# slight cough/hack



## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

My dog has started to have a slight cough/hack, similar to what a cat with a hair ball sounds like. It's not excessively strong, nor is he coughing anything up. My understanding of kennel cough is it is stronger than what I am describing. My original thought was that his choker caused this. I have since switched to a prong. We have a vet appointment for saturday, to get his final boosters but I wanted your opinions.
Thanks
Joe


----------



## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

Not sure what it could be,
But hold off on the boosters until you know, if this is viral then booster may exacerbate this.
Your vet may say it's fine...it is not. Ask to see the manufacture's insert from the vaccine if he/she insists it's fine...the insert states to only give in a healthy animal...you don't want to have to deal with an adverse reaction (check helath threads of late - one dog died, another was vomiting blood).
If vet still won't comply, tell them that vax can wait - the antibodies aren't going anywhere....then ask him/her to sign a waver that they will pay all treatments to any adverse reaction....but then again why would you want your dog to even go through something or the even possible worst case scenario
Especailly don't do kennel cough vax....Don't do any at this time


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

How old is your dog?


----------



## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

I've never had a dog with a cough, so it's hard to know. It could be many things: asthma, a virus, parasites, heart or lung issues, or as you suspected a physical injury. 

Until you see the vet, just keep a diary of when the cough happens and what is sounds like, dry or moist and productive.


----------



## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Just wanted to say hope that your puppy feels better soon.


----------



## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

When was your last heartworm test? Texas is HW territory, as you probably know. Even if you have the dog on preventative, I'd have it rechecked (the blood test that gets sent away to a lab is more accurate and sensitive than the instant "snap" tests).

Kennel cough often has a runny nose associated with it (and usually goopy eyes too) -- at least that's what I see in shelters and with fosters.


----------



## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

Yoschi is four months old... I have never checked him for heart worms, but he is on prevention... like I said its not strong.. mostly like he's clearing his throat, rarely a bit stronger. Ill see if the vet has anything to say about it..
Thanks
Joe


----------



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Sounds like kennel cough. It starts out mild and gets worse as the days go by. Don't vaccinate him while he's sick - but a check up is in order.

I personally (and most I know that I would trust for training advice) wouldn't use a training collar on a 4 month old puppy either. But unless you have been very harsh with the collar correction wise, or the coughing is only happening when corrected with the collar, that likely isn't the problem.

Usually, puppies aren't checked for heartworms because the worms are so young (even if they got them from mom) that preventative meds kill the baby worms. Puppies aren't checked by any of my vets until at least 6 months of age, and even then, until they are about a year they usually just do the slow kill anyway (which is simply giving heartworm preventative). A puppy won't be coughing from heartworms at 4 months old. They would have to be very advanced to get to that point.


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

When does he cough/hack? While he's eating? While he's on a lead? While he is resting? Or all the time?


----------



## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

Lilie said:


> When does he cough/hack? While he's eating? While he's on a lead? While he is resting? Or all the time?


He coughs while resting and on the lead


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

is your dog wearing a prong all of the time? take your
pup to the Vet.


----------



## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

... if it is kennel cough, wouldn't my three other dogs be coughing as well?


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Puppies are more susceptible to diseases then adult dogs. They may have some immunity built up against it. 

There is no way any of us can tell you it is kennel cough over the internet. Your pup can have a heart problem. I think that if you are noticing a cough, you should go ahead and take the puppy in for a thorough examination.


----------



## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

Definitely kennel cough.... by the end of the day yesterday all four dogs are coughing.... we have an eight week old GoldenDoodle that we ended up taking to the 24hr pet emergency hospital..(my wife is overly paranoid) 
They gave him a couple meds,, one being an antibiotic, the other I'm not sure about... Yoschi is by far the least effected... his is very slight... I'm opting, at this point, to only give him One teaspoon of Robitussin and vitamin C... my wife is basically demanding I put him on antibiotics... He doesn't have a fever and no sign of any bacterial infection other than a very slight cough... I am open for opinions and suggestions.... if it gets much worse, or if he develops a fever, I have cipro on hand.


----------



## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

*Nine Safe Remedies for Kennel Cough*


Nosodes. A nosode is a homeopathic remedy derived from a pathological specimen. Nosodes stimulate the natural immune system to react against specific diseases. Kennel cough nosodes are particularly effective.
Esberitox. This is a fast-acting Echinacea that I have found very effective in reducing the virulence of bordetella infections.
*Vitamins C and E. Vitamin C is an antiviral and E provides immune system support.*
Oregano oil has antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties.
Astragalus is an herb used in Chinese medicine to enhance the immune system, support lung function and stimulate the regeneration of bronchial cells.
Raw garlic and olive leaf are natural antibacterial and antiviral agents.
*Raw honey will ease the discomfort of coughing, and certain herbs will soothe and naturally suppress a cough*, among them licorice root and marshmallow.
Essential oils can be used to help a pup with kennel cough breathe easier. *Oils of eucalyptus, lavender and tea tree have antibacterial and antiviral properties. Chamomile has a calming effect. *
Slippery Elm can help soothe sore and irritated throats.
Nine Natural Remedies for Kennel Cough

Honey has to be RAW, not pastuized (like billy bee)
I wouldn't give robtussen...this a dog, not a human and could contain who knows what inc. altifical sweeteners which (some) are toxic and some may be....Manuka honey especially...this has been studied and proven to work against pathogens

If you have a vapourizer, the eucalyptus or tea tree will help....you and add a couple drops to an oz. of carrier oil like olive oil or coconut and finger tip into the fur around neck, the smell will clear passages.

Slipper elm - like an internal band-aide and will coat raw throat - you can use the tea.

Vapourizer going overnight while sleeping w/lavender oil will treat airborne bacteria​


----------



## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

There are different strains of this stuff -- all are super-duper contagious, so keep your dogs away from playmates, and if you plan to go visit friends with dogs, wash your hands well and use hand sanitizer. If you go back to the vet, ask ahead of time if they want you to use a separate entrance (I have to take suspected kennel cough fosters through a side entrance into a special exam room, to keep them away from lobby dogs).

The usual thing I hear over and over is healthy dogs usually shake it off in about 5 days, with no medicine. I see that at the shelter where I volunteer, for many breeds.

HOWEVER, I think GSDs have a harder time with it, so I tend to want to put them on Doxy for it, as if it goes bad, it goes _really bad _(turning quickly into pneumonia, which is sometimes fatal). This isn't just me being paranoid about my dogs -- though a personal experience does emphasize it. (My own male came out of rescue with what I was told was kennel cough in California ten years ago -- upon adoption, a chest Xray by my vet showed it was actually full-blown pneumonia, and he was _way _sicker than the rescue knew. It took 6 days of vet ICU care, with an IV drip in him, to pull him back to health. He nearly died.)

The GSDs at the public shelter where I volunteer have consistently had a far worse time shaking it off than other breeds. We haven't figured out WHY they are not shaking it off like other breeds, but it has happened so frequently that we know it's not a random fluke -- the shelter has gotten to a point that they are putting GSDs on Doxy as soon as they exhibit the first sign of kennel cough (a runny nose, usually). Before they were doing this, we lost a GSD at the shelter to it last year (it turned into pneumonia very quickly, and by the time he got on antibiotics, it was too late, despite over $1000 in donated vet care and round-the-clock clinical treatment). It's possible the shelter GSDs have a harder time because the breed is so emotional and nearly always gets depressed and then stops eating, which compromises the immune system--and that wouldn't be the same for a dog who gets sick at home. Or it may be that this breed is just more vulnerable, which would be the same for a dog at home. All I know is that I've learned to take kennel cough very seriously in this breed. 

I wouldn't give Cipro without talking to your vet first. The antibiotic of choice that I always see prescribed for kennel cough here is Doxycycline -- filling a RX for this costs around $10 at Walmart Pharmacy (your vet can call it in for you, over the weekend, if necessary--talk to her or him before you start trying to experiment with antibiotics in your medicine cabinet). If that doesn't work, your vet may prescribe inhaled medicine.

I personally wouldn't use the robitussin, unless the vet told you to. When I have a foster recovering from this illness, I like to put eucalypus oil in my scented-oil diffuser or in the inhalant compartment of a vaporizer near where the dog sleeps.


----------



## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

hopefully all is well,,, not a single cough today from Yoschi... the two small dogs we have are on antibiotics,, they had it bad... I kept yoschi with me all day, running errands in my car... gave him 500mg of vit ester-C and one teaspoon of robitussin early this morning,,, going to give anothe vit-c dose in a few hours,,, I also hosed the house down with lysol


----------



## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

I was just reading on my vets we'd site about dog flu, can be mistaken for kennel cough. Transmitted similar to human, being around dog parks, puppy day cares, wherever infected animals may have been.


----------



## Anubis_Star (Jul 25, 2012)

Kennel cough is a blanket term for any upper respiratory disease, and there are over 200 different bacteria and viruses that can cause it. The Bordetella vaccine covers against the most common bacterial strains, but that's a slight few. Honestly, my healthy adult dogs only get the bordetella vaccine because my job requires it to bring them in with me. Before I started taking them, I took kennel cough home on my clothes and both the dogs got it. No treatment - within a week they were fine.

It CAN get severe, especially in younger pups or older dogs with compromised immune systems. Antibiotics are up in the air. Honestly, I don't largely treat kennel cough with antibiotics - they have no effect on viral causes (which your dogs could have a VIRAL kennel cough), and even many of the bacteria strains are resistant to different antibiotics.


----------



## Anubis_Star (Jul 25, 2012)

Kennel Cough is always a DRY cough because it's upper airways. If your pet has a wet, "productive" cough that is bringing up mucus, that is more concerning. Usually a sign of lower airway disease (pneumonia).

A great trick for detecting kennel cough - if you palpate the trachea on their neck (rub and LIGHTLY pinch the hard "tube" in their throat), it will almost always cause a dog to cough when it's kennel cough (or a cat). That's how we use to test the animals when I did shelter medicine. Walk up to each kennel and rub their trachea.


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

is robitussin formulated for dogs?



Yoschi's_Pet_Human said:


> hopefully all is well,,, not a single cough today from Yoschi... the two small dogs we have are on antibiotics,, they had it bad... I kept yoschi with me all day, running errands in my car... gave him 500mg of vit ester-C and
> 
> >>>> one teaspoon of robitussin early this morning<<<<
> 
> ,,, going to give anothe vit-c dose in a few hours,,, I also hosed the house down with lysol


----------



## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> is robitussin formulated for dogs?


guaifenesin is regularly prescribed to dogs... 100mg which is one teaspoon is safe and effective
My vet said it was fine.... She also said to only use the regular robitussin...


----------

