Boxer with kennel cough.

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Shelby has kennel cough! We've been seeing a lot of this lately and it can be very frustrating!

Kennel cough is a virus and it will take a few days (sometimes a few weeks) for a dog to clear it. The doxycycline that was prescribed is mostly to prevent against a bacterial infection that is secondary to the virus. But, the doxycycline won't directly stop the coughing.

Her temperature is normal, so this is good. How is her appetite? Is she eating ok?

It's a little unusual for a dog to not want to drink because of kennel cough. You may want to experiment with offering her water that is warmed a little, or even really cold water, or trying water in different types of containers to see if that will encourage her to drink. However, if she is eating then I'm not too concerned about her not eating. If she is not eating at all then it may be a good idea to have her checked out again.

It's hard to talk about her breathing without actually seeing her. If she is panting a little bit more than usual then this is not a big concern. But if she is really having breathing issues this could be a sign that there is something more serious going on. If you think she is really uncomfortable with her breathing it may be a good idea to have her checked out and possibly xrayed.

I hope she is ok!

Dr. Marie.



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Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, poor girl.

I don't usually recommend human cough medicine for dogs - mostly because we don't know what kind of effects the medicine can have on dogs. Most likely it won't hurt though.

I usually like to prescribe a medication called hycodan which is really good at helping stop coughing. It may be worthwhile calling your vet to see if they can prescribe some for you.

One other thought...do we know for sure that this is kennel cough? Boxers can be prone to heart problems which could account for coughing and weight loss. It may be a good idea to have some xrays done.