# Kennel cough or distemper



## beagler (Jan 3, 2008)

I got some not so good new from the vet today. One of my 6 month old pups started coughing and I guessed it to KC. Once I noticed snot coming from his nose and the coughing I moved him in to the garage, this was Wednesday night. I couldn't get off work so I didn't go to the vet yesterday. So today I took him and his littermate and my three other dogs to the vet to have them checked out and get their rabies shots. The vet says he can't tell if it is KC or distemper because the symptoms are the same at this point. He sounded like he thought it was distemper though. My pups only had one Galaxy DA2PPVL at 8 weeks. I was up in the air on the shots because I have heard they are horrible and vice vrs if you don't your dog will die. So I went with just the one. Well when I got home my older female coughed a little, she had all her shot by the same vet so I can't see her having distemper. My dogs haven't been around any other dogs which is why the vet was thinking it could be distemper. I have had them in the woods the last two weekends which he says he say they could have picked it up. Well, I say they haven't been around other dogs but at anytime dogs can come up to the fence and infect them which I would never know if that happened. So 130 bucks and 4 hours later I have some antibiotics and a cough reliever. He left me with if it is distemper the pup is most likely going to die in the next week or two if it is KC he should get better. From what I can read KC and distemper are normally airborne spreading. So I am not sure how he would have got it in the woods. So that leaves it with a stray coming up to fence. Which from time to time I'll see dogs nose to nose at the fence. It sucks seeing him sad and sick.


I really hope my pup doesn't have distemper.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

First, I would find a different vet ASAP. Distemper is treatable and has a decent survival rate, if treated properly. It's no picnic, but it's not an automatic death sentence, either. 

Distemper can be spread by wild animals, notably raccoons. So it doesn't necessarily mean that stray dogs were hanging around your house.

The distemper shot given at 8 weeks has likely had no effect on his immune system. Vaccines need to be given at 14 weeks or over to give lasting immunity. Yes, there are risks involved with vaccination, but I consider distemper and parvo vaccines to be important enough to warrant the risks. If you choose not to vaccinate, you need to do a lot of research on the benefits and risks involved. 

I hope you did not give the sick dogs their rabies shots. Vaccines will not work if given while the dog is sick. You'll have to have them re-done once the dogs are fully recovered. Or, you could have a titer run to see if the dog did develop immunity or not. But, in general, a sick dog cannot develop proper immunity in response to a vaccine---his immune system is already too busy with the illness.

I hope it's kennel cough


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## 5 s corral (Dec 31, 2007)

hi 
did he say anything about the canine flu the symtoms 
are some what a like i also have seen pups get better after having distemper
jamie


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## Jessrof (Feb 10, 2008)

Do you know if the vx were modified live? or live? The only way that an animal can contract the virus from a vx is if they are live... Now to address the Rabies issue. A rabies vx works whether the animal is sick or not. So I wouldn't worry about that! So do the pups have any spots on the skin? Yellow or orange? I seriously doubt it is distemper, but I would find another vet. Kennel Cough or Distemper can do down hill very quickly, better to have a vet you trust then one you are questioning. What meds are you on? any cough suppressant? antibiotics? Did they have a fever? Distemper usually! not always presents with a fever... Good Luck


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Jessrof said:


> Do you know if the vx were modified live? or live? The only way that an animal can contract the virus from a vx is if they are live... Now to address the Rabies issue. A rabies vx works whether the animal is sick or not. So I wouldn't worry about that!


I don't think the OP was worried about the vaccine causing the disease....but more worried about vaccine reactions and health problems stemming from the vaccines.

Vaccines are not magic....you can't just give them to an animal and say "there, now he can't get that disease". Vaccines are also not medications, they are biological agents. They work by stimulating the immune system to develop immunity to that disease. If the immune system is weakened or compromised, it cannot develop full immunity in response to the vaccine. If you read the vaccine label, it will say "for use in healthy animals over the age of xx months". And if the last "puppy" vaccine is given before the age of 14-15 weeks, full immunity will not be achieved because the temporary immunity derived from the mother dog will interfere with the vaccine. Partial immunity may be achieved in these cases, but full immunity is rare if the animal was sick or under 14 weeks at the time of vaccination.


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## 007Dogs (Aug 22, 2007)

Willowy said:


> full immunity will not be achieved because the temporary immunity derived from the mother dog will interfere with the vaccine. .


This can depend on the vaccine. There are some that will not interfere with the antibodies recieved from the mother. 

You should be finding another vet to diagnosis the dogs condition.


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