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Unwell Cav - Suspected Kennel Cough or poor immune system?

msunter

msunter

Well-known member
Hi All

Just looking for a little advice. :)

Ever since we brought our tri Rio home from the breeders almost 10 months ago he has had occasional spells of being ill. He has had his on and off days where he has been very lethargic, hardly drinking and eating.

His appetitie has gotten much better since he was neutered 2-3 months ago, however our neighbours have taken on a rescue pup from Glasgow Cat and Dog Home who is around 3-4 months old. He has been with them now for a week. The two dogs will be sharing the same garden as we live in a communal building however the garden is very big.

The only thing is that Charlie the new neighbour pup has had a bad bout of kennel cough while in the kennels and is on cough medication etc, however we read that it can be easily contracted through the air, just like the human flu or common cold.

Rio has had some bouts of diarrohea during the very early hours of the morning too and is very lethargic not wanting to eat or drink over the last day or two. He woke up on Monday very snuffly but it seems to have passed and occasionally has had some slight sneezing. To our knowledge our vets told us that they aren't vaccinated against kennel cough its not an injection but drops up the nostrils. The neighbour dog had a high fever last Wednesday and Rio is now in his crate, nose is warm and will hardly look at you, his urine is also very flourescent yellow, its becoming worrying. :(

Could he have contracted the kennel cough from Charlie? As we have kept them apart ever since we knew the pup had it they have only seen each other through the garden gate but not touched noses.

If he's no better by Friday, he will be going straight to the Vets.

Does anyone have any advice on this? :(
 
I would take him to the vets as soon as possible please keeps us informed----Aileen and the gang (Jazzie---Barney---Sam)
 
I agree; this is a dog that urgently should go to the vets and Friday is way too far away -- a lethargic dog that remains lethargic and not eating and has changed urine -- any of these things -- for more than 24 hours needs to get a vet's attention immediately. If you are ever in any question, then ring to ask as vets will tell you whether this is urgent or what you can try first before needing to bring him in, if it isn't urgent. (y) But this sounds like something is very wrong. :( Let us know what the vets say.

If Rio regularly has days where he is lethargic and won't eat I'd want to the vets to be looking into that for an explanation. If he has a compromised immune system that is a very serious condition -- there is going to be a reason why and that needs to be determined as a matter of importance.

Kennel cough is highly contagious. It can be deadly to a dog that is already ill. The vaccine has to be given a few days before possibe exposure and is either an injection or a nasal spray but the spray is considered nore effective. It lasts about 6 months and vets can advise when it is needed (generally for dogs that will be boarded).
 
Thanks for the advice we are taking him up there now, this is our first dog so we don't know much about doggy illnesses except what we read through the Net. Will let you all know
 
Mary Alice and Rosie have kennel cough and have been put on antibiotics.

Rosie had the intranasal vaccine a couple of weeks ago, that seems to be how they got it. (It's a live vaccine, can make them ill).

When I first called the vets, I was asked to wait a week, see if it cleared up....but they just got worse, so we went in asap.

Now, they need to be on pills for 10 days and away from other dogs for awhile after the cough settles down.

I'm not very happy about this situation, not at all. :(
 
Hi there!!

Yes Kennel cough can be passed very easily, I agree with the others that immediate vet attention is needed in your case!! I will be watching and waiting for an update on your beloved Rio!! :xfngr:
 
:xfngr: Fingers cross that the vet can get this sorted quickly. I haven't got anything to add over the sage advice that has already been given.
 
Hello All

Thank you for your kind thoughts for our Rio, I couldn't get access to the board late last night as my laptop froze and crashed on me.

My parents rushed him to the emergency vets last night up at Paisley, near Glasgow, he could only really manage a few steps, looked a bit woozy and very quiet when in the car too my Dad said.

The vet looked him over and gave him a painkiller (Injection I think) and some antibiotics. He is also looking better than yesterday and is drinking and managed some boiled chicken at lunchtime today. There's also been no more sneezing.

However if he looks as if he's getting any worse tonight we are to take him straight back up to them. His vet believes it could be a viral infection so we are monitoring his every move incase he does feel any worse. He wouldn't drink yesterday when I posted but he is gradually drinking from the syringe.
His urine is looking less and less flourescent yellow. :)

He is just so quiet. It's as if someone has replaced this mad fun loving pup into a different dog. His eyes just seem to be doing much of the talking.

I thank you all again for your advice on this, if it wasn't for this place we wouldn't have learned all the things that can happen to this beautiful breed.

Will keep you all updated.
 
I am gald to hear that he has received attention and appears to be picking up, he should soon be back to his usual bouncy old self, right now he needs his energy to get well again for you!!

Will keep checking in for updates, big kiss and a very gentle :hug: for rio!!
 
Rio will soon be well and back to his nomal self so pleased for you
----Aileen and the gang (Jazzie---Barney----Sam)
 
i am so glad that he is picking up a bit! keep us posted the poor baby give him a big hug from me :flwr:
 
I'm so glad to hear he's improving a bit. :hug: Hugs to little Rio. We'll be eager to hear how he's doing.:flwr::flwr::flwr:
 
Hi All

A little update on Rio, My parents decided to take him back to the vets again today as they still weren't satisfied that the Metacam and antibiotics were working. He slept most of yesterday and only ventured out his crate when my next door neighbour Jennifer who he loves to pieces popped into to see how he was doing.

He was still quite lethargic but we take it that was the Metacam and antibiotic taking its toll last night. His urine wasn't too bad of a colour and when my parents took him in again this morning to the vets he was still just very "spaced out" not really interested in anything, he also hasn't passed any stools now in 2 days because he is just not wanting to eat, he ate with gusto on Monday night but that was before he became ill.

All this because of a viral infection?

Tonight he had some slices of chicken roll, which he usually loves and we were given new antibiotics to give him in pill form so we ended up having to use peanut butter to disguise the taste, we also use chicken sandwich paste, but it was a nightmare to try and get him to eat this too. He had a 5-10 min play session but had no energy and just slumped back into his bed. He just looks so sad and its becoming upsetting. :(

His ears have gone all flat, his coat looks terrible, flat and no shine off it, we had to even adjust his collar as it was practically hanging off him. A few people we've met in the street that know us even said he didnt look and act like himself. He's usually very jumpy. Today when I got home from work he just wagged his tail once and climbed back into bed, he's still being fed from the syringe with water and managed to drink a tiny bit from his bowl.

An hour ago, my gran came to see him and she ended up in tears as soon as she saw him. She always says "Where's granny's little cavvy man?" and he always "wwwoooowooos" back at her. As soon as I seen pups on Animal Planet tonight I even broke down. The vet thinks he will make a good recovery but it could be a slow process. It's like his true spirit has left the house and he's not here anymore.

We honestly don't know what we would do if we lost him, he's such a big part of our lives now.

Thank you everyone for all your kind thoughts and words.

Karlin and fellow moderators thank you again for creating such a supporting forum. :)
 
Melissa - I'm so sorry you are going through this. It's just breaking my heart. Do keep us posted on him. Hopefully he'll start picking up soon as he starts feeling better.
 
oh goodness poor Rio -it's so frightening when they are poorly like this. I'm sorry I haven't really got any advice for you - you are doing the right things and taking him to the vets. I'd write down and tell the vet EVERYTHING you can think of - even if it doesn't seem significant to you. Often it's some small thing that is the clue to what's going on.

Just a thought, you haven't seen him eating snails at all have you? They can contain a nasty parasite which can make dogs very ill.
 
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