Kennel Cough

[CoffeeChoc]

For the background information - a dog was adopted from a pound in february. She was desexed, wormed and treated for an issue and complications with the desexing at the time. At this time the vet in question seemed to be doing everything ok (though the desexing complications was due to stitches being too tight but was not charged for follow up due to this). She was also supposed to have been vaccinated. Realised this was not done about a month ago when looking for a vaccination certificate and calling those involved. She was promptly vaccinated (C5). Dog has had a low grade cough since adoption (thought it was from the dust in the yard) and recently become much worse. Taken to a different Vet (which I know to be very good). She has been diagnosed with a rare form of chronic kennel cough. She is on antibiotics etc but I have been wondering if I should contact the old vet about this. If I had gone back to the old vet I would have complained but due to not wanting to have much more to do with them I have taken the line of they stuffed up (yet again) and leave it at that.

Have I done the right thing?? I'm kicking myself for not investigating the cough earlier but it did not seem to be of any significance and the dust in the yard when they play irritates my throat too! I will never ever look at a cough the same way.

Also, any ideas of how to exercise her without exposing any other dogs? She is too energetic to go without walks unfortunately, training just doesn't tire her out quite enough

Edited June 13, 2009 by Blueygirl

[Stitch]

I would need to know more about the vet in question and what they did and didn't do.

Without giving too many details can you say which state you are in?

I would have thought that the pound that you adopted from would have made sure that the correct vaccinations were done prior to adoption.

As a matter of interest there are a few forms of kennel cough and not all can be vaccinated against.

[Andrea]

I have personally never heard of 'Chronic Kennel cough'

However, a persistant cough (which sounds very much like kennel cough) but one that the dog has permanently, sounds like an underlying heart condition, in my opinion.

How old is she? and was she tested for Heartworm?

[CoffeeChoc]

I'm in NSW. It unfortunately did get quite complicated for a while. When pound signed her over (wormed) she was transported by them directly to the vet. The vet was supposed to do heartworm tests, generall health check up and discoved an infection for which she was put on antibiotics. I also bough flea treatment at this time. Due to the infection the vet did not want to desext at that time and instead asked me to come back in about 10 days time when said infection had cleared up. Back we went 10 days latter, desexing was done (just as well as she was apparently in the first trimester of pregnancy! I love her but rehoming mongrel pups to responsible homes in this area would not be easy). I asked about the vaccination at the reception at this time and was told by receptionist that the pound would have done this earlier. We then left. Back again another week later due to site of desexing remaining red and having oozed blood that morning. More antibiotics. Back again latter to get the stitches out. When I went through all my forms and realised I did not have a vaccination certificate I called the pound thinking they had simply forgoten to issue it. They then called the vet who said that it had not been done by them at the time due to all the complications (ok I have no issue with that) but must have forgotten to call me back when all was well to get vaccinated (though I would have thought this could have been done when the stitches were taken out?) Sorry for the very long summary.

I have been trying to research any form of chronic kennel cough but so far haven't found anything but her symptoms match exactly, right down to the cough being induced when the trachea is rubbed.

Part of the package deal with the pound was heartworm testing however maybe I should call the old vet and double check that this was done after all. She has been on a monthly wormer since I got her which includes heartworm.

[puggy_puggy]

Sounds like a massive stuff up happend between the pound and the vet. Your dog is lucky that you are a fantastic owners and actually took her back to be desexed.

I would probably forget about the other vet in terms of getting information out of them as they sound pretty disorganised. I would contact the pound though and inform them of how befuddled the vet they choose to service their animals is.

I would get her heartworm tested by your vet next time she sees them.

Does the cough sound like a smokers cough? It could well be a chronic irritation of the bronculles that antibiotics are not really going to do anything with. Try her on one claratyne (human antihistamine) a day for at least a week to see if there is any improvement. One of my ex fosters had a little cough that she would do maybe a few times a day. She was on antibiotics which did nothing and even had an exray of her lungs which showed nothing. After a week on claratyne it had compeletley dissapeared.

[Stitch]

Yes, I would certainly contact the pound and tell them the story and see what they suggest.

If they don't get told about these kind of stuff ups then they will never know what is happening with the vet they are using.

I guess there comes a time when you have to forget about what happened in the past and start afresh with a new and competent vet that you can put your trust in to solve the health issues you are now confronted with.

You will have to tell them the history and hope they can resolve the issues your dog now has.

[persephone]

She could also have an injury to her trachea.. and irritants/collars will make her want to cough