My Dog has Kennel Cough. Any Body know how to get rid of it? Besides going to the Vet?

Question

We bought him from a well known breeder in our area. He is 4 months old now & my friend who used to work at a Vet Clinic told me that he might have Kennel Cough. We also have read up on it & he has all the symptoms & it said you could treat it with childrens cold medicine or it will go away by itself. Some times it can turn into Pneumonia. We dont have any other dogs. My mother has a weiner dog who had it & she gave it Robitusin & it worked. But I am afraid to give my puppy medicine. We will take my puppy to the vet in a couple of weeks for his last set of shots but in the mean time any other ideas?

Answer 1

Kennel Cough is a bacterial airbourne infection passed on from dog to dog.

If possible, you should go to a vet to make sure it's not something more virulent -- like pnuemonia. The vet can prescribe antibiotics to help the dog fend off other opportunistic diseases.

If you are unable to get to a vet, you can treat the dog yourself, but keep in mind that it will take about 14 days for the dog to go through this illness, and that pnumonia can sometimes assert itself while the dog's immune system is compromised by the bacteria.

For an average sized dog: You can give the dog half of a baby aspirin (81 mg) about every four hours to help it fight infection; give it a child's dose of Robitussin once or twice a day to help soothe it's cough; and give it 250 miligrams of vitamin C once a day to help boost its immune system.

Keep your dog away from other dogs for the 14 day period. And when you're able to afford it, get your dog a "Bordatella" vaccination to keep it safe for future infection.

Answer 2

It doesn't sound like kennel cough. Call the vet ASAP! You should also the call the breeder or wherever you got the puppy from and find out if the other pups or the mom is sick. You have to figure out a way to get that puppy to the vet. Find a friend or relative that can drive you. Or take a taxi. I know, we all have things going on in our lives that keep us busy. But when you get a puppy, you are committing your time and energy for the length of that dog's life. How busy could she be, if she had time to pick the puppy up yesterday??

Answer 3

How do you know your dog has Kennel Cough if he/she hasn't been diagnosed by a vet? There are several other possibilities that are far more serious than Kennel Cough. If the dog has recently been boarded, he/she may be hoarse from barking during the kennel stay. This is quite common and will go away after a few days of resting the vocal cords; ie. NOT barking all day long! If it is infectious, it is typically caused by a bacteria, Bordetella bronchiseptica which is related to the human Whooping cough organism (but does NOT transfer from species to species... don't worry!) Antibiotics will help to clear the infection quickly, and in the meantime, offering the dog warm water with a small amount of honey mixed in will help to soothe the upper airway and throat and reduce the urge to cough. This dog should be seen by a vet to determine if he/she is running a fever. Fever is a strong indicator for bacterial infection, and needs to be treated. Best of luck to you and your dog...

Answer 4

It could be Kennel Cough but it could also be the beginning stages of Canine influenza which is a lot more serious and it could be other more serious issues as well. You need to be responsible and take this puppy to a vet for a proper diagnosis.Do NOT self medicate!!!! Many people have seriously harmed or killed their puppies by waiting ot long to take to the vet and self medicating.
Also be advised just because something was prescribed for someone elses dog or worked for someone elses dog it doesn't mean it is appropriate for your dog.

Answer 5

Just go to the vet, jeez.
If you bought him from a pet store, which you probably did since he has kennel cough then I am sure you paid an arm and a leg for him. Why not pay a little more to get his health back up????

Answer 6

Kennel cough is actually Kennel Cough Complex... which involves both a bacteria and viruses. I agree with the answer that said "how do you know its kennel cough?". Dogs cough for lots of other reasons. Basically its treated with antibiotics and antitussives. If treated it usually resolves in a week. If not treated it could last 30 days, and risk settling into a pneumonia. Plus, it is usually worse at night and the coughing and gagging dogs do will cause you both to lose sleep. Good luck.

Answer 7

If you have any other dogs its going to be passed them first of all and then back and forth between the animals. So if it's just the one dog it really is better to take them to the vet as this is your responsiblity as the owner. Depending on the age (over a 1year) it will most likely resolve in two or three weeks. BUT - it could develop into pneumonia. So if you are taking the position to not take them then also know that if it gets worse it could have been prevented. Good luck

Answer 8

I would take him to the vet as soon as possible! Only the vet can give him something to get better. Kennel Cough can be serious.

Answer 9

I knew a kennel ages ago that used to add "Mrs. Stewart's Bluing" to the water of the dogs that got Kennel Cough. Since I don't know about the amount used you might want to ask your Vet if they have heard about that. Certainly ask before trying anything. It worked on the shelter dogs. I think only a spoonful was added but would never recommend trying a home remedy without checking with a Vet.
http://www.mrsstewart.com/
And for whomever put a thumbs down on this one, if you aren't familiar with home remedies you just don't know. I don't advocate for anything without someone consulting with a VET first either.

Answer 10

Please take your dog to his/her vet to be properly diagnosed and treated. You cannot assume that your dog has kennel cough, dogs do cough for other reasons as well. As far as I know there is no home remedy for kennel cough-again your pet should be seen by his/her vet and diagnosed as his/her condition could worsen.