posted 11-27-2003 06:11 AM         

UPdate:

Squirmy's cough started increasing last evening. He went from coughing every hour to about every 10-15 minutes around supper time. He was still very playful, active, and eating though.

The cough didnt appear to phase him a bit, and probably bothered me more than he. I already had an appt on Tuesday for the vet, but at 7pm last night I couldnt take it anymore and like a worried mother, called the vet. There was another vet hospital on call. I left the message and the vet finally called me back 30 minutes later.

He was an oddball. LOL He laughed and laughed some more throughout our entire conversation, almost like he had started celebrating Thanksgiving a little early. LOL

Anyway, he said that kennel cough ususually lasts a week with no complicaitons and that the cough bothers me more than our puppy. He said though that he thinks our puppy should be on antibiotics to be on the safe side to avoid secondary infection and to prevent the virus from setting up *housekeeping* in the tonsils which is what happens in some cases.

He said to call my vet this morning because he will probably want to see Squirmy on Friday to put him on antibiotics.

Well, the update is Squirm never coughed once all night and he has been up for 3 hours and STILL hasnt coughed once this morning. I am not going to call the vet on Thanskgiving as of now since he is apparently doing better.

Personally, my 2 children have only had antibiotics a couple of times as I only let them have it when there is proof of bacterial infection; and for myself, I refuse antiobiotics for emperical use, the *in case* reasons due to surgeries etc to *prevent* infection. I grew up where my family doctor gave us antibiotics everytime we had a cold, which is flat out wrong, but no one knew any better 20 years ago I suppose.

If Squirmy starts coughing again I will defintely call the vet right away and I will call them tomorrow when they are open to touch base and see if they want to bump up Tuesday's appt to tomorrow.

I am left wonderging if maybe our puppy already had kennel cough when we got it and this is just the tail end of it? No pun intended.

Happy Thanksgiving! Ann