Ugh! Kennel Cough

Pill Station

  One of the puppies was exposed to kennel cough at puppy socialization class a couple weeks ago. No more puppy class for a while! We now have 14 dogs (half the kennel), so far, on medication for this doggie "cold". Here's a photo of our medication station. We've got bottles of whole pills, bottles of pills cut in half, bottles of pills cut in 1/4, a pill cutter (but of course), a log of who began showing symptoms and when and a daily planner to keep track of who went on medication when and for how long. The only thing not in this photo is the brick of Velveeta I will begin using to put the pills in tomorrow. My hand is a prune tonight after giving pills the old fashioned way.

 All this, of course, has to come when we're busily packing to make our move to our Irish Creek Homestead.  Just like a sibling with chicken pox, we tried to expose everyone to the systematic puppy right away so that this doesn't perpetuate for months. So far our plan seems to be working and everyone seems to have a very mild case. Lots of playing and running around as usual but with a slight cough and snotty nose. In 20 years of training dogs, we've never vaccinated for kennel cough and have never gotten it. Just like the lyme disease shot, dogs can still get it even after the vaccination.

Here's to hoping it passes through the kennel before everyone is loaded up for the move at the end of the month!