Thomas is so sick with Kennel cough...does anyone have any home remedies? Any help would be appreciated!!

[Debbie and Thomas]

Last week I posted here about my GD Thomas having a tick. After a trip to the vet it was removed and he was put on antibiotics just in case this gross thing was carrying anything.  Then on Thursday morning he woke up with this weird honking noise.  It continued all day so back to the vet.  He has "kennel cough".  The vet prescribed "clavamox"  which is a comination of amoxicillin and clavulate.  He said the kennel cough as a virus but that this drug would prevent any kind of secondary infection.  Last night he coughed(more like a gagging honking noise) most of the night and today has been doing the same thing and spitting up all kinds of mucous which is clear. I was told to watch out if it was greenish in colour. Has anyones dog had this nasty virus and is there anything I can do to help this poor doodle?  I gave him chicken broth with a bit of canned stew for dinner tonight as I thought his regular dry kibble would hurt his throat.  Any ideas would be appreciated!!  I am so worried.

[BG and Gavin]

What a relief! They seem to get so sick, so fast and then bounce back just as quickly. Hopefully you can get some rest tonight.

[Melanie Fincher]

I just did a ton of research on Kennel Cough. My boarding place requires a new vaccine every six months, not yearly. Of course I had a quick trip out of town and took both my Doodle Harley and my Irish Jack, Serenbe to the vet and got their shots just two days before they boarded. Within two days of getting them back Harley started coughing. I freaked, thinking "why" when they just got their shots. What most people don't realize is that the Bordatella vaccine only covers a certain type of kennel cough and there are several types of virus that can cause the issue. So no dog is completely covered, even with the shots. Basically, since it is a virus, there isn't anything you can do about it. The only reason antibiotics are prescribed is to prevent any secondary bronchial infections. I chose not to have Harley put on antibiotics because I felt like it was kinda like when we run to the pediatrican every time our kids have a runny nose and push for antibiotics and then comes the day that their systems have become resistant to that drug and you just end up getting into the spiral of new drug, reisistant, new drug, resistant, etc.. Anyway, I just let it run its course and gave him lots of fluids; water and chicken broth (which he thought was pretty amazing) and also tried to keep him a little on the quite side. It seemed to get worse when he was over active and when trying to eat, so I also put him on the chicken/rice/broth diet. Of course, Harley thought that was soooooo good, he stuck his nose up at the regular kibble later! LOL And of course Serenbe felt left out too so she was on the diet even though she didnt need it! LOL

[cfkhi48asl50]

Our Gracie has had Kennel cough a couple times from going to the dog parks and the first time it did last for about a week and a half. She took her medicine and one morning she was suddenly well. It was scary but I would make sure it isn't something else if it lingers.

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Isn't bordetella a bacteria and not a virus?

Kennel cough is a bacteria that spreads through the air and infects dogs who are in proximity with other dogs. The scientific name is Bordetella bronchiseptica, but it's commonly referred to as a cough since it sounds similar to a whooping cough. It's a dry, hacking cough where your dog seems to constantly be trying to clear his throat. The cough can last up to a month. While your dog seems healthy otherwise, it can be frightening for the owners. If your dog has not been vaccinated, you will need to see a vet and administer antibiotics for your dog until the cough clears up. In the meantime, you will have to quarantine him from other dogs so that he does not spread the infection.

Read more: Information on Bordetella Vaccination for Dogs | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5269335_information-bordetella-vaccinatio...

[Michael Gurley]

Sorry your dog has this! I thought that my Sunny couldn't get kennel cough since she has the vaccine for it, but she got it anyway after going to daycare and being around other dogs (one of them must have had it).

Sunny's cough lasted for a few days, but wasn't too bad. Apparently the vaccine only lessens the severity of the virus.