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  1. #1
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    Never ending kennel cough?

    Hi all - it's been a while since I've visited this board, but I'm hoping to get thoughts from group. I boarded my two labs (4 year old girl, 6 year old boy) for 2 weeks late August/early September at a kennel that we've used dozens of times before. About 3 days after bringing them home, my girl started coughing and I realized that it sounded like kennel cough. Both of my dogs have been routinely vaccinated against this as required by the kennel, but I realize that it's not a foolproof vaccine. I took both pups to the vet since if one was coughing, the other exposed. Sure enough, my boy lab started coughing the morning of our vet appointment.

    Anyway, the vet first started both pups on Amoxicillin and a cough tablet (the bottle says Guaifenesin / Dextromethorph). About 5 days into the meds (10 day dosage), neither dog was showing much improvement, so I checked in with the vet. She changed their meds to Doxycyclin, Hydromet syrup, and Cool the Blood Qing Ying Tang herbal and said to stop the current treatment in favor of the new meds. After a few more days, my girl lab stopped coughing and has been fine since.

    The problem is with my boy lab. He's still coughing, after 15 days of antibiotics (5 on the first Rx, 10 on the second). We went back to the vet on Monday, and his physical exam seemed fine. The vet gave us more Hydromet syrup thinking that he just needs a few more days to kick the cough. I've been giving him cough syrup 4x a day this week, but still no end to the coughing. In total, it's been 3 weeks since the first vet appointment.

    In the interest of completeness, he's eating / eliminating normally, he has coughed hard enough to have thrown up 2 times in 3 weeks, and his general disposition has been happy happy. He's a bit bored, but that's likely because he's been on house arrest since the first dog started coughing as I don't want to spread this to other pups.

    I'm going to call the vet again on Monday if he continues through the weekend, but wanted to see if the more seasoned lab owners have any other thoughts or suggestions. Thanks in advance!

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    KC is something I've not had to deal with so all I can send is good wishes it's over soon.
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  4. #3
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    Antibiotics don't cure kennel cough. They prevent a secondary bacterial infection from starting when the dog has a weakened immune system from the viral infection.

    You may want to look into OTC immune boosters like vitamin C (buffered) and echinacea. You can also give honey to sooth the throat. I do 1 500 mg C and 1 echinacea pill each meal the minute the dog shows signs of coughing. We rarely go to the vet for something like this.

    It's kind of like human colds, they have to run their course. Sometimes they are quick, other times they are not.

    Grizz brought home KC from Petco back in January and gave it to the whole house.

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  6. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by JenC View Post
    Antibiotics don't cure kennel cough. They prevent a secondary bacterial infection from starting when the dog has a weakened immune system from the viral infection.

    You may want to look into OTC immune boosters like vitamin C (buffered) and echinacea. You can also give honey to sooth the throat. I do 1 500 mg C and 1 echinacea pill each meal the minute the dog shows signs of coughing. We rarely go to the vet for something like this.

    It's kind of like human colds, they have to run their course. Sometimes they are quick, other times they are not.

    Grizz brought home KC from Petco back in January and gave it to the whole house.
    Thanks. That makes sense re: the antibiotics. Guess it's reassuring to hear that this one just needs to work its way through his system - I was mostly concerned since it's been so long and my other lab has been symptom-free for about 10 days now. I'll try the honey and echinacea to see if they help. We broke out the humidifier last night and that seemed to help as well.

  7. #5
    Senior Dog Black Labbies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JenC View Post
    Antibiotics don't cure kennel cough.
    Ditto, KC is a virus. As mentioned, up their immune systems to the max by giving echinacea and vit C 2X daily. We break open the Ech capsule and sprinkle it on their food or in a spoon of plain yogurt. Also we give our girls Nin Jiom Nin Jiom Herbal Cough Syrup - 150ml | London Drugs a spoonful 3X daily. This also helps to boost the immune system. If you want to get more natural, there are several homeopathics to look into. And, if the KC is bad enough, we put out a diffuser with eucalyptus and lemon in it.

    All the best with your pups and good health to them!

  8. #6
    Real Retriever amyb's Avatar
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    As I recall, with our dog Bandit, it took a while for the KC to go away. Hang in there..
    DOGS ROCK!!!

  9. #7
    Senior Dog bmathers's Avatar
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    I just went through this with my 4-month old puppy. His cough was far worse at night and I ended up giving him codeine right before bedtime. That worked like a charm because it not only quieted his cough, but it allowed him to sleep through the night which I am sure helped his body heal. The other thing I did was give him vitamin c, coconut oil, and raw local honey. All three of those things are supposed to be immune boosters. I also used peppermint oil in my diffuser, which another forum member suggested. He was on an antibiotic to help with a secondary infection (like bronchitis) and he has two more days of that. My vet wasn't convinced it was kennel cough. She thought it was a straight up upper respiratory infection, but either way, it lasted about a month for him. He is finally better, thank goodness!

    Hoping your guy feels better soon!!

  10. #8
    Senior Dog zd262's Avatar
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    Bubba just got over kennel cough, his lasted 10 days but I have read that it can last many weeks. The vet told us to also keep him calm, not too much exercise, and it was clear to us that his cough got worse when over-exerted. Also no collars if you can. But mostly sending well wishes your way!
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  11. #9
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    Thanks all. Jackson's slightly better and coughing less the last couple of days. I think the medications (from the vet + the boosters recommended above) plus running the humidifier have all finally helped him heal. I'm still going to keep him calm and sequestered this week, but hope to see an end in sight soon! Appreciate everyone's advice here!

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