We just picked up our eight-week old Mini Dachshund from his breeder this week. We have a one year old Dachshund/Pomeranian mix that we got last year.

The baby has had a weird cough since we picked him up, and I called the vet to see if I could get him an appointment. After finding a caring vet that would actually take us in last minute, I found out that he has kennel cough. My concern is that this little guy is three pounds, and he's very small. Also, I was told that it's airborne, and that our first dog could also get it.

I wanted to know what the dangers of this condition are, if it can easily go away with treatment, and the chances of it spreading to our other doxie. Our little one is now on a liquid antibiotic and cough pills (when we can get them down his mini mouth and throat). If anyone has advice on what foods make the pills go down best with that would also be greatly helpful.

I am now worried about both my dogs. They told me I needed to wait until we heard if our first dog has the cough. Would it have been harmful to just put him on the meds just in case? He does not have a bordatella vaccine so I understand that he is susceptible to catching this. Thanks in advance to anyone and everyone that has advice on this. We really need it. :(

Cheese works well with pills on most dogs. You could try peanut butter.

Your vet could give better answers to most of the questions. I am afraid I too forget to ask such questions when I have a chance.

Untreated, kennel cough will hang on a long time. I would not put the other dog on the meds without the advice of the vet. Hope for the best and call the vet as soon as you can.

Where is Korinia when we need her?

Be sure to have your other dog, get a shot which prevents cannel cough. Most places will not allow you to board them unless you do.

My parents bought a Pomeranian as a pup, and noticed the same thing. She also had cannel cough and was about the same weight. The place where they bough her, said they could bring her back, or send them the bill to have her cured. They were in love with her already and she is now healthy and almost 5 years old. She still gags a bit but sometimes smaller dogs have a problem with the little thing that hangs down your throat, getting stuck to one side. If you find that the problem, through your vet ,Through research I have done for my own dog, I found you place your finger over the nostrils for a second and is supposidlt goes back into the center. She gets that whenever she gets excited now

Best of luck

Every one has already given you wonderful advice so I will leave you with two sites for further reading. I hope that they will be in some way helpful to you.


Infectious Tracheobronchitis: 'Kennel Cough'
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1556&articleid=452

Kennel Cough

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1276&articleid=1159