The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Dogs => Topic started by: doganjo on October 13, 2013, 11:08:39 am
-
There has been a spate of kennel cough recently, and it seems still ongoing.
KC is a bit like flu in that it changes from time to time, so one vaccine may not cover all varieties of the virus. However, it is still worth doing - even if it is just the homeopathic version as mine are on all year.
It has spread rapidly through the Show fraternity - out of 47 dogs at our recent Club Championship Show I know of at least 10 who have shown symptoms.
Obviously it can be spread through any group of dogs meeting up - shows, classes, agility etc - so just be aware. Older dogs and youngsters are particularly susceptible, and it is a distressing disease for both dog and owner.
If a dog shows symptoms it can carry the virus for as much as 10 weeks afterwards.
-
Annie, is it just nasty or can it be fatal?
-
What homoeopathic remedy do you use :eyelashes:
-
I know my Step Fathers dog has had it fairly recently and she picked it up from somewhere that he takes her for a walk as quite a few other dogs have come down with it.
Not nice, she was kept indoors for a couple of weeks after as advised by the vet.
-
Not usually fatal, Bionic . Not sure about complications for vulnerable dogs though.
My pup was vaccinated recently and vet said that there were no cases being reported locally, if it started "going around" to get her done then. Same for my older dog. A spray up their noses! If you use kennels, walk in busy parks, shows, agility etc. then probably best done routinely.
What do you use Annie?
-
Th symptoms are hacking cough and sometimes foamy spit arn't they?
Think I've got it, best isolate myself from my dogs
-
It can be fatal in older dogs and puppies under 6 months, especially those with underlying health issues.
There are a number of homeopathic remedies - http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/homeopathic-remedies-for-kennel-cough/ (http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/homeopathic-remedies-for-kennel-cough/)
My dogs have been on Drosera for a number of years.
KC was reported at the following dog shows - Darlington, Driffield, our show in the Midlands(all September), and South Wales(last week) - so quite widespread. I have only been to Darlington and mine have been fine.
A case of Parvo Virus was also reported after Darlington, but I never saw ANY warnings prior to that.
-
What homoeopathic remedy do you use :eyelashes:
Drosera but Bryonia is good too
-
how often do you give it and what potency?
-
Thanks for the link with the remedy suggestion Doganjo, good to have that filed away just in case!
For those who asked about 'what to use and which potency' you should remember that homeopathy is all about treating the individual, not the disease. Every dog will show different symptoms if infected with KC and the individual symptoms should guide you in selecting the remedy. The link above should help in that: it lists a number of remedies that will match a cough that can be dry, or deep, or worse at night, or when lying down, or with flecks of blood, etc... You need to look at your dog and decide what he needs for 'his' KC.
In my understanding the potency is of secondary importance, use whatever is to hand but spend some time trying to choose the correct, i.e. symptom matching remedy. Generally thugh the more acute the symptoms the higher the potency selected - I have been advised to use 30C or 200C as good 'general use' potencies.
-
My dogs are on what seems to be a maintenance dose - but from memory i think it's for a year then dosage is readjusted
-
Th symptoms are hacking cough and sometimes foamy spit arn't they?
Think I've got it, best isolate myself from my dogs
Me too - and I don't even have a dog!
-
I often think we pass on certain things to dogs more than vica versa......I think Alister and Ina need one of those collars to stop them spreading the germs!
-
This is a serious topic, not a comedy programme >:(
-
There are other threads for keeping you amused.
-
I think Alistair and Happygolucky were just trying to give us a smile. I know its a serious topic but I don't think they intended harm ;)
-
THanks, I was being serious, I just replied to Alistair and Ina......
-
Ooo I'm REALLY offended, posted the symptoms up so that anyone who didn't know what they where do now, I am acutely aware of the issue, I have was competing at Oswestry (agility) this weekend and it was being talked about, and no I didn't see anything, don't have a go at me for posting something sensible and then stating I had a cough, which I did (do).
I can't be held liable for I as illnesses and sandys suggestions
-
I have no problem with any of you saying you have a cough and a sneeze but please do not compare it to kennel cough and make comedy out of a situation which is becoming more widespread as we speak - I know of two older dogs that have died because of it - an 11 year old just this afternoon - a much loved family pet, not a show dog, not a working dog - just a dear pet to my friend's daughter; and a friend of mine has a litter of one week old puppies and one of her other dogs has come home from a working event with kennel Cough.
She obviously normally keeps everything scrupulously clean going to and from the babies but it is still worrying and she is becoming paranoid listening for every sound despite the dog in question having been confined to separate quarters at the other end of the house.
I do hope none of you ever have dogs who contract this disease.
-
Maybe I should get our two jagged.
They're both 13 and although they don't go out much and don't go to places with lots of dogs (they dodge about here with me most of the time), maybe that makes them more vulnerable. Tess ran away in the spring and ended up in the pound; she came back with a hacking cough, which I thought might be kennel cough but she was fine in 48 hours.
I did see a poster in the vet's waiting room but tbh I thought it was just another scaremongering disease to get more money out of hard-pressed pet owners.
-
Maybe I should get our two jagged.
They're both 13 and although they don't go out much and don't go to places with lots of dogs (they dodge about here with me most of the time), maybe that makes them more vulnerable. Tess ran away in the spring and ended up in the pound; she came back with a hacking cough, which I thought might be kennel cough but she was fine in 48 hours.
I did see a poster in the vet's waiting room but tbh I thought it was just another scaremongering disease to get more money out of hard-pressed pet owners.
That could have been KC, Rosemary - she may have had a mild dose earlier in life and had some immunity to the strain she came up against. Dogs that have been vaccinated can still get it - but usually much milder - 2 days is quite common. .It's a bit like Flu - they make up a concoction of a few of the most common strains for the vaccine. To be honest Tess and Meg aren't at much risk except if other dogs come on your farm, or if Tess runs off again.
-
I wonder if your friends dog had some underlying serious condition Doganjo. I have never known Kennel Cough be serious. It is usually more distressing having to listen to the cough for up to 6 weeks while the dog is generally well in itself or perhaps feels a bit off for a few days.
Sometimes there is nasal discharge but as long as it is cleaned away it doesn't cause a problem.
It is the same as a cold in people.
I would be worried with newborn pups, though, just like I would worry with a new baby getting a cold. Unlikely to be serious but keep a close eye on them.
-
That's just what my vet said today as I have an 8 week old pup and was concerned as I have 3 other dogs and did not want any health issues, I think Parvo is much more of a concern in my opinion, my vet told me not to worry as well......anyway, its best to be concerned rather than leave stuff.....I also walk in areas where not many dogs go so the risk is low.....I hope
-
Just been training today & 1 dog was not there as she had kennel cough - she was at the Champ Brittany show as well.
Rose
-
Old dog was healthy otherwise as far as I know..
Brittany Champ show - someone took one of their dogs to the show but had others at home with symptoms. other exhibitors not best pleased.
I probably know them Rose - been in the breed since it came to the UK. Know almost all the better pedigrees, and many of the pet names too! :innocent:
-
My vet didn't seem concerned HGL and didn't advise vaccinating Alf or Kate (as an 8 wk old pup at the time). They were not felt at "high risk" as show, agility, etc dogs would be or if you walked in busy areas. She said more of an irritation than high risk disease. Think she said something like ..... not all owners are happy to be kept awake by their dogs cough. Said to take them in if it was "going around" the area and it's not at the moment. Just a nasal spray apparently. I suppose even the common cold can cause complications for vulnerable humans .... same maybe with kennel cough.
Remember fathers dogs having it years ago. It was a dry, hacky cough and lasted about 5 days. Think there are different strains though and suppose some are worse than others. Dad showed at the time and think it spreads easily in dry, unventilated atmospheres.
Something to be aware of but not worry too much about .... I would think.
-
Same here OTH........
-
I don't vaccinate mine against KC... I don't think it does much, they sneeze half of it out before it gets to where it is meant to go, one rep said putting it in the eye to go down the tear duct and into the back of the throat would get it better to where it needs to be.
It only does Bordetella Bronchiseptica (soz can't spell...), not all the strains. In the Normal booster they have does one strain- parainfluenza.
We, pigs, and rabbits can get and carry Bordetella.
-
Thanks for that funky fish, after the initial post I did think about stuff we can pass on to our dogs, our pups have long gone to their new homes but I did not let people touch or carry them until they were over 3 weeks old, more due to what humans may be carrying....
We, pigs, and rabbits can get and carry Bordetella
. :thumbsup: .I did not find that one on google , people sometimes mistake my way of writing for me being silly when I am interested in any thread I post in......are you trained in that sort of stuff then? I often ask professionals but they can come up with different view points too......
-
Bordetella Pertussis is whooping cough.
Bordetella parapertussis is knonw in sheep.
Bordetella. bronchiseptica rarely infects healthy humans but causes several diseases in other mammals, including kennel cough.
They are all different as I said - just as the flu virus is.
-
Zoonosis is big part of the vet nursing course, I'm also a bit of a geek and like to read various research papers etc.
-
Always handy when you keep animals....... :thumbsup:
-
Zoonosis is big part of the vet nursing course, I'm also a bit of a geek and like to read various research papers etc.
I haven't time to read papers etc these days - just know some stuff from being in dogs all my life, and belonging to a dog owning family from years back. :innocent:
-
Its a bit quiet at work at the mo so having fun trawling various sites looking at stuff under they guise of 'work' well its animal related...
My family have always had animals- and I have learned exactly what not to do a lot of the time, even as a kid I knew my parents had no common sense on what they bought or how they raised them... Our first dog was a 4 month old unspecialised unhandled Airdale and we lived in central London.. We moved to Devon and Mum got a great Dane. Lovely dog, just not very practical.
-
I think its good to keep up to date, Funky fish. Things change so quickly in the world of medicine (human and animal!) Practises have altered in dog breeding since the days I worked with a german shepherd and sheltie lady who's name was well known in the canine world.
-
I found this natural recipe for Kennel cough.
8fl oz boiling water
1 teaspoon of dried peppermint
1 tablespoon of honey
method
pour the water over the peppermint, cover and steep for 10 minutes.
strain and add the honey.
doseage
1teaspoon for a small dog
1 tablespoon for a big dog every couple of hours
peppermint has anti spasmodic properties and honey loosens congestion and soothes a sore throat.
works for people as well
-
Good for soothing the symptoms, but doesn't get rid of the virus. My friend took it home on her clothes after our Champ show (hadn't any dogs with her, changed her shoes at the door, and took off jacket and never thought to change her suit.) - luckily the old girl she owns that I bred seems to have immunity, but her dog has been quite ill - he has a heart murnmur.
-
aww poor thing
these viruses can be be buggers can't they?
i was just looking for a recipe and use for yarrow, when i came across it, and remembered using it from years back, thought it might help
-
aww poor thing
these viruses can be be buggers can't they?
i was just looking for a recipe and use for yarrow, when i came across it, and remembered using it from years back, thought it might help
I like these old remedies. Many people use Benalyn and I know vets say it's safe but for choice I'd use your recipe.
-
That's well worth saving, :thumbsup: that also would be able to be used on us humans......