Really glad it is something fixable. Sometimes dogs with heart failure or cancer do that, but as he had this before, sounded like recurrence. I would ask why the different drugs... if bacterial, he needs antibiotics to clear it up. Steroids can help with allergic reaction/inflammation, but won't do squat for infection. Are they suggesting one and then the other if first doesn't work? Good luck!
Coughing
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Baroo started coughing when he woke up today and I am wondering if it is something I should be concerned about. It sounds kinda like his throat is irritated or he is trying to cough something up. It seems to have gotten a little worse than it was this morning. He was just at the vet not even 2 weeks ago and got a couple shots, but I am wondering if it is something he maybe picked up there? I haven't walked him anywhere new or let him sniff any poop or anything, but I know he can pick things up from just walking. Any clue on what it could be? He has an appointment to be neutered on tuesday, so I will ask the vet then, but I am just hoping it doesn't get worse. He also has a bump under his skin where he got his shot near his shoulder. Is this normal, or does it mean they did something wrong?
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Was it a rabies shot? Many times they will get a reaction and a small to medium lump at the shot site… even if it was just his regular shots they can get a lubp at the shot site, doesn't mean it was done wrong... However one thing that helps if this was rabies and his regular shots is to break them up instead of doing them all at the same time. I never have rabies at the same time as their other shots. And I don't know how many here are still doing yearly shots after the first year, but all the Vets that I know, including my own, recommend (finally) that yearly shot (Distemper, Parvo, etc) only be give once every three years. Every year is way overkill.
As far as the cough, very possible that it is kennel cough. Is it worse when you walk him or he is playing? -
The bump is normal after vaccines. The cough may be kennel cough.
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He got a rabies shot and the parvo, but I don't know which went where. I was afraid it might be kennel cough, but I wasn't sure. It does get worse while he is playing. He seems to be a little better today, but I will keep and eye on him. I think he will be ok until tuesday.
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You might want to let the vet know before he goes in to be neutered–because if he's sick, it may not be safe to proceed with the surgery. The only time my dogs have coughed has been either kennel cough or allergic bronchitis.
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He got a rabies shot and the parvo, but I don't know which went where. I was afraid it might be kennel cough, but I wasn't sure. It does get worse while he is playing. He seems to be a little better today, but I will keep and eye on him. I think he will be ok until tuesday.
Kennel cough can and usually lasts up to two weeks +…. It is highly contagious. My first litter of pups got it from the Vets office when they went for their second set of shots...
And it is not that serious and typically unless they are showing things like a fever, etc.. they do nothing to treat it...
He only got Parvo? Typically it is a 4 or 5 in one shot? And the lump is likely from the rabies shot, it can last up to 2 months...
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The shot he got was parvo and a few other mixed I think. The bump is getting smaller, but still there, so I won't worry about it. As far as his cough goes, it seems to have disappeared. It was only bad for one day, and now it is gone. Maybe he just had a hair in his throat or something. Either way he is doing fine, and in fine shape to be neutered!
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The next time he needs shots, I would suggest that you split the shots and do the rabies separate at a different time. It is pretty stressful on their system to be given what many of us call the "whopper" shot. While it would require another visit to the Vet, IMO it is much better for them. Also don't know if your Vet is up on the latest thinking on shots, but most Vets have adopted the policy that shots are only needed every 3 yrs after the first year, same as it done with rabies. To give yearly is overkill….
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They said he wouldn't be due for rabies for another 3 years, and the only reason I got the other one is because I had no idea what his shot record was like before I rescued him, so I thought it would be good to get it just in case. I won't be doing it for another 3 years though. I agree, next time I will split them up. He didn't really seemed bothered by it, but it is a lot at one time.
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Responding to lovemybaroo, the lump at your Basenji's vaccination site could be from the adjuvants used in "killed" vaccines (such as Lyme, Leptospira, Rabies). Adjuvants are components (sometimes aluminum)added to killed vaccines to enhance the immunological response and they do cause inflammation at the vaccination site.
Giving your dog multiple vaccinations at once not only increases the risk of adverse reactions, it also increases the risk of the vaccines neutralizing each other and negating or lowering the immunological response (see quote below). According to all the data I've read, it is better to give the shots separately with a space of about 2-3 weeks in between.
There is also information below on kennel cough (bordetella) that might interest you.
On Page 16 of the 2003 AAHA Guidelines under Immunological Factors Determining Vaccine Safety, it states that: "Although increasing the number of components in a vaccine may be more convenient for the practitioner or owner, the likeli-hood for adverse effects may increase. Also, interference can occur among the components. Care must be taken not to administer a product containing too many vaccines simultaneously if adverse events are to be avoided and opti-mal immune responses are sought. "PERMISSION GRANTED TO CROSS-POST THIS MESSAGE.
Regarding the Bordetella (Kennel Cough) vaccine, on Page 2 of the American Animal Hospital Association's 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines and Recommendations, it states that "Optional or 'noncore' vaccines are those that the committee believe should be considered only in special circumstances because their use is more dependent on the exposure risk of the individual animal. Issues of geographic distribution and lifestyle should be considered before administering these vaccines. In addition, the diseases involved are generally self-limiting or respond readily to treatment. The committee believes this group of vaccines comprises distemper-meases virus (D-MV), canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV), Leptospira spp., Bordetella bronchispetica, and Borrelia burdorferi."
Further, on Page 14 of the AAHA Guidelines, it states: "Bordetella bronchiseptica (B. bronchiseptica): Bordetella bronchiseptica is another cause of the “kennel cough” syn-drome. Infection in some susceptible dogs generally causes a self-limiting, upper respiratory disease and rarely causes life-threatening disease in otherwise healthy animals. Clini-cal disease resolves quickly when treated with appropriate antibiotics. Vaccination does not block infection but appears to lessen clinical disease, and vaccines provide a short DOI (<1 year) http://www.cedarbayvet.com/duration_of_immunity.htmhttp://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htmhttp://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocumen…s06Revised.pdfhttp://www.newvaccinationprotocols.com/
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When Tayda and Lenny got Kennel cough, the vet recommended giving a teaspoon of honey to soothe their throat. It was then that i found out that honey makes Tayda throw up (like, in seconds). but it did help lenny.
the honey trick came in handy when tayda stole some chocolate… ha.
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That's interesting about the honey.
The Whole Dog Journal had an article about honey and dogs http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/10_9/features/Bee-Honey-Products-Help-Canines_15967-1.html in which Juliette de Bairacli Levy says she believes dogs derive the same health benefits from it as humans.
Thanks for the tip!!!
