As I posted on April 18, after returning home from an indoor all-breed kennel club dog show (see Possible Respiratory Virus Warning post for more info) I can confirm that we, in fact, had picked up a respiratory virus, a.k.a. Kennel Cough. We have two hounds symptomatic with a cough and nasal discharge and one or more others who are coughing without fever. We are temping everyone diligently because the strain originating in Chicago was and is both stealthy and a killer. As reported by my veterinarian, many dogs in that region were behaving normally and were asymptomatic of a cough yet had fevers, and sadly, some died as it was too late.
My veterinarian and I are pursuing a proactive but cautious approach, using Cephalexin on hound(s) with nasal discharge and temping them several times daily. Though we may be conservative, we urge caution against complacency, especially if it is possible that this is the Chicago strain.
One hound was on Cephalexin for four days and did not respond favorably nor quickly enough to our satisfaction, though his temperature was slightly above normal. Therefore, we chose to switch his antibiotic. Due to his being a yearling, age 21 months, I am cautious about using an antibiotic drug that may cause problems during the developing stages of growth in a dog under 18 months of age, such as Baytril or Ciprofloxacin. Though many people assume that the growth plates are closed by the age of 21 months, I believe, in my considered opinion, he is not entirely grown. In my experience, he still has not fully developed and appears quite youthful. So, instead, we are using a combination antibiotic, Clavamox, to treat the bacterial infection, without the risk to further, if any, growth stages. We did so at a significantly greater expense as the drug had to be purchased at our local pharmacy. Though it can be purchased online at a reputable, veterinary pharmacy, such as Drs. Foster & Smith, we did not have time to have it shipped. Notably, this antibiotic drug has a relatively short shelf-life, so we do not keep it on hand. To treat this particular hound's cough we are using Tramadol with good results.
For a wolfhound without nasal discharge nor temperature, we are not treating with any drugs, but again, we monitor their temperatures closely. In general, we will use a cough suppressant, an excellent choice being Robitussin DM. However, the administration is not easy and must be done carefully, so the hound does not aspirate the syrup. Lastly, I administer a good quality Probiotic in pill form to any hound being treated with antibiotic and I also increase all the wolfhound's Vitamin C supplement to as much as 4000 mg per day, given throughout the day and with food. Any questions, just ask.