kennel cough advice

Re: kennel cough advice

Sian Pasquale — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:09:38 GMT

I always thought KC was self-limiting in otherwise healthy dogs. Just a problem in the very young, elderly, or those with underlying heart/lung probs?

Yes I believe it is only a real health concern in very young, elderley or immuno-comprimised animals, but it has become quite a serious issue around our way because of lack of education about it, We have about 35 dogs come to agility club and over half of them,(all fit, active, healthy dogs) have caught it so far which is why we had to close the club,

It just shocks me that people come up to me and said oh I don't think my dog caught it from club we met so and so out on a walk the other day and her dogs were coughing all over mine...! So no wonder it is spreading so easily!

My concern is for people who may have younger/older/ill animals at home that are likely to become infected because the healthy fit animal has brought it home with them from club or they have caught it out on a walk because people don't realise they should be avoiding public places...grr!

Sorry for my rant, I just wish there was more campaigning done to realise the seriousness of it, and dog owners would think logically when it comes to walking their infectious dogs!

Re: kennel cough advice

Cat Woman — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:17:16 GMT

I always thought KC was self-limiting in otherwise healthy dogs. Just a problem in the very young, elderly, or those with underlying heart/lung probs?

Re: kennel cough advice

Mac Feather — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:46:34 GMT

I have to confess I was always lead to believe K.C vacc was a take it or leave it kind of thing,the theory being that regular dhppi/l boosters provided cover for parainfluenza.

Have to say my knowledge on K.C is not the greatest, havent had a huge deal of experience with it over the years although latterly I have.

Re: kennel cough advice

Fiona Leathers — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:16:39 GMT

Which one were you at?? I was at Cumbernauld....will need to look out my notes to make sure my mind is selectively remembering things!!

Re: kennel cough advice

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:45:12 GMT

[quote user="Bouncyfi"]

Get in touch with INtervet as they do a very good letter regarding KC. I went to one of their talks on it & invited all our local kennels & breeders. The facts they came out with were quite interesting.

KC is now figured to be pretty much the same as other diseases, dogs can be carriers and show no symptoms, but shedding the disease all over the place. Symptoms can take between 7-21 days to show. They can get better again and then relapse.

Vaccination only provides cover the main strains but, if your dog is getting vaccinated against KC for the first time it should be done 14-28 days before going into kennels for example - not as the datasheets suggest 3 days. If they've had a dose before - even if its lapsed - then thats when you would recommend the 3 days.

Try, if you can, to not call it KC but Infectious Kennel Bronchitis. We recommend it to everyone as part of their routine vaccination and to carry on doing yearly.

[/quote]

I went to this talk Fi, I asked the guy that if a dog was infected, would they actually need a VAcc?? ......... no answer of course, all he said was it would be better if he /she was even though they would be protected for life from whatever strain they had.. As lou said its a cold at the end of the day, and to be honest I have never vaccinated mine ...... ever against it, and I have only had one who had it, years ago and it did not spread thorugh them all like I thought it might. I find that clients who are putting their pets in kennels do it, only because the kennel asks for it, other than that most peeps dont bother.

Re: kennel cough advice

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:40:06 GMT

In regards to benylin.......... its not a PM, and not a animal prescription, so would nurses actually get in trouble for adv it anyway......... seeing as it's not a pm??? just a thought.

Re: kennel cough advice

Mac Feather — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:59:18 GMT

How long are dogs with Kennel cough infectious for?

Re: kennel cough advice

Maisy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:10:24 GMT

With Benylin I think a lot of vets tend to recommend this for many cases anyway, particularly when there is no secondary infection. Having worked in a large rescue centre when probably 50 out of 100 dogs would have KC to some degree we went through lots of the stuff (all under veterinary advice though )

Re: kennel cough advice

Fiona Leathers — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:05:29 GMT

Try, if you can, to not call it KC but Infectious Kennel Bronchitis. We recommend it to everyone as part of their routine vaccination and to carry on doing yearly.

Re: kennel cough advice

Heather Christie — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:42:05 GMT

I was gonna say what Princess Ophelia said. There's not really a lot you can do about preventing it, apart from the kennel cough vaccine.

Re: kennel cough advice

Louise B — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:21:32 GMT

Hi, kennel cough is airbourne so a dog can catch it without even coming into physical contact or even visual contact with another dog. Most of the dogs I see that have developed haven't been in high dog density environments (although, given its name, i would suspect that most cases in general are!). Ideally, from a socially responsible point of view, the dog should not be exercised somewhere where other dogs are exercised. However, how practical that is is another matter. I tend to go for the middle ground and just state the above and say if that's a problem, just try and walk in places where few dogs are exercised and keep as far away as possible from other dogs all the time your dog is showing clinical signs of kennel cough.

I have to say I am pretty laid back re: risks of my own dogs catching it as they are fit & healthy and, at the end of the day, it is just a cold. I think we over-react a bit to kennel cough in all honesty but when I have my nurse head on I act accordingly