# Kennel cough question



## Dieselsmama (Apr 1, 2007)

Ok, here goes, my friend with two pugs called me today and is wondering what to do for them b'cause she thinks they may have picked up kennel cough at the dog park. Her male Tucker is making a hacking noise intermittently for the past two days and now her little girl Willow has started doing it today. I told her obviously to go to the vets, but now I'm wondering. Isn't kennel cough a virus? I know for people you're not supposed to take antibiotics for a virus like a cold or flu so what exactly does the vet do for a dog with kennel cough? Just curious.


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## Janelle (Jul 29, 2007)

IF it is truley "kennel cough " the dr will prescribe prednisone and or an antibiotic called Doxycycline or clavamox 
in the mean time keep your dog away from other dogs to prevent this from spreading


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Bordetella is actually a bacterial infection, but there are strains of kennel cough that are viral.

There are a number of causes, which is why the vaccinations don't always prevent kennel cough.


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## nlkeple (Sep 24, 2007)

Lady got Kennel cough right after we got her. She got Clavamox for 7 days and that did the trick. The cough is just terrible I felt sooo bad for poor Lady when she was sick.


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## Dieselsmama (Apr 1, 2007)

Janelle said:


> IF it is truley "kennel cough " the dr will prescribe prednisone and or an antibiotic called Doxycycline or clavamox
> in the mean time keep your dog away from other dogs to prevent this from spreading


They are not my dogs, I'm just asking for clarification b'cause I was hearing it was viral.



RonE said:


> Bordetella is actually a bacterial infection, but there are strains of kennel cough that are viral.
> 
> There are a number of causes, which is why the vaccinations don't always prevent kennel cough.


Thanks, this is what I was wondering. In the case of a bacterial infection, of course antibiotics makes sense.


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

I give robitussin DM and I let it run its course HOWEVER..... a vet visit is important especailly in a breed like pugs that have so many respiratory issues anyway. 

s


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

Shalva said:


> I give robitussin DM and I let it run its course HOWEVER..... a vet visit is important especailly in a breed like pugs that have so many respiratory issues anyway.
> 
> s


I agree.

Our dogs were given a cough suppressant to use as needed, otherwise it just ran it's course. But greyhounds don't have respiratory issues. Be sure the vet is told BEFORE going to the office that kennel cough is suspected. Our vet had us use the back door and we went *immediately* to the exam room, so as to minimize exposure to other dogs and areas of the clinic.


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## bcleelee (Nov 18, 2007)

My 52 lb 10 month old dog got diagnosed with kennel cough and I was perscribed clavamox 375 mg 2 times a day for 2 weeks. But everything that I am reading says they only get it for seven days, is this amount over doing it? I went to a new vet and am not so sure of them. Should I call a new vet?
Thanks
crystal


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## Janelle (Jul 29, 2007)

Dieselsmama said:


> They are not my dogs, I'm just asking for clarification b'cause I was hearing it was viral.
> 
> oh pardon me


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## 007Dogs (Aug 22, 2007)

Since I have a kennel I just keep doxicyline on hand. I think I paid $21.00 for a bottle of 100 tabs. I give it twice a day for 10 days and use cough sryup if they are really hacking. If I have dogs that have not been exposed, they immediatly get the nasal vaccine. Less time to build anitbodies than the injectable. But you can not use doxicycline for bitches in whelp or young pups, because it will turn there teeth grey. 

The worst for me was when my friend brought it here with her dogs(who got if from dogs she was boarding prior to her arrival here) and I was getting ready to ship my dog to NYC for Westminster. He promptly moved into my sewing room to keep him away from all the other dogs and got the nasal immediatly. He never got sick. Lucky break for us, it is highly contagious.


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