the ears itching I would think ear mites but since it's other parts of the body also, I would think other types of mites (sarcoptic or demodectic). Has she had a skin scraping? Six weeks is really too young for her to be away from her mother, so she will have to be watched extra close for hypoglycemia. Because she had a vaccine so young it would have counteracted the immunity that her mother gave her making the vaccine and the immunity from her mother "ineffective", so she is totally unprotected from disease right now. This happens to most pups but because she is so young, I would hesitate letting her walk outside at all. It's hard to say where the cough came from. What was in the vanguard vaccine? __________________ Crystal and Ellie May

05-13-2008, 01:42 PM	#3
LaurenThig Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Greenwood, SC Posts: 53	hmmm.... Not sure what was in the vaccine. I'm going to talk to my vet when I take her back about that. What about further shots... any info on what I need to check on as far as dose sizes and amounts given at one time? I'm a little nervous about her next round since this one didn't go over so well. Lily is doing great today... she was babysat by her "aunt" all day and played, played, played. No major scratching today either... wonder if last night was a fluke? At any rate, I'm keeping her on the Wellness for the time being since everything I've read on it is really good. THANKS for the response!!

05-13-2008, 06:41 PM	#5
Fender Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: SC Posts: 38	we got our bordetella nasal vaccine 4 weeks ago and we have been sick with the coughing/gagging since then. It is always when he sleeps. We stared antibiotics 2 weeks ago and it does seem a little better, bot not enough __________________ Fender's Mom

05-14-2008, 01:37 PM	#6
LaurenThig Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Greenwood, SC Posts: 53	interesting That's exactly what Lily does... always when she's about to go to sleep or waking up. Never when she's playing or anything else. What has your vet said?

05-13-2008, 06:30 PM	#4
KYBLUE YT Addict Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: ky Posts: 300	no lepto please ask what you vet is giving her and wait three weeks until the next shot she is just to young to be away from mommy good luck with her

05-15-2008, 07:14 PM	#7
littlelady Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: indiana Posts: 157	I bought a yorkie a year ago that had kennel cough and he subsequently developed pnuemonia. I had him on antibiotics for almost the first month or two after getting him. I started using a warm mist vaporizer right next to his basket he slept in a tall laundry basket next to my bed. That seemed to help him more then anything. If i had a fan on in the room that seemed to make his symptoms worse, sneezing, cough. scratching at his nose.

05-16-2008, 03:25 AM	#8
Cati YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 8	FYI the bordetella vaccine that is given to prevent kennel cough may actually cause some dogs to develop a mild form of kennel cough. There are various strains of kennel cough and anytime you take your dog anywhere you could be exposing him/her to one of these strains...even if your baby has been previously had the bordetella vaccine. This happen with my oldest yorkie when she was just a pup following her bordetella. Our vet explained to me that any dog with a weakened immune system (such as yours due to the young age) is at an increased risk for catching one of these strains. Her symptoms were similiar to a cold with the watery eyes and the pawing at her face was attributed to a mild ear infection she developed with her "cold." __________________ I try to take 1 day at a time but sometimes several days attack me at once!

05-16-2008, 11:18 AM	#9
littlelady Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: indiana Posts: 157	I have read alot of weakened immune system but how to help them. I bought suppliments from petsmart. I couldn't get him to eat it. I kept these in zip lock baggies to try and keep them fresh. I did not try fresh beef liver or chicken liver. If I had bought these should I have cooked it or given it to him raw. what I thought was weird is my older female yorkie has a never had symptoms. any way it is kinda mute now Buddy was hit by a car May5th at 3m right in front of my house . He was chasing a ground squirrel and ran into an on coming car, broke his neck instantly. I miss him so much.

05-16-2008, 11:25 AM	#10
KimMaple Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: IL Posts: 91	I am not sure but just wanted to say that Dudley (will be 2 in Oct.) has allergies, he sneezes when it is allergy season (like now). Vet said to give him a little children's Benadryl and it helps.

05-16-2008, 11:26 AM	#11
zoeybear and Chloe too! Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: California Posts: 2,397	Mine got kennel cough from the nasal vaccine. I read about a "test" you can do by pressing "GENTLY" on the front of the throat at the colar line. This is exactly what my vet did when we went back for a recheck. It caused Baby Chloe to cough. She also did a "gag" at the end of the cough. I was hesitant to suggest it because you could cause damage by pressing too hard on a Yorkie's throat. My vet opted to skip antibiotics and just gave a shot for inflamation. It took about a month for the cough to completely resolve. __________________ "Ma Petite Souris" ..............and "Gold Dust's Kissing Machine"

05-16-2008, 04:09 PM	#12
NrfnKiva YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Windsor Locks, CT Posts: 3	yep, mine also got kennel cough from the nasal vaccine. she had such a severe reaction that fort dodge(the manufacturer) paid for all her treatment. we have it written on her record to never ever give her the vacine again.