Pet answers: kennel coughs and smelly dogs
Don’t settle for pet theories, get pet answers! Veterinary surgeon Cees Bennett answers your animal health questions
DO I REALLY NEED TO GIVE A KENNEL COUGH VACCINE TO GO TO KENNELS?
Unfortunately kennel cough is a very poor name for the condition and the vaccine. The term infectious bronchitis is better, but basically it is an upper respiratory tract infection, especially focused on the trachea, that is caused by a large number of different viruses and bacteria. It can cause anything from a very mild cough to a very nasty infection with complications. The vaccine contains the most common causes of the condition and reduces the chances of getting it and the severity of the signs if it is caught. Any dog that meets other dogs has an increased risk, so I would advise dogs that meet other dogs in parks and on walks, those at training classes and also those going to kennels to have the vaccine. Secondly, many kennels will require you to have the vaccine as they want to minimise the chances of dogs coming in with kennel cough or any catching it if it does happen. It is a good sign if kennels ask you to have your dog vaccinated.
CAN YOU RECOMMEND A GOOD SHAMPOO FOR MY DOG AS IT ALWAYS HAS A MUSTY SMELL?
There are a lot of good shampoos for dogs on the market for routine use and it is hard to recommend one brand. Generally, any dog shampoo formulated specifically for dogs will be suitable and many will have soothing ingredients such as oatmeal or aloe vera which can be good even for sensitive skin. Shampoos for dogs are different to human shampoos as the skin pH varies between the species, but it is also important to not over wash your dog so the skin does not become too dry. In your case, the fact that your dog has a musty smell quite often would make me wonder if there is something else going on such as an allergy or a skin infection. If your dog scratches frequently, has skin lesions (such as spots or red bumps) or gets regular ear problems it is worth speaking to your vet.
LAST WEEK I HAD TO TAKE MY DOG TO THE VETS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND I WAS SURPRISED BY THE BILL. IS IT NORMAL FOR IT TO BE EXPENSIVE AT NIGHT?
Unfortunately, yes. There are two ways that 24hr emergency cover is provided by veterinary practices. The first option is for your normal practice vets to be on a rota and cover the phone calls and visits from home, coming to the practice for those visits required. This means the vet has to work during the day and then possibly be up all night before working the next day. It is very tiring for the vets and has to be factored into their working hours. It also means inpatients are rarely constantly monitored, usually just receiving a visit or two. The second option is to have the emergency cases covered by a specific emergency clinic. These will have a vet and a nurse awake all night looking after inpatients and ready to see emergencies for a number of different practices. This allows the staff to be fresh and there constantly, but means the costs of having the staff present all the time is passed on to the clients. For both of these options covering the staff costs and running of the surgery at night is expensive and results in a larger bill than during the day when costs are spread out between a larger number of clients. For me personally I like the security of knowing my inpatients are looked after by a dedicated night team ready to receive an emergency and I know I will be fresh each day to see patients.
Do you have a pet or animal health question? Send it to us at: . Cees will endeavour to answer all questions, whether published or not!
Cees Bennett BVetMed MRCVS Veterinary surgeon and Joint Venture Partner at: Peterborough Vets4Pets 231-233 St Paul’s Road Peterborough PE1 3RL Tel: 01733 890777 & Bretton Vets4Pets Inside Pets at Home Unit 2 The Bretton Centre Peterborough PE3 8DN Tel: 01733 261094
