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My dog has kennel cough, and her puppy is coughing. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | unspayed | 13 lbs

Recently my dog had a litter of 6 that are about 3 1/2 weeks old. She ended up having a calcium deficiency she had seizures, fever, drooling, vomiting, and was unable to stand. we took her to the vet. They gave her valum, shots, calcium through an iv and gave us calcium pet tabs, we switched her food to a puppy formula, high in calcium but days later she developed kennel cough and its been 3 days she still really sick, we've given her prescibed amoxicillin but now one of the puppies is coughing

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on June 7th, 2017

Kennel Cough is easily spread from dog to dog. Given the pup's age, it should be examined by your veterinarian to confirm the diagnosis. Left untreated, kennel cough can progress to pneumonia which can be life threatening in puppies.

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on November 7th, 2017

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Given her age and clinical symptoms, one of the possibilities is Kennel cough which is contagious. For this reason I recommend that Sammy is kept away from other dogs until she is evaluated for further assessment. Other possibilities include pneumonia, bronchitis, among other possibilities. Your veterinarian could potentially prescribe antibiotics which could help with a possible infectious process. If your veterinarian suspects Kennel cough after evaluation, it would be best to keep her away from other dogs until signs resolve. Good luck and have a good day!

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Related Questions

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Hi my 6 month old pup I think has kennel cough he's coughing has been dick once this morning, doesn't want to eat and he's shaking like he's cold
Although kennel cough is most of the times a moderate and self limiting disease, the signs you are describing could be compatible with a more severe infection and antibiotics may be needed to speed up recovery time. I would stringy recommend a check up and appropriate treatment.
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Hello, my name is Cinthya and my family and I got two puppies on Friday that are almost 3 months. This is the second time that one of the puppies wakes up in the middle of the night making sounds like he's wanting to throw up but all that comes out
Most likely the puppy has kennel cough and it is highly probable that the other one will come down with symptoms as well. It is very contagious but it is not usually fatal. That being said, we do tend to treat dogs with kennel cough (especially puppies as their immune systems are immature) with antibiotics and cough suppressants so they don't end up with a secondary pneumonia. I would suggest you have him/them to the vet for an exam. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/kennel-cough-or-tracheobronchitis-in-dogs )
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Hello! We just got a puppy last week and noticed today that our older dog seems to be attempting to clear her throat. She has been doing this since she woke up. I too feel a little under the weather as if I am getting a cold. Could my older dog have
Hello, sorry to hear about your dog. There is definitely a possibility that your puppy may have introduces something such as kennel cough to your other dog. Most often with kennel cough you will hear a dry cough, hacking cough. Kennel cough most often resolves on its own, but if his signs persist, visit your veterinarian for further assessment. You may also want to ensure your puppy is fully vaccinated and monitor for him developing a cough as well. Hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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We got a dog when he was 8 weeks he started coughing 2-3 days later. He has a good apetite but hes thin too. He has a fever and shakes when its windy or hes anxious we took him to the vet but we dont trust the vet so I was wondering if you could help
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Coughing can happen due to many diseases. However, in a puppy I would be more suspicious of something like kennel cough which is common in puppies. Ideally, a physical examination and thoracic radiographs are performed to help with the diagnosis/assessment of this. This is typically treated with a course of antibiotics which can be prescribed by your veterinarian. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My new puppy has kennel cough, not vigorous. She is 8weeks old and had her first vaccination in the 18th. Any need to be alarmed or to take her in to see a vet? I read a bunch and people were all over the board. Thank you
As long as she is behaving normally and eating/drinking, there is no cause for concern. Kennel cough is self limiting, meaning it will typically resolve on its own in about 2 weeks though the cough may linger. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing or discharge from the mouth or nose. 10 minutes in a steamy bathroom (NOT in the the shower) may help loosen congestion and ease breathing. A humidifier in the room can also help. If the cough is severe, ask your veterinarian bout a cough suppressant. Do not give anything OTC without first speaking with your vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My puppy has kennel cough (diagnosed 4 days ago) and was prescribed amoxicillin for 7 days. At the diagnosis, he was still active and alert but had a terrible cough. He was given a distemper vaccine and a dewormer shot since he was due for those. Sin
Based on the symptoms you are describing, and the fact that he is continuing to decline, I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian sooner than the recheck in 7 days. I would get him seen now and have some additional testing performed (parvo test, blood testing, etc.). The sooner he is seen the better. I hope this helps and hope he gets better soon! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
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My pup is coughing heavily. I think it is kennel cough. But he is eating playing and very active. But it is stressing me out
If your puppy is coughing, but otherwise feels happy, is eating, playing and very active it could indeed be kennel cough, or lung worm infection or other lung infection. I suggest you take him to a vet for an exam, and since the coughing is excessive, the vet can prescribe an antitussive, antibiotics if needed and anti-inflammatory medication, if necessary.
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Hi, I suspect my 13 months old French Bull dog has a kennel cough. He's coughing up a storm. He's still eating and drinking and playful. My 5 Month old Shiba has no symptoms. Do I treat both puppies? I tried separating them I don't know if it's to l
Thanks for reaching out to Boop by Petco! If your younger puppy is not showing any symptoms I would definitely not treat her. Kennel cough is transmitted similarly to the common cold- so with direct contact or by sharing bowls or even by germs transferred from your hands after petting the coughing puppy. So keeping them separately is ideal if feasible, and washing your hands between handling each of them is also advised. Since kennel cough is transmitted by aerosol and direct contact you wound have to keep their kennels very separate (like in different rooms). I am not sure if your frenchie is already being treated , but Kennel cough is often viral and self limiting. But sometimes a cough suppressant or antibiotic is indicated depending on signs. I would watch him closely and have him evaluated (if you haven’t already) if he becomes lethargic, if his appetite decreases, if his respiratory rate is increased or if there is thick nasal discharge. I hope Noah is feeling better very soon a
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My Boston pug has a cough out of no where. We were at a pet event with a quite a few dogs the day before. My boyfriends dog has been playing with other dogs that have kennel cough. I think that's probably what it is. It's a cough that sometimes lead
You are correct that Kona likely has kennel cough, which is a highly contagious respiratory disease. I would take her into the vet tomorrow. Kennel cough is typically self limiting and can take up to three weeks for symptoms to completely resolve, but her symptoms may benefit from some medications such as antibiotics. Medications can lessen the severity of the symptoms, and may speed up recovery.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my puppy that is just 3 weeks old, started coughing and acting like she wants to throw up but nothing comes out. i’m very concerned, the cough isn’t constant but it scares me. what could i do to make it stop?
This sign might be compatible with kennel cough. This is usually a self limiting infection and in 1 to 2 weeks time will completely disappear without any treatment. However sometime an anti inflammatory medication and an antibiotic treatment is indicated. Your puppy should gradually improve but, given her young age, I recommend a check up at your veterinarian asap. In the meantime I suggest to use a harness instead of a collar to walk her outside to avoid pushing on the inflamed trachea and make her cough even more. Other, less likely, differential diagnosis for cough might include: other respiratory infections (viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal), inflammatory diseases, pulmonary edema, toxic inhalation. Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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