How to Help Your Dog With Kennel Cough

!±8± How to Help Your Dog With Kennel Cough

When I officially met my mother's new baby girl Miniature Schnauzer, Precious, she was one adorable pup! What an angel!

However, before we were due for her 1 week health check up required by our breeder, she came down with a lot of coughing and hacking. She sounded like she had something stuck in her throat that she wanted to cough up.

Poor little Precious has Kennel Cough, and it has gotten to be quite a pain for her, as she will have fits of trouble breathing, hacking and coughing, and is just generally uncomfortable, especially at night.

Kennel Cough is also called tracheobronchitis. It is a virus contracted by dogs, often when they are housed or come into contact with other dogs in a common area, such as the kennels, doggie daycare, groomers, and any other area frequented by a number of dogs. It is highly contagious. Incubation is 8-10 days and then your dog will start to show symptoms.

So, one of Precious' kennel-mates must have been infected with this virus and passed it on to her. It just breaks your heart to see a little puppy suffering so.

It is very important to do something proactive for this infection, especially in small pups and elderly dogs, as it could turn into something worse: Pneumonia!

What Your Vet Is Likely To Do:

The vet gave Precious 2 antibiotics to take at home:

1. Clavamox: A liquid antibiotic that comes with a dropper - 1 cc twice a day

2. Temaril P: A pill that we give her 1/2 of twice a day.

3. She was also given a shot to increase healing time, of which I am unsure of the name.

4. It was recommended by our vet that on top of the liquid vitamins our breeder gives us to give the puppies 2 cc twice a day in dropper format, that we also supplement her with more vitamins to increase her immune system response.

5. It is called Lickables Nutritional Gel - Super Charger. They really like the taste of it (I am told by outside resources that it tastes something like honey) and it boosts their immune system. In fact, the vet gave her a generous amount during this check up.

This stuff is great and we have used it before with our dogs that don't like or will not take vitamins because you an put it on their nose (don't cover their nostrils), or let them lick it off your finger or whatever. Sugar, my mother's dog will NOT take any kind of medication without a lot of trickery on our behalf! This stuff is fantastic for her! The vet says that a dog could live off of this stuff, especially if they are sick and don't want to eat, for a time...It is great for aging dogs as well!

6. We were also instructed to buy a Vicks Vaporizer: The same thing you would use for a baby or yourself when you have a similar infection.

You will also have to get the Vicks Vapo Steam, and the Steam Inhalant for this system. (This has really helped her a lot, especially at night!)

What Else You Can Do At Home:

The whole point here is to boost your terrier's immune system. The things you would do, you can do for your pup as well! Also, boosting any dog's immune system is important for prevention of infections and sicknesses.

We have been supplementing Precious' diet with:

1. Vitamin C: You can get a supplement specifically for dogs, or you can give them chewable human vitamin C tablets (our dogs won't take the human chewables from us, so we have to crush them and put them into their food if we use these).

Obviously, the difference is in the price.You can give them 500 mg 3 times/day (250 mg for tiny terriers). If you get Vitamin C specifically for canines, follow the directions on the bottle.

2. Echinacea: Again, you can get Echinacea especially for dogs, or get the kind for humans (we have been using the human form, as it is cheaper and does the trick).

Follow the instructions on the bottle, but probably reduce the dosage in 1/2 if it is for humans. We just open up the capsules and mix the contents in with the food. For canine specific Echinacea, follow instructions on the bottle.

3. You can also use Colloidial Silver, Goldenseal Herb, etc. etc. The list goes on and on with supplements that can boost immunity!

4. Homemade Chicken Soup:

I am not kidding. If you know how to make chicken soup from scratch at home, this is fantastic for your terrier! Reduce salt levels though.

Who doesn't want Chicken Soup when they feel sick? Your terrier is no exception!

5. Sleep!: Let your pooch sleep as much as they desire! They need it, especially if they are very uncomfortable at night.

Some other things to keep in mind are:

1. Keep your terrier dry! Since we are in fall, it will be raining quite a bit, and winter is around the corner. If they get wet outside, dry them off thoroughly. Don't let them "catch cold". Don't bathe them while they are sick with Kennel Cough if you can at all help it!

2. Love: Give your terrier lots of love! They will need and want it!

Disclaimer: Any information contained in this site relating to various medical, health and fitness conditions of Terriers and their treatments is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing the health of any animal. You should always consult and check with your own vet or veterinarian.

by Kimberly Edwards