Help I Think My Dog Has Kennel Cough!
Posted on 12. Nov, 2017 by admin in Canine Health
Help I Think My Dog Has Kennel Cough!
It can be really hard on a dog owner when they realize their best friend is down sick, it can be downright stressful. If it was a child of yours you could take the temperature, give them rest, medicine or maybe even some good old fashion chicken soup. But when it’s your dog it is much more difficult to figure out what the trouble is or what you can do. This can make you feel helpless, especially when your dog is looking at you for help and comfort.
Something that can cause your dog illness is kennel cough. It’s also know as canine Tracheobronchitis and is a contagious viral and bacterial bug that happens when your pet is in close contact with other dogs, hence the common name kennel cough. But they can also catch it from your veterinarian, pet store or other places dogs congregate. The trouble is kennel cough can be difficult to diagnose and causes your dog lots of discomfort.
The trouble is if your dog does have it you really can’t take him to the vet’s because he can infect other dogs since it is highly contagious. Not to mention during a weak immune system your pet could catch even more sicknesses. So call your vet and ask them how best to proceed.
Signs of kennel cough can show up from 5 to 10 days after the dog has been exposed to the infection. The illness sounds serious, but it is often very harmless and your dog will recover in a week or so. However, for very young or old dogs the illness has the potential to cause serious respiratory issues.
Vaccines have been created for kennel cough, but this is a preventive measure and something you should consider beforehand. So the best protection is prevention, take your dog to your vet and have him receive the vaccine.
If you found yourself reading this article and are thinking it’s a little too late for preventive medication because your dog already has kennel cough don’t despair. Your vet can treat your dog with antibiotics, your dog will do lots of sleep and you’ll have some cleaning to do to disinfect your home. Make sure you keep other dogs away from yours so you don’t infect them.
Make sure you get treatment for your dog, an untreated case could turn into pneumonia as respiratory infections often do.
It’s not uncommon for dogs to come down with it, in fact most dogs will get it at some point. Awareness and preparation are your best weapons against it so do a little beforehand.
If you frequent boarding kennels consider speaking with the management to see what, if anything they do to minimize it spreading throughout the kennel.
Tab Pierce is an executive sales leader and security professional who has spent years as a serial entrepreneur. He has owned successful companies within eLearning, data management, telecommunications and others. He has also successfully assisted companies integrate sound sales processes into their organization.
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