Kennel Cough

[Spruce Ridge Beagler]

Someone was kind enough to bring it to the MI state hunt and I have a few questions about it.
How long will it last ?
How long is it contagious ?
What is the best thing to treat it with as far as over the counter antibiotic ?
Will cough syrup help to calm the cough or is it a waste of time ?

I know a simple vaccination would have cured this but I can chalk this one up for a lesson learned.
Thanks in advance.

[SUNRISE10]

Check.. Field Trials.. PA state hunt .Good article by Moonshine Kennels .. about page 3

[cajunmeadows2]

Go to feed store. In the poultry section they sell a power to mix in water. Terrimycin I think. Just check the one for respritory and mix it up in drinking water. I have done it , it works. I usually treat the whole kennel.
Chad

[jrlee]

They also must have been at the World Hunt.

John

[Spruce Ridge Beagler]

We used terramyacin tablets for scours from TSC, 1/2 pill every twelve hours and the cough cleared up in a few days.
Yes it was at the world hunt too, I saw several dogs in cast that were coughing. Some say that once a dog gets kennel cough it can't get it again, any thoughts on that ?

[TC]

Nope just like the Flu they can get it over and over and over again..
For awhile seemed like every time we went to a Dog Show we brought home kennel Cough till we started vaccinating for it...
The Terrimycin Works great....
But the intranasel Vaccine is better...

[Eva's Beagles]

The intranasal vaccine helps to not get it, once you have it , it has to run it's course. A little robitussin helps with the cough. I would isolate the dog and treat your other dogs to be safe. From my experience it will be gone in a few days. I had a dog get it a couple years ago at a big hunt. Since using the intranasal vaccine annually I have not had another case. Brian.

[mike crabtree]

They may get it over and over, but the ones I let get over it on their own dont seem to get it again. Honey or Reject havent had it in a couple of years, but everything else here has had it.

[Rabbithoundjb]

I think there is something to that Mike, even if they do it seems to not be as bad. I let it run its course unless the dog stops eating, if that happens I give 2cc's of pennicillan, knocks it right out.

[sharon]

We went to the World Hunt and one of our dogs came down with kennel cough about four days after we returned. ( I talked to several other people who said their dog got sick after the World Hunt too) I was surprised that she got sick since she was given the intranasal treatment within the last year. When we took her to the vet, he treated her with cephalexin 250mg and hydromet cough syrup. The vet recommended that she be immunized twice a year for kennel cough if we plan to continue to take our dogs to big hunts. It is unfortunate that people do not keep their dogs home when they are sick!! We were unable to go to the Ohio State Hunt as a result of her getting kennel cough. She became too weak and did not have her stamina back by the time the state hunt rolled around. All of our hard work of getting her in shape for the big hunts fell by the wayside because of irresponsible dog owners who did not bother to take the proper measures to prevent the spread of such diseases.

[Spruce Ridge Beagler]

From what I have been told it has a seven day incubation period so people may not know they are passing it on. Maybe someone can correct me on that.
We arrived the saturday before the hunt and sunday morning a dog in our group was coughing, the guy felt like a terd but he got it the same way so we just delt with it.

[TC]

We went to the World Hunt and one of our dogs came down with kennel cough about four days after we returned. ( I talked to several other people who said their dog got sick after the World Hunt too) I was surprised that she got sick since she was given the intranasal treatment within the last year. When we took her to the vet, he treated her with cephalexin 250mg and hydromet cough syrup. The vet recommended that she be immunized twice a year for kennel cough if we plan to continue to take our dogs to big hunts. It is unfortunate that people do not keep their dogs home when they are sick!! We were unable to go to the Ohio State Hunt as a result of her getting kennel cough. She became too weak and did not have her stamina back by the time the state hunt rolled around. All of our hard work of getting her in shape for the big hunts fell by the wayside because of irresponsible dog owners who did not bother to take the proper measures to prevent the spread of such diseases.

That is the same recommendation we got when we were showing dogs heavily is to vaccinate every 6 months. I am not sure why the vaccine don't work longer then 6 months, however when traveling maybe there is different strains that we come in contact with and the ones that the current vaccine don't have those antibodies in it or something.

Besides, somedogs maybe a carrier with out the owner knowing, or they got exposed to it and didn't know until they too come up coughing. Which is the symptom after the fact of exposure and incubation. I am sure it is much like the flue you expose a bazzillion folks with out knowing it for the symptoms haven't hit you yet.