Hey Woofa’s,

What a week we’ve had, poor Billy got Kennel Cough!!!!

We woke early Tuesday morning to him vomiting up his dinner.  I thought he’d eaten something gross from the garden, or was choking on a bit of bone.

Once the content of his stomach seemed to be out, he started doing a gagging cough and bringing up foamy spit.

Let me tell you, I’m a sympathetic vomiter, so if someone is vomiting I’m dry heaving!  So I spent my time dry heaving along with Billy.

We contacted our vet who said to monitor him, because apart from the vomit and coughing he was fine.

During the night his cough seemed to get worse, so first thing Wednesday morning, we contacted him and I said I thought it sounded like Kennel Cough.

How do I know what it sounds like?  Because when Isabel (my other staffy) was 12 years old, she got Kennel Cough and I remembered what her cough sounded like.

What threw me off was Billy’s vomiting, I don’t remember Isabel vomiting with her Kennel Cough.

We have antibiotics for Billy’s Kennel Cough and at the moment he does a light cough when he gets over excited so thankfully it’s on it’s way out!!!

WHAT IS KENNEL COUGH?

The technical definition of Kennel Cough is – it’s an  infectious canine tracheobronchitis.

It’s a contagious infection that affects your dog’s (trachea) windpipe and (bronchi) large airways.

It’s similar to humans getting the flu.

Very basically – the trachea has a mucus lining and the virus gets in and irritates and attacks that lining causing the coughing.

HOW CAN MY DOG CATCH KENNEL COUGH?

Well, heres a myth that’s been busted.

Untrue to it’s name, Kennel Cough –  dogs don’t just get it from having been in a kennel or with other dogs.

When Isabel got it, she’d never in her life been to a kennel, shelter, a dog park, or at 12yrs the only dog she was around was Billy as a puppy!!

So imagine my surprise when I found out she got it.

Billy has been the same, he hasn’t been to any kennels, shelters, dog parks or around other dogs either!!!

Nor have any of the dogs that have visited our salon, Henabel’s Dog Grooming!

So how did they get it?

It’s airborne, so a dog with Kennel Cough can cough streets away and it travels in the air.

Just like the human flu, you breathe it in and whammy.

I did Dr Google however and read that DUST can also cause the irritation in the trachea.

I had been spring cleaning and was sneezing a bit myself, so on a long shot it could’ve come from the dust.

Where exactly it came from who knows???

HOW CONTAGIOUS IS KENNEL COUGH?

Again, it’s similar to the flu in humans.

I had to restrict Billy from entering the Salon, he hadn’t since the Saturday afternoon and he got it Tuesday.

If he coughed on another dog or it was in the air, he could’ve passed it on to other dogs.

So we didn’t have any appointments until he saw the vet.  When I asked the vet, he said as long as I didn’t cross contaminate I would be fine.

So, Billy not allowed in or near the Grooming Salon, I had to wear different shoes in the house and change shoes to go into the salon.  While I was in the house with Billy I had on my robe over my work clothes, then when going into the salon the robe stayed in the house with Billy.

Lots of disinfecting as well and hand sanitiser.

I said to Dean that it was like we had a covid patient inside.

I also let all my customers know and it was their decision whether they still came or not.

Our vet also said Billy wouldn’t be AS infectious once he started his antibiotics.

When I had Isabel and she got it, I asked the vet at the time if I had to separate them, because they lived in the same house and Billy was much younger he said not to.

Because he was younger he was less susceptible of getting it!!

WHAT DOES KENNEL COUGH SOUND LIKE?

It sounds horrible.

It’s like a deep gagging painful cough.

Dean managed to get a (sound) video of Billy coughing the first night he had it.

Click Here

CAN YOU VACCINATE AGAINST KENNEL COUGH?

Absolutely you can vaccinate against it, all my dogs have been, HOWEVER there are different strains of Kennel Cough.

I questioned my vet about Billy being vaccinated against Kennel Cough.  He said, yes he’s vaccinated for two of the main strains of it, however there’s 20 or so strains of it!!!!

Billy just managed to get a different strain to what he’s vaccinated against.

Sound familiar to the human flu?

Also, age can play a factor, the older they are the more susceptible they become.

WHERE’S BILLY AT NOW?

Nearly a week later he doesn’t cough nearly as much, only when he gets excited and has to take in extra air.

So he’s definitely on his way to recovery.

My understanding is that your dog will take much longer to recover from Kennel Cough if untreated.

However, if you seek medical assistance, they will recover much quickly.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

Don’t be lured into a false sense of security thinking your dog can only get Kennel Cough from a kennel or shelter environment.

It’s airborne and even if your dog is vaccinated against Kennel Cough they can still catch a different strain.

It’s important to know the symptoms and sound and take them to your trusted vet as soon as possible.

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – IF YOU’VE EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH KENNEL COUGH?