A little worried about Buzz
 

What kind of a 'cough' is it?

I know Jackson had kennel cough last year and it was like a hacking, dry cough and he would do it for about 10 seconds or so, and then nothing for a few hours, then he would do it again. It was worse at night... he would wake me up in the middle of the night w/ it. Took him in, got a 7 day antibiotic and it was gone.

Not saying that's what Buzz has, but that's the only kind of cough I've heard Jackson do, unless he gets a 'hairball' as I call them and gives a quick hack every now and then.... lol.

Kennel cough is really contagious. I used to volunteer in a shelter and one time I bent down to pet these new puppies and the lady goes "wait! don't touch!" lol. They had kennel cough so she made me wash my hands really good and take off my sweatshirt before going home, since we had dogs at home... so it's possible. If you go to YouTube.com and search kennel cough, there are videos of dogs w/ it showing the difference between kennel cough, collapsed trachea, and that 'honking' thing alot of yorkies do!

I actually do give Jackson the bordatella (the one thru the nose...) just because we go the dog park so much and stores and we are around doggies so much. He hadn't got the kennel cough vaccinne, and got kennel cough so I figured for us the preventative was worth it.

I get what you're saying, Brit, but I'm wondering if Buzz could get it, because Lexi was coughing from the shot?

Spike had a similar type of thing last year. He didn't seem to be getting over it, so I took him to the vet, who basically said he had a cold (to put it in human terms). He got better on his own within a week.

The kennel cough vaccine is essential if you take you dog anywhere where they encounter other dogs, as it is highly contagious. Typically, dogs will recover from kennel cough on their own (think human colds, again!). However, in severe cases, elderly dogs, or ones with weakened immune systems, the kennel cough can develop into something more severe like pneumonia, or allow other illnesses to take advantage of the weakened immune system. If your dog is not getting any worse, then I would feel pretty confident in his ability to get better on his own. The kennel cough vaccine, while only about 60 percent effective, is good at preventing the illness from reaching the more advanced stages, as the dog already has some immunity.

Antibiotics are fairly useless against kennel cough as it is a virus, however many vets prescribe them as a defence against secondary illnesses. To the best of my knowledge, the vaccine is not a 'live' vaccine, so it is impossible that your dog got the illness from the shot (the way lots of people believe you can get the 'flu from the flu shot, which is also impossible), however, he may have caught it from another dog at the vet's office! The shot takes about a week to become fully effective in your dog's system.

Hope this helps!

Hey Maggie,

Kennel Cough, Allergies, Reverse Sneezing and Collapsing Trachea are all so similar it is really hard to tell the difference. Milo's Vet was all ready to scope for the Trachea and it turned out to be Reverse Sneezing due to fall allergies. The best advise I can give you google all three and see if you can find video of it and compare to what Buzz is doing. Also I would Video Buzz and take it to his Vet so they can give a proper diagnosis.

Hope all is well with you and Apple and try not to worry too much you will figure it out.

Cheryl

Hot Rod has had a cough lately and when I took the in for the glands and nails the other day, the vet confirmed that it was probably allergies. It sounds as though he is trying t cough up a hairball. It's quick and doesnt' last too long. Poor baby.