How many of you have had experiences with KC? So many Breeders and Vets say that it sounds more painful then it really is, but the "honking" sound is horrible.............Gotta love those Dog Shows, and what you bring home. All our gang is vaccinated, but now they are all coughing. Have any of you given human grade cough medicine, and what dose did your Vet prescribe?

Speaking of that PLEASE DON'T BRING YOUR DOGS TO POTOMAC WITH KENNEL COUGH. WE WILL KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
We have kennels full of dogs and litters at home. PLEASE CONSIDER THAT!

Make sure that everyone you bring is up to date on their KC vaccine - it's not 100% but it will help cut down on the spread. And if they are coughing, leave them home. Thank you!

Great reminder, if they are coughing please don't bring them. There are so many coming to the show and with younger and the veterans don't put them in harms way. What a mess that could be.

I had both my dogs vaccinated for KC before they went into a boarding kennel when I had to go out of town in Feb. They both came back with very mild cases and outside of trying to keep excitement and stress levels down, I didn't do anything. My vet said to just let it take it's course and not to worry unless they had fevers, vomiting, diahrrea etc. They were fine in 2 weeks. Their cases were very mild, however.
This is the first time I have ever had KC...darnit!
A

Not only is it wise to keep home the dog who is already coughing, but as is often the case, folks will bring the dog who was kennelled beside the cougher, but that hadn't coughed yet, to a show. Then of course, the coughing starts while at the show, but too late, they've already spread it to numerous others, who might take it home and lose a young litter over it. I hate the slow, domino effect, where it takes way over a month to go through the kennel. It's not fun...........

A few years ago, several people were posting online about the KC at their kennel, how bad the dogs were coughing, etc, and then talking about their entries at the specialty on the upcoming weekend. I pulled my entries and stayed home.

I bet you got it at Syracuse

Good grief! If you haven't already given the KC vaccine, don't do it now. Some dogs come down with a mild case of KC from the vaccine. They cough and it is contageous.

mmmmmmmm maybe everyone should of been reminded last year when mine got it right after I left the potomac.And mine were all up to date on their vaccines.

Althogh I know that you can give OTC cough medicine, I have always just let kennel cough run its course. The medicine may make the dog (and you!) more comfortable, however it will not shorten the length of the disease which will run about 2 weeks. If the dog is really uncomfortable perhaps you could revist the dosage with your vet.

Regarding vaccination -- the KC cough vaccines are just like treating the flu or a cold. We try to protect them against the most common ones, but there is just so much other stuff out there.

Johanne

Remember that if your dog has kennel cough it should not be exposed to other dogs for 14 days after the symtoms subside. Kennel cough in an otherwise healthy adult most often runs it's course without any problems BUT the very old and very young can get a severe case and end up with pneumonia.

Omg , please dont come and dont give vacine or inter nasel.This should of got done months ago. my dogs just over it from the new brunswick show. all had to be on meds very sick. Ran fevers and noses just ran big green snot. I actually wiped the noses with tissue and wash cloths. thank goodness for good tips of vicks and cloroseptic? I had to miss the show last weekend in ny.I did not want anybody dog sick for potomac shows because of my guys.

Thanks to all of you who gave us helpful tips, and thanks so much for the gentle reminder that this is a contagious disease.......this may be our first experience with KC, but we're quite aware of its contagious nature, and would never dream of exposing other dogs at a show. We NEVER even mentioned going to the Potomac. Good luck to those of you going this year.
Hopefully everyone else is as thoughtful as we are.We're not happy about missing our favorite Show!!! By the way, we were at a 5-day Major in the South, didn't see any other dogs coughing, and our dogs are all up to date on their shots. Guess you never know. Hope our guys are feeling better soon.

Yours guys will be fine...don't you worry. It's just heartbreaking to listen to all the hacking and gagging. You're very nice to be so considerate of others....A big "Get Well Soon" to your gang!

thanks for your kind words and thoughts. We hate hearing them "honking" and "hacking." Seem to be on the mend......will give them plenty of TLC in the meantime.

Some of the KC strains that are mixed with Influenza can be so much worse than a simple KC outbreak. Last November all our dogs except our 2 oldsters came down with a really bad case of Kennel Cough and Influenza. They were barfing and honking and blowing green goo all over the floors and walls of our house. I thought my Daycare years were long over with until our crew came down with this nasty KC bug. I've never cleaned up so many snotty noses for so long a period. They finally ended up getting on Amoxicillin but this bug lasted a month. I had given all my dogs their Bordatella to but I guess it didnt' seem to matter this time around.

Please remember dogs are also contagious several days BEFORE they show symptoms. Most people are quite good about sequestering dogs but often they have no way of knowing what is about to strike.

KC started at the shows in Louisville, then people traveled to either Tarheel or the Edison shows. Then from there it went to Syracuse.

I am leaving a b*tch home she started coughing yesterday, i had her at Syracuse.

Yes i agree, please dont bring them if they have it!!!! Its just a common courtesy!!!!

Jen

We were at the New Brunswick show and a person who was two cars away in the parking lot had her dogs coughing like crazy. We said it sounds like KC and she said "yes" we picked it up at Syracuse. So she showed her dogs and the judge went over the mouth of those of hers and probably passed it along to others, Now I call that a RESPONSIBE breeder, don't you all? Ellie

BE VERY careful if you are planning on giving human cough medicines, many of them contain other drugs besides cough medications, which are not good for dogs.. read your labels if you are going to selfmedicate at home...

the vaccine doesn't cover all the various strains of KC, so even vaccinated dogs will get sick, in an otherwise healthy dog it often isn't bad, but watch for signs of secondary infection, lots of mucus, wheezing, cough not clearing up

barb

Actually we're glad we won't be at any shows for a month or so...............there will be some handler traveling with KC dogs. Guarantee it. Be safe all !!!

What's bad is there will not only be handlers at the all breed shows but we all know there will be handlers at Potomac that were in Louisville that WILL have dogs with KC. To me they don't seem to care. Its all about the almight dollar! I give bordatella every 6 mos to at least keep the KC down if my dogs get it. Seems to have helped the past few years.

Which is the best type of Bordatella to give, the shot or intranasally ? I"ve done both but I'd like to know which one is more effective ?

I really prefer to show the bite myself...mainly for health and sanitary reasons. I recently exhibited at UKC shows, and it appears it is the rule that the handler shows the dogs' bite.

My vet says intranasal is best. but as another poster pointed out - not all strains of Kennel cough have a vaccine against :(

Gentle is fine but how many of you are going to tell The Gang not to bring the dogs, they know already. If our dogs get KC it will be from someone else's dogs who isn't as caring as they are. Some people will show their dogs and not care what they had, have or what they know they were directly exposed to. This is one of the downfalls of showing, the chance of the dogs catching something and yes my dogs have had KC too.

Lighten it up a little please. I said please, am not being nasty, I think it's enough already though.

Thanks. We're sometimes afraid to post here, and are mostly just visitors reading valuable posts. This is due to the sometimes negative comments, and insensitive remarks. We were never going to take our sick babies to the Potomac......and quite frankly are dreadfully disappointed that we had a wonderful time at a 5-day Major/Tarheel, and then end up with KC. Never had it in our home, and our dogs live inside our home, not in a kennel. It's heartbreaking to hear them gag/hack. All are much better after just a few days, so it's on the mend. We just hate missing our FAVORITE Show/The Potomac! Thanks to those of you with positive, insightful things to share.

I vaccinate my dogs twice yearly with the intra-nasal Bordetella vaccine. Knock wood....my guys have only had kennel cough once and that was after dog sitting for a friends dog that broke with it the second day of dog sitting. I was lucky that my dogs had a very mild case. I kept them away from other dogs for two weeks after their coughing subsided. To "The Gang"....I'm sorry for any negative comments from other posters.

Thanks Melody......we only vaccinate 1x per year, so when our guys are all better we'll make sure our Vet vaccinates again. Our guys are coughing less, and it seems like a mild case, but it's heartbreaking to hear them. We don't want to miss any of our favorite dog shows this Summer!!! We're hanging our heads a little low right now, missing The Potomac!!!! Ugh. Hope everyone has super nice weather. Been there for the super muddy days, and super cold weather too. It's nice and Sunny here this morning, and we're about 4 hours away from Frederick, Md. Good Luck to All ~