Kennel Cough and a Bad Water Heater

Part one of this troublesome day: Our brand new puppy, Spotz, has kennel cough, and most likely pneumonia. Poor little guy.

Kennel cough, also known as infectious tracheobronchitis, is the most common upper respiratory problem occurring in dogs. It is very contagious among canines. Worldwide, a large percentage of dogs will acquire this disease at some point during their lives.

There are various viral agents that can cause kennel cough, the most common being the parainfluenza virus.

Symptoms of kennel cough include a dry, hacking cough (many describe the cough as having a honking sound). Sometimes the cough is followed by retching. In some cases, as with Spotz, another symptom is a watery nasal discharge. In many cases the affected dog will continue to be alert and active with no real loss of appetite. In more serious cases a dog with kennel cough can become lethargic, show signs of fever, and lose the desire to eat. It is possible for this disease to progress toward pneumonia and possibly even death.

My wife and I took Spotz to the vet today, and the vet said Spotz's lungs sounded like they had signs of pneumonia.

A couple of treatment options exist for kennel cough. In mild cases of the disease, antibiotics may or may not be used. Bronchodilators and cough suppressants may also be used, but only in mild cases. In more severe cases, antibiotics (doxycycline, for example, which is what the vet prescribed for Spotz) are often employed, but the use of cough suppressants and steroids is not recommended because of the possibility of immunosuppression.

For a long time it was thought that human contact with infectious tracheobronchitis posed no health risks. However, it has recently been shown that disease may occur in humans who have compromised immune systems. This means that precautions should be taken to keep young children away from dogs suffering from kennel cough. Generally, though, there seems to be no health risk to humans.

The vet seemed to think that Spotz will be just fine and that he'll show signs of improvement within two or three days. I sure hope he's right.

Part two of this troublesome day: When we returned home from the vet we discovered that our water heater had sprung a leak. Bummer. I spent some time draining it, but when I turned off the valve for the water flowing into the tank, the valve handle broke off. Therefore, I'm not sure if it got completely shut off before breaking. If not, it'll be leaking throughout the evening.

Even though I can't afford a new water heater at this time, I may have to purchase one on credit. The ox is kinda in the ditch, as they say. My wife and I currently have no debt (other than the house), and I hate the idea of taking on any debt now.