Toy Goldendoodle Has Raspy Bark -- Kennel Cough ?

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Hi, been away for a while, hope to re-engage.  Things have been quiet with Teddy my 1-year old Toy Goldendoodle (turned 1 mid-July !) so I haven't been as active.  I guess that's been good.  Except.....

I went on vacation for a lenghty period of time in late-July and for half of the 12 days (5+) Teddy stayed in a Doggie Hotel (kennel) though it has a relatively small number of dogs (maybe 15 or so).  Sometime during the 12 days, he developed a raspy bark.  It used to be loud and piercing, high-pitched.  Now it sounds raspy...like he has laryngitis or something.

A friend said it sounds like Kennel Cough, except he is NOT coughing, it's when he barks.  I don't know when it first happened, my sister (who took over from the Dog Hotel mid-way through my vacation) never noticed it (wow....) but I did when I picked him up this past Monday.

Taking him to the vet later today but any comments/speculation appreciated.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Welcome back Frank, and Happy Birthday to Teddy. 

What you are describing sounds exactly like bordatella, which is "kennel cough." I'm glad he's going to the vet, he'll probably get antibiotics and be fine in a few days.

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Hi Karen.....thanks for your thoughtful and incisive comments (as usual).  I'll await the vet's prognosis but would it be weird for him to have bordatella since he has a vaccination for that ?  I know the terms are usually 1 year (Teddy gets new shots in September/October) but I thought they were actually good for up to 18 months (maybe longer) and vets were just playing it safe by re-innoculating every 12 months.

Actually, there's another (larger) kennel nearby where your bordatella shot must be within 6 months.  Now I see why they mandated that. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The bordatella vaccine doesn't prevent them from getting the disease; it's more that it gives them some resistance against it, and if they do get it, it's usually a milder case. 

Jack gets the intranasal bordatella vaccine twice a year. 

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Thanks, I'll ask about that.  Teddy goes to dog parks alot and comes into contact with dogs there, but only stays at a kennel/doggie hotel when I travel more than 1-2 days.

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Well, the vet saw him.....seemed fine, temp normal, heartbeat OK....they want to put him on some anti-biotics and some anti-inflammatories.  It MAY be bordatella, it may not be.  But even if not, the meds won't hurt him, which is what concerned me.

[Gail and Bailey]

Hi Frank!  Years ago when I left Bailey at a small in home "kennel" for a week, she came home with a very hoarse bark.

It turned out to be voice strain from barking sooooo much while living and playing with other dogs and having a ball!  I am hoping that is what Teddy has!

Happy Birthday to Teddy!!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

It does sound like Bordatella.  Mild cases heal themselves.

Happy Birthday to Teddy.

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Thanks Gail and Nancy.....that's the thing, it COULD be just from alot of barking or it could be bordatella.  How the heck do you definitively say, except to do expensive testing ?

So I guess that's why they erred on the side of the antibiotics and the anti-inflammatories. 

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Ugg.....so it happened again (sort of). 

This time, the raspiness is much less severe and no, Teddy is NOT coughing.  It's just a different bark than I am used to hearing.

I have no idea to what extent he is barking when he plays with the other dogs at the kennel (he is pretty active; they let him play in multiple sessions) or when he is in the stall he stays in overnight.  But this time I'm going to give it a few days and see if I can keep him from barking and if his bark comes back stronger.

I would guess if 1 dog in the area barks during the day or night, others can do so, too.  Maybe that is what is happening.  Dunno....but unless I hear him actually coughing or barking weakly, I'll assume it is NOT kennel cough.

How many of you have experienced bark laryngitis with your doodles after letting them stay in a kennel or doggie hotel ?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I've lived with dogs for 60 years, had my own for 41 years, and been involved with countless foster and rescue dogs, and I have never heard of or seen a single dog having "bark laryngitis". If Teddy is spending time in kennels, it's most likely bordatella (kennel cough). Even if he is vaccinated, the vaccines don;t prevent them from getting it, they just make it less severe. 
When you registered Teddy for the day care, kennel, or whatever it is, did they ask for proof of bordatella vaccination? Did they call your vet for verification? If not, they are not checking that for other dogs either, and the chances are really good that it's being passed around in the kennel. 
I'd have him checked, and if the vet says it's bordatella, I'd let the kennel know and see if they even notify the other owners. 

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Thanks Karen...actually, yes they did check for proof of vaccination.  I sent them my most recent bill which listed dates for shots and when they expired.

I'll probably get him checked.  I just hate bringing him in for something that just might be from lots of activity and/or barking.  I've measured his activity when he stays there and it's very high -- equivalent to about 2+ hours at a dog park every day plus normal walks.  So he could be having the time of his life with little and medium-sized dogs, playing hours a day, and I don't want to overreact and give antibiotics for no reason.  That was my major concern.

I'll update you all in a few days or so.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You don't have to give antibiotics just because you see the vet, or even if the vet recommends them; you have the right to refuse medication, lol. I've done it many times. 

Activity is one thing and non-stop barking for hours is something else. At a dog park, I see dogs running and playing together, maybe barking once or twice, but not barking non-stop. If a dog's response to being at this boarding kennel is to bark his head off for hours, maybe it's not the best place for Teddy to stay.