# Kennel Cough



## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

I understand what it is and how it could be contracted....but how long before symptoms start showing?

My best friend just texted me and let me know her dog has been diagnosed with kennel cough. This past Friday we went to a local dog park, if he contracted it there, _wouldn't he have shown symptoms within 24hrs?_ Emma hasn't shown any issues. She'll be picking me up to do some window shopping this coming Friday. For Emma's health, I won't be letting her into the house. _What else can I do to prevent Emma and the Kitty from catching it?_


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## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

Emma is crated when alone, so I'll be able to avoid contact with her and the guinea pigs until I change into clean clothes/wash my hands. But the cat....she greets me as soon as I open the door O.O I suppose I COULD lock the cat in the bedroom/move her litter box there. While they're all locked up, I can change in the bathroom, wash my hands/follow my trail into the house with a Lysol can...


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

My friend has 2 pugs that both caught kennel cough. My dog and my other friends dog hangs out with them all the time and neither of them caught it. Mollie had it as a youngster though, and the vet said that it is just like us catching a cold. Coughing and a runny nose. Which, given time, should clear up on it's own. He didn't even want to see Mollie, and the pug's vet did not want to see them either, unless, they started running a temperature or the discharge turned green, or the cough became loose.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I had kennel cough visit us and one by one my dogs were coughing. I think they got it from a vet visit to be honest. Probably picked it up from a sick dog there since we don't go anywhere where there are other dogs. Anyways, I freaked out. I do that...especially when it comes to my dogs. 

Some good people here talked me through this. Basically, like MollyWoppy said, it has to run its course. Of course, keep an eye on your dog in case the problems become worse. My little dog stopped eating. I worried about him (since, you know..FEED A COLD) so I made him homemade broth by boiling meaty bones and gave him a dab of honey from time to time to try to soothe his sore throat. Sure enough, they all overcame this. My vet did suggest a shot of antibiotics but my dogs are relatively healthy and I didn't want to wreck havoc on their immune systems even further so we declined that. 

So basically, if your dog does get it, let it run its course. If the dog goes off food, make them a broth (dont use a premade one as they have too much sodium and homemade is easy enough). Keep an eye on them and make sure they don't get worse (in which case, a vet is indeed in order). Keep them comfortable.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

My vet said, that like a human cold, antibiotics won't do anything. Unless it progresses into something more like pneumonia, which is not common, just like humans and colds. Even the bortella vaccination doesn't work in most cases, because like the flu shot, there are so many new versions of the virus coming out all the time that they can only vaccinate for the common strains at that time. Hence Mol has not had a shot since, and she is six now.


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## Kassandra (Jun 6, 2012)

Yeah, my vet told me that antibiotics are to prevent secondary infection from occurring. They don't do anything for the actual Kennel Cough though. And sometimes they will give a steroid with the antibiotic, that is just to help the dog feel more comfortable, it helps inflammation (so my et said).
Charlie got Kennel Cough last winter, her and the bfs dog were always together before right up until I figured out she had it, the bfs dog didn't get it though. This happened to be when charlies allergies were bad, so I think that it only attacks(is a problem for) dogs/animals with a weaker/stressed immune system. If they are otherwise healthy, I probably wouldn't worry about it too much.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Sprocket got KC 3 months after we adopted Gunner. The vet told me that Gunner likely was carrying the virus but was not affected. Mikey never got sick either but Sprocket sure was. 

Antibiiotics don't do anything for KC but the main thing is to let it pass and give them a good cough suppressant. I tried the herbal remedy suppressant but they didn't work for very long. The vet prescribed Sprocket half a pill but later upped it to a whole one. His cough was pretty severe.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

There is a 2-14 day incubation period for Kennel Cough.


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## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

Thanks everyone!
I really appreciate the helpful information given. I think reading "contagious" automatically got me worried. I'm not even sure why, Emma regularly visits dog parks and pet stores...


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