Dogs are like our kids: They get colds too!

Dogs are like our kids: They get colds too!

Do you remember when our kids started day care or preschool?  They were maybe two or three years old right? Do you also remember that at the beginning of each new session, or after a holiday they would go back to school and a few days later they would have a cold, a cough, or a runny nose, sometimes with a fever that would last 3-5 days? I am going through that with my grand kids now! Noah who is three years old went back to preschool after Christmas vacation. That was Monday, January 3rd, 2011. On Wednesday, January 5th, my son Dr. Slaton texts me to ask me whether I could watch Noah because he has a little fever and a cold! So two days after going back to school he caught something! He did not go back to school until the following Monday, which means yesterday! Monday January 10th 2011.

Dogs are like our kids and grand kids, they get colds too. Even though we vaccinate our kids and grand kids as well as our dogs, once they are back into a social situation with other kids or other dogs they could catch a cough or a cold!

In the dog world it is called Kennel cough. It is the common name given to infectious canine tracheobronchitis and Bordetella. It is typified by inflammation of the trachea and bronchi. The Bordetella vaccine is given to dogs to try to prevent this disease. However, the vaccine does not cover all possible variations of viruses and bacterias. No human nor dog vaccine can cover everything.

Who is most susceptible? Young puppies can suffer the most since they have an underdeveloped immune  system that is still strengthening. Also at increased risk are older dogs who have decreased immune capabilities as well as pregnant bitches who also have lowered immunity to infections.

What is the treatment? Depending on the severity of the infection and the severity of the symptoms, there are two types of treatments. Generally there is no need for antibiotics. If the dog is alert and has only minor symptoms along with recurrent cough then it is often left alone to go through the course of the disease, just like the common cold in humans. Most of the time an anti-inflammatory agent will be given in order to reduce the severity and frequency of coughing episodes and to make the dog more comfortable.

 Noah's Dad, Dr. Slaton, who is a Veterinarian at Westlake Village Animal Hospital understands that because he deals sometimes with dogs who have Kennel cough. Over the Christmas Holidays we had about a couple hundreds dogs at The Barkley Pet Hotel and Day Spa. Sure enough, some .005% of the day campers may have gotten a kennel cough even though we have very strict rules about their vaccinations. All the dogs accepted at The Barkley Pet hotel and day Spa have been vaccinated. However, a few got a cold we found out from our clients. We don't like it but it does happen.Think about ourselves, our kids and grand kids. They catch colds, we catch colds.  It happens not because they were not vaccinated but because the vaccines do not cover all the strands of the viruses and bacterias possible. Similar to our flu vaccines.  Although I got my flu shot this year, I still got it because I must have contracted a different bacteria or virus that was not covered in the flu shot and my immune system must have been compromised.

As parents, grand parents and owners of our beloved pets we have to understand that our immune system does not and cannot combat every type of virus or bacteria, especially if our immune system is weakened for whatever reason..

I know that The Barkley pet hotel and Day spa is a premier facility with the utmost concern for our pets. So sometimes our pets will get sick, sometimes they may break something (Nathan, my other grand kid, broke his leg on the monkey bars at school).... That is life. We need to ride the wave as best as we can! We need to trust where we place our children and grand kids and pets and understand that accidents may happen.

My next blog will be about the Bloat.