Lets back up a bit. About a week ago, #Chachi and I went for a short hike in a green space we have here. Out of nowhere, #Chachi had a sneezing fit. I figured it was something on the trail. Minutes earlier he'd stuck his head down into an old tree stump. The next day he was making a strange noise, like he was trying to clear his stuffy nose. Later that day, I noticed a tiny puddle of clear liquid on the blanket he was napping on. He had a clear watery discharge coming from his little nose. The third day, he continued to sneeze. My curiosity got the best of me and I googled his #symptoms. And of course, the internet scared me!! We are #petsitters, so I didn't want #Chachi spreading anything to our clients. So, I made an appointment.
As it turns out, my boy was fine, just bad #allergies. But, better safe than sorry. Our #vet told me that it's good I brought #Chachi in. Although he was vaccinated for #kennelcough, there are some strains that the #vaccine doesn't cover. He went on to tell me that even if it was #kennelcough, he doesn't generally treat it, as it goes away on it's own.
In case you didn't know, #kennelcough is the equivalent of the common cold for humans. It's characterized by a noticeable #cough. Sometimes it sounds like gagging. I do have a client who likes to pick her #paws and gets #hairballs, causing her to gag. But, this only happens after she's been grooming for a while. If you're #pet is #coughing constantly, say a few times within a hour throughout the day, then you may wanna take them to the #vet and report symtoms.
Chachi was less symptomatic, so the #vet said that's a great sign. Since my boy is my life, I was worrying about this being left untreated and leading to an upper respiratory infection, as I read on the internet. I asked him to test for it to be sure. The #vet discouraged such a test, as my baby would have to be put under anesthesia and they would stick a tube down his throat. God! Never mind! The vet also told me that generally speaking, when to worry is if you see the #mucus turn colors or become thick in consistency. Mucus coming from the eyes is a sign that something's wrong, too. Labored breathing is cause for concern as well. Chachi is young. But, I personally believe, if your #pet is older or has a compromised immune system, get them checked out anyway.
Basically, I was being a hypochondriac and paranoid, but, who isn't when it comes to their child? I hope our little scare helped some of you #petparents in watching out for these symptoms in your #pets. The message I received above all, is get your #pets #vaccinated. And, try not to exposed them to too many other #dogs, like at #dogparks. You never know who's #vaccinated and who is not. I'm not discouraging taking them to #dogparks, but space out those trips. Also, #kennelcough is airborne, so boarding at a #kennel should be your last resort, as this is the reason for the name. Lastly, if you #adopt a #pet from a #kennel, be sure they're #vaccinated before you bring them home. Some #dogs will carry it, even if they show no symptoms.