Almost at my wit's end.... - YorkieTalk.com Forums

BustersMom13 · 01-19-2011, 09:07 AM

Hello everyone... I think I need some advice... In the posts I put up with Buster's pictures I mentioned that he has kennel cough and it is being treated with antibiotics. Just when you think his cough is gone he coughs! The vet wants to keep him on the antibiotics he is on now until 3 days after he doesn't cough... but will the coughing ever stop? The coughs are few and far between but still there... He has been on various antibiotics for atleast a month now... is that typical with kennel cough?... I've heard it can take weeks to get rid of but not months

... I feel like my poor baby is living on pills... the cough started about a week after we got him and we've had him for 6 weeks now ... I just feel like there is no end in sight... is there something else the vet should be doing besides giving us pills? - Any advice would be great... thanks!

lexi43 · 01-19-2011, 09:17 AM

I'm not really an expert on this but Zach had KC for about 3 weeks after we got him but six weeks seems like a long time. Did the vet xray him or test him for CT. Yorkies are prone to them. My dog still coughs when he gets excited or drinks to fast and every once in awhile my shorkie coughs. Is there any other vet you can get a second opinion from? Also my vet says if my home has very dry air, which it does that can make them cough also. He told to get a humidifier. Also did you contact your breeder about this?

BustersMom13 · 01-19-2011, 09:30 AM

No the vet didn't x-ray him but I asked about CT and he said the cough wouldn't sound the way it does if it was CT. With the cough and gag at the end he said he's sure it's kennel cough... And we don't hsve a breeder to check with because we rescued him... We did contact the foster home we got him from and while we heard back from them it wasn't very helpful... What I can't figure out is when he was in the foster home he was vaccinated against KC (intranasal bordatella) but ending up with it anyway. Can the vaccination cause the disease in some cases? (like the flu in humans) or do you think he had it before he got vaccinatied and just wasn't showing symptoms yet? I dont know what to think all i know is i want my boy to be healthy!

lexi43 · 01-19-2011, 09:48 AM

I'm not really sure about that. When we got Zach he was not really up to date on his shots. Of course I got Zach from a pet store before I knew better. Anyway we had him one day when he started coughing. They say it takes awhile for the cough to come out but it's very common in places where there are a number of dogs together. The vet says it's not usual for a puppy that comes from a shelter or a pet store or a place where the puppy is around other dogs to end up with kc. I know my friend's poodle had it for almost 5 weeks and still gets bouts of coughing as do mine. If your really uncomfortable about the situation I would talk to another vet but I'm sure if the cough is getting better he will be okay. Just don't panic (I should talk). There will most likely be someone on this forum that could help you a little better as I said I'm not an expert, I'm just going by experience.

Britster · 01-19-2011, 01:12 PM

I'm sorry you're going through this! Jackson has had kennel cough twice now and both times he's been cleared up in about 3-5 days with antibiotics. I don't have any advice for you, but wanted to wish you luck.

hugz4all4 · 01-19-2011, 01:35 PM

I think it depends on the dog, my sister in law has two labs that has gotten KC twice and both times it took several weeks for it to go away. Hope your pup feels better soon. ((hugs))

Patti · 01-19-2011, 02:19 PM

Cali had it when I got her and gave it to my pom and they both had it for 3 months. I can't remember now but one of them still had the occasional cough past the 3 months. They were on 2 rounds of antibiotics. I hope Buster gets rid of his cough soon.

kjc · 01-19-2011, 04:05 PM

Hi... here are some examples...

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...d-trachea.html

Also, has his mouth and teeth been checked thoroughly? My Peek a Boo once had a hair or fiber that got snagged on on of his teeth, long enough that the rest of it went down his throat. He would cough and hack at the end as he tried to bring it up. I checked to see no hair was irritating his throat, but I checked again and found the string like thing stuck in his tooth, like dental floss.... when I pulled it out (looked like something pulled out of a drain...ewww!), there was bits of food and all kinds of stuff that had accumulated on it...

mandy4 · 01-19-2011, 11:27 PM

After getting my newest baby Blossom, her and Bella both started coughing. I took them to the vet here on the base I live on in Japan and they told me it was kennel cough, they gave me meds for the both of them. Blossom stopped coughing while Bella continued to cough. I took her back to the vet after a couple of weeks and they said she was ok, and it could take a while for it to go away. Another couple of weeks passed and she was still coughing. I eventually took her downtown to a Japanese vet, he did xrays right away and she had bronchitis! He gave her a shot, and 2 different meds, one was a follow up of the shot and the other was a cough supressent. She stopped coughing almost right away.

She was coughing with the gagging at the end of her coughs, and sounded miserable. The bad thing is her trachea has started collapsing because of all the coughing and the strain it went through for all those weeks. Take your pup back and have them do an xray...I asked for an xray the second time I took her in on base and they told me it wasnt needed....lesson learned for me, my babies will never see the vet here on base again!!!

gaijingirl · 01-20-2011, 12:22 AM

My sister's Pom had Kennel Cough this past Spring. I don't know for sure how long it took to clear up, but I do know that it was at least a month or more...maybe two months, and she had to go through at least two rounds of treatment for it. My mom said the cough was absolutely horrible at times.
It's very frustrating when you feel like your dog is not getting better, I know! I hope you can get some more opinions from some with more experience with the problem.

01-19-2011, 09:07 AM	#1
BustersMom13 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 112	Almost at my wit's end.... Hello everyone... I think I need some advice... In the posts I put up with Buster's pictures I mentioned that he has kennel cough and it is being treated with antibiotics. Just when you think his cough is gone he coughs! The vet wants to keep him on the antibiotics he is on now until 3 days after he doesn't cough... but will the coughing ever stop? The coughs are few and far between but still there... He has been on various antibiotics for atleast a month now... is that typical with kennel cough?... I've heard it can take weeks to get rid of but not months ... I feel like my poor baby is living on pills... the cough started about a week after we got him and we've had him for 6 weeks now ... I just feel like there is no end in sight... is there something else the vet should be doing besides giving us pills? - Any advice would be great... thanks! __________________ Love, Angela & Buster Last edited by BustersMom13; 01-19-2011 at 09:09 AM.

01-19-2011, 09:30 AM	#3
BustersMom13 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 112	No the vet didn't x-ray him but I asked about CT and he said the cough wouldn't sound the way it does if it was CT. With the cough and gag at the end he said he's sure it's kennel cough... And we don't hsve a breeder to check with because we rescued him... We did contact the foster home we got him from and while we heard back from them it wasn't very helpful... What I can't figure out is when he was in the foster home he was vaccinated against KC (intranasal bordatella) but ending up with it anyway. Can the vaccination cause the disease in some cases? (like the flu in humans) or do you think he had it before he got vaccinatied and just wasn't showing symptoms yet? I dont know what to think all i know is i want my boy to be healthy! __________________ Love, Angela & Buster

01-19-2011, 01:12 PM	#5
Britster Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 17,814	I'm sorry you're going through this! Jackson has had kennel cough twice now and both times he's been cleared up in about 3-5 days with antibiotics. I don't have any advice for you, but wanted to wish you luck. __________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier

01-19-2011, 01:35 PM	#6
hugz4all4 YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: upstate NY Posts: 2,114 Blog Entries: 1	I think it depends on the dog, my sister in law has two labs that has gotten KC twice and both times it took several weeks for it to go away. Hope your pup feels better soon. ((hugs)) __________________ Love all 9 of my furrbutts!

01-19-2011, 02:19 PM	#7
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	Cali had it when I got her and gave it to my pom and they both had it for 3 months. I can't remember now but one of them still had the occasional cough past the 3 months. They were on 2 rounds of antibiotics. I hope Buster gets rid of his cough soon. __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

01-19-2011, 09:17 AM	#2
lexi43 YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Deer Park New York Posts: 1,586	I'm not really an expert on this but Zach had KC for about 3 weeks after we got him but six weeks seems like a long time. Did the vet xray him or test him for CT. Yorkies are prone to them. My dog still coughs when he gets excited or drinks to fast and every once in awhile my shorkie coughs. Is there any other vet you can get a second opinion from? Also my vet says if my home has very dry air, which it does that can make them cough also. He told to get a humidifier. Also did you contact your breeder about this?

01-19-2011, 09:48 AM	#4
lexi43 YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Deer Park New York Posts: 1,586	I'm not really sure about that. When we got Zach he was not really up to date on his shots. Of course I got Zach from a pet store before I knew better. Anyway we had him one day when he started coughing. They say it takes awhile for the cough to come out but it's very common in places where there are a number of dogs together. The vet says it's not usual for a puppy that comes from a shelter or a pet store or a place where the puppy is around other dogs to end up with kc. I know my friend's poodle had it for almost 5 weeks and still gets bouts of coughing as do mine. If your really uncomfortable about the situation I would talk to another vet but I'm sure if the cough is getting better he will be okay. Just don't panic (I should talk). There will most likely be someone on this forum that could help you a little better as I said I'm not an expert, I'm just going by experience.

01-19-2011, 04:05 PM	#8
kjc I♥PeekTinkySaph&Finny Donating Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 18,866	Hi... here are some examples... http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...d-trachea.html Also, has his mouth and teeth been checked thoroughly? My Peek a Boo once had a hair or fiber that got snagged on on of his teeth, long enough that the rest of it went down his throat. He would cough and hack at the end as he tried to bring it up. I checked to see no hair was irritating his throat, but I checked again and found the string like thing stuck in his tooth, like dental floss.... when I pulled it out (looked like something pulled out of a drain...ewww!), there was bits of food and all kinds of stuff that had accumulated on it... __________________ Kat Chloe Lizzy PeekABooTinkerbell SapphireInfinity

01-19-2011, 11:27 PM	#9
mandy4 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Misawa Japan Posts: 96	After getting my newest baby Blossom, her and Bella both started coughing. I took them to the vet here on the base I live on in Japan and they told me it was kennel cough, they gave me meds for the both of them. Blossom stopped coughing while Bella continued to cough. I took her back to the vet after a couple of weeks and they said she was ok, and it could take a while for it to go away. Another couple of weeks passed and she was still coughing. I eventually took her downtown to a Japanese vet, he did xrays right away and she had bronchitis! He gave her a shot, and 2 different meds, one was a follow up of the shot and the other was a cough supressent. She stopped coughing almost right away. She was coughing with the gagging at the end of her coughs, and sounded miserable. The bad thing is her trachea has started collapsing because of all the coughing and the strain it went through for all those weeks. Take your pup back and have them do an xray...I asked for an xray the second time I took her in on base and they told me it wasnt needed....lesson learned for me, my babies will never see the vet here on base again!!!

01-20-2011, 12:22 AM	#10
gaijingirl YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 283	My sister's Pom had Kennel Cough this past Spring. I don't know for sure how long it took to clear up, but I do know that it was at least a month or more...maybe two months, and she had to go through at least two rounds of treatment for it. My mom said the cough was absolutely horrible at times. It's very frustrating when you feel like your dog is not getting better, I know! I hope you can get some more opinions from some with more experience with the problem.