worried after boarding Lucy (hoarse cough)

[leswalk03]

Lucy was boarded at the vet this past week. My parents picked her up yesterday for me since I would be getting in town 2 hours after they closed and did not want her to have to stay until Monday cuz we missed her sooo much.

Went I brought her she was given the kennell cough shot (which I understand) and given her second set of puppy shots, but I noticed last night when I put her to bed in her kennell she did not bark ( and she normally barks for a good 10 minutes) then in the middle of the night I heard her I guess either trying to bark or cough but it is very hoarse and dry like what you hear when someone has the dry heaves. At times it also sounds like a cat with a hair ball.

I am not sure if she just barked so much while she was boarded and strained her voice or if she has something wrong.

Has anyone else experienced this after getting them back from being boarded?

Any help/advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gmacleod]

Well, it could just be that she's barked herself hoarse, but it is just as likely to be kennel cough, I'm afraid. If it doesn't clear up in a day or so, or becomes a wet/productive cough, then a trip to your vet is probably in order.

IMO vaccinating against kennel cough is really a waste of time. Many pups actually do get kennel cough from the vaccination, but even if they don't you have to realise that kennel cough is like the common cold. There are so many different strains and varieties, a vaccination can only protect against one or two of these. The dog is just as vulnerable to the other 80 million or so (I'm guessing) strains out there.

 

[leswalk03]

I was worried that was a possibility, but the irratating element is the fact she was at the vets when this happened. I am not sure how prevelent this condition is or if they should have caught it while she was there and mentioned it to me. (If they should have then I would not want her to go back there but if not then I would bring her back....) I called them several times to check on her and not one time did they mention. I am not sure if I am over reacting being upset with them. Is there anything I can do at home to make her more comfortable (anything over the counter at the petstore), she seems to be feeling fine, maybe it just sounds worse to me than it feels to her.

Now I see how people worry just as much about their animals as their children....

 

[gmacleod]

Well, I wouldn't hold it too much against the vet. The cough may not have been apparent while she was still there. Kennel cough happens - just like the common cold does. And it happens frequently in boarding facilities because of the number of animals in close proximity. Actually, boarding at a vet may not be the best option. Sure, it's nice that there are good medical facilities around, but there are also a large number of sick animals from which to catch diseases

 

[kassa]

The vet should also know that the kennel cough vaccine doesn't kick in for 10-14 days, so administering it on the day the dog is admitted (if that's what he did) is ridiculous. It was probably done for administrative/legal reasons, not medical ones, but I'd reconsider the use of this vet if he thought a big round of shots (including an unnecessary one) indicated for a baby puppy on top of being boarded.

 

[BZ MomMom]

Cough syrup for kennel cough

My 5 month old just got over Kennel cough. She picked it up at the vet's
office when she was being spayed. It generally takes 7-10 days from exposure to the time you notice the cough. My vet said if the coughing is excessive that Chloe could be given cough syrup for children(child dosage).
I hope this helps. I know that cough is so worrisome.