Long post, but want to describe the course of her illness: Wondering if anyone else has experienced a cough in their B that just won't seem to go away. We are on week four now. She had picked up an eye infection at the dog park (not sure if that was related) a week and a half prior to these symptoms. Started off slowly with some minimal coughing on exertion and tiredness. We spoke to our doc and sent video, they felt strongly it was kennel cough. About a week in, the coughing increased and in the course of one day, she went from acting fine in the morning to being lethargic, refusing to eat, fever, worse cough and respirations in the low 60's in the late afternoon (it was hot that day and I think she was also dehydrated). We took her to the ER and by the time we were seen (there was a four hour wait) her fever came down and she had had quite an incredible recovery. Lungs were clear. Eating again, respirations and temp within normal limits. The next day, however she woke with a stuffy nose that she pretty quickly cleared. Cough was inconsistent over the next week. Week three, we thought she was done with it, but I went out of town and when I returned she was coughing on exertion again. That nights again with a fever, respirations in the 40s, not nearly as poorly as she had been the week prior. By morning, she was fine again, like she had fought something off with the fever. I had already made an appointment with the vet though, so I took her in at the end of week three. The cough was so seldom and not predictable that I could not get video and we could not recreate it in the office, though the vet said when she massaged the throat there was some sign that she was still irritated. Lungs were clear. She looks and acts healthy. She said there has been a new cough going around that dogs were really struggling to shake. I felt like we surely must be near the end (and the vet was not convinced it was bacterial) so I said no to antibiotics and instead went home with Marshmallow Root elixir to give her twice a day to decrease inflammation. We are a week since seeing the vet and she still has the occasional cough. Today more than the last few days, at 2:30 pm I have heard it twice. Once when pulling on the leash, and once when just lying on the cough sleeping on the back covered porch. This cough seems a slight bit wetter than the dry "kennel" sounding cough we originally had. But again, pretty infrequent. The doctor entertained the possibility of allergies, but with the two fever episodes I just don't know. She said we could do a Benadryl trial and see if it will go away. Any thoughts or ideas? I have put her on dog vitamin C and would welcome any more ideas to support her health and healing. I am a nurse and know what to do to support my human kids' health when they are sick, but I'm at a loss with this dog. Btw, she is only 18 months. Another reason I think she should not take this long to shake a cough! Thanks for any help.
