We just rescued a B/mix. Not sure what the other part is, but she is mostly B. She is very timid, and very thin, we are going to vet today(if I can get in!)
She started "honking" cough late last night, followed with wanting to spit up. Poor thing. The SPCA said they treated her with all of her shots and such a month ago when she came in. I hope she is o.k.. Should I feed her or let her tummy empty so she doesn't throw up on everything? 
Could be kennel cough-best to take her to your vet if you can. Unfortunately, SPCA's give all shots at once also-most B's IMO cannot handle this shock to their system. I don't give mine LEPTO shots either, there are many (16 I believe) different strains of lepto and most LEPTO innoculations protect against only 2 or 4 different kinds-none of which are found where I live. Talk to your vet about her cough. I would want to know why she is throwing up. Did you change her food suddenly? I know Shadow doesn't do well when I change his food. I have to give him small amounts throughout the day-even though I take about 4 weeks to change over.
I will be very interested to see what the vet says re her health.
It does sound like kennel cough to me..
I would love to see a photo as well.
Thank you for opening your home/heart to this little basenji mix girl.
Is her name Sally Joe?
Just got back from Vet office… She only weighs 16.5 pounds, and does have Kennel Cough. She put her on antibiotc, and cough suppret.., as well as 3v caps(omega 3), she will be given new food(Eukanuba?) over a 4 week time, and FortiFlora, Intercept,and Frontline Plus. Still wating for her to give stool sample. She recieved a shot as well, and needs to recieve Rabies next visit. Her teeth are great! and she is doing very well. Still shy but is now trusting our family! We are just loving her. I will be adding her to my myspace page, in a few moments, if you would like to see her picture look me up, and please let me know that you came from this forum so that I may add you. Yes her name is Sally Jo. My aunts name, sister's middle name is Jo, niece and cousins. She came with Sallly, we added the Jo!
Mysapce name is Jamie Vibbard (Cincinnati)
I can only find a jamie vibbard from Liberty Township, OH. Is that you?
I would hold back on shots/flea treatments until she has a week or so to settle, re the ton of shots she had at the shelter.
Many basenjis have awful reactions to heavy shot combos…and I don't even give my b's shots now..except for rabies have to by law, but have the blood titered so it shows me the antibodies are still good.
brescue@wavecable.com is my e-mail address if you want to send a photo.
I would love to see her.
I agree with Sharon. Too many chemicals with B's don't mix well-she's been given a lot. Shots at SPCA, shots at the vet, intercept and frontline as well as antibiotics and Fortiflora? Seems an awful lot to me within a couple of weeks. Especially as she is thin as well.
Yes that is me (liberty township)… I was told by the vet that she had to have the booster for the one shot today. ( I think it was a combo too):( She didn't like that. I am holding off on the rabies for a few weeks. She would not eat her food with the Fortiflora, so there's $24.00 gone. hahaha... and the Frontline as well as the Intercept I already bought today. Can I return them, you think? They were so expensive. Either way, I'm worried about giving them to her now. She seems very sick right now. She had a fever today. My sister in law has a Canine Unit here in OH and I know she uses the 2 products on him. I just give them to her.
Another question... How long does this Kennel Cough last?
frontline is the flea treatments Yes?
Can't you keep them and use them later on??
I would do a very high quality mild food…chicken and rice and I would buy organic..Paul Newmans is what I feed my b's.
This poor girl...
Seems to me kennel coughs can last for a few weeks...but I could be wrong there.
Lucky she has you to tend her.
I just wanted to add one more thing. Why wouldn't the vet tell me how bad my Sally would feel? I feel kinda like I was there to just buy more stuff. (Meds) But when I asked about her diet she looked at me like I had a third eye. I was asked …well what is she eating right now. Did she not read the chart before she came in?! I listed that I had nutrition concerns primarily do too her low weight. Ugh! The more I read about her breed, the more I wish she knew as much as I found out in one day.( the vet) Chemicals Don't mix well with a B, much less a sick one.
O-well, moving on and I'm glad I found this site. Now I need to find a vet that cares to help her not just sell me products. Which I don't mind buying if she needs them.
Read your post after I posted… I will do that. I going to hit the sack early with Sally, what a snuggle bunny. We just took a shower while she laid there . The steam really made her cough up some good stuff afterward ,and now she is sleeping. Time for some puppy luv. LOL
Thanks for ALL of your help!
I just wanted to add one more thing. Why wouldn't the vet tell me how bad my Sally would feel? I feel kinda like I was there to just buy more stuff. (Meds) But when I asked about her diet she looked at me like I had a third eye. .
The following I am telling you with the disclaimer I have not worked in a vet practice for several years. But this is what I remember.
The vet probably had no idea how your dog would react. My guess is she may not have experience with basenji's anyway. Other sight hounds react similar but who knows.
Kennel Cough will last about 3 weeks. There is no cure. Only preventative and maintainance. The constant coughing can be making her vomit and her stomach upset. I think some chicken and rice would be good in small amounts.
Vets are rarely trained in diets. They have no clue. And I see how you could feel steamrolled into buying all those products. If it is an issue financially, you can take them back and buy them later. You also don't have to buy them there. I really like the Merrick brand. We mix it with Iams so we are not forking out a fortune. the dogs love it!
Sounds like your little girl is very lucky to have found you!!
I would hold back on shots/flea treatments until she has a week or so to settle, re the ton of shots she had at the shelter.
Many basenjis have awful reactions to heavy shot combos…and I don't even give my b's shots now..except for rabies have to by law, but have the blood titered so it shows me the antibodies are still good.
brescue@wavecable.com is my e-mail address if you want to send a photo.
I would love to see her.
Its funny, I remember reading how we over vaccinate our animals. This titer is an excellent idea. I do not vaccinate my cats since they are indoor except the occasional stroll in the fenced in yard. I think I will run the titer for the dogs. I hate giving meds that are not neccesary.
I've never heard of having the blood titered. How does that work?
Sally is feeling better today, so I do feel it was a combo of the shot and the kennel cough. She is still coughing but not as much, and ate this morning. Still hasn't had a BM for over a day now. Which is funny becasue she had loose ones before the visit. Gave her an "abdo" massage to try and help her have one, but no go. She enjoyed it though. Made a lot of grunting noice and sighs. She also fell asleep. She is urinating. The rain was a problem at first but now has stopped, so maybe later we will try again.(BM) She did take in the 3v omega oil on a treat. Still no FF though. I will be returning that. Gave her yogurt instead. 1/2 teaspoon on food.
She is now starting to liven up personality wise. She wanted to play this morning. Nothing big but she got down low and ran in cirlces, then waited for me to do the same.
She has learned 2 commands too. Place and sit & wait. We taught her leave it and take it when it comes to food on Sunday. Such a smarty! Thanks for your replies!
I would try to find a vet that is interested in learning about B's or know's about B's. It took me a while to find a vet that would listen to ME and not the average shoot em up/shove it down mentality.
Try a warm bath for the BM. As for the frontline and intercept they should be able to be held off. I don't use flea med-my B's don't tend to get fleas. If it's for the heart worm only wait a few days til she feels better and then give it to her if you need to use it where you are. I know here we only use it til November.
If you want a basic food, as Sharon said-chicken and rice is the easiest on the tummy. You may want to make your own for the moment-boiled chicken and rice.
Arlene
