Bordatella reaction?

[SunDog]

I’ve probably mentioned that we travel a lot (by car) for short vacations, mostly hotels, sometimes camping, always west of the Rockies, and we bring Lupe. She’s usually a great traveler. We do this because I’ve never been comfortable leaving her with the sitter—our other dogs and the cats are just more…sturdy.

One time, I boarded Lupe 2 nights on the trip rather than keep her at the campsite b/c of dry hot conditions. She did fine. This trip I research that as well b/c I knew we would hit weather I wasn’t comfortable with.

So, the facts:
· Lupe had the nasal vaccine on the 13[SUP]th[/SUP] (Sunday). We did the nasal version because it supposedly kicks in sooner than the injection. I asked the vet if it was safe, and she said "very"
· The following Sunday we dropped her at a boarding facility (also a vet) for 32 hours.
· Tuesday morning (9 days post vaccine and 12 hours post-boarding), I noticed her straining to breathe through her nose. We were driving, and that night in the hotel, it seemed even worse. Next day (another hotel), she snored worse, hacked a few times, including a scary reverse sneeze. Her eyes were beet red. Didn't help that I had to yell at the husband before he realized I was noticing something serious (Ladies...why is it...er, that's another thread!)
· We phoned an emergency vet who felt it was ok to wait until we got back, and so we drove six hours straight to Lupe’s vet.
· Bowel, water intake etc. all normal, no fever.
· Basically, her vet said the timing indicates a reaction to the vaccine and it "should" work itself out within a week. The Dr. couldn’t say whether she was exposed to bordatella at the boarding facility, but it didn’t really matter. She suggested waiting on antibiotics since they can be pretty brutal.

I feel awful . I think the traveling aggravated whatever reactions she was having (she is a little better now that we’re home in cooler coastal weather.) I’m now re-thinking any vacation!

My questions:
*Is it worth getting bordatella ever? Would casual contact with a dog, say, on a walk expose her to the viruses?
*Is the needle version better? She never reacted to that one before.
*Is there anything I can do to make her comfortable while this works itself out? A doggie-version of Chicken soup?
*Should I opt for the just-in-case antibiotics?
*Does traveling stress bullies even if it doesn't seem that way? Like, in and out of air-condition, different environmental stuff etc.?

Sorry for the long post. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. I know as soon as you read the subject heading, many of you said, “I know something about this!”

 

[reallyrob]

Is the vet sure it was the vaccine? When I first got Bertie, I took her to a vet for a check up and right away they said she had kennel cough and tried to give her antibiotics. I refused them and the vet got really Pi*sed off and told me I was putting my other dogs at risk. Well, since I was not new to English Bullies, I took her to my vet in Illinois who specializes in English Bullies. No Kennel cough! A lot of vets, if they are not used to the breed will misdiagnose our babies! I would never go without the bordatella vaccine....but my vet does only give it to Bertie every year and a half....not every year.

 

[SunDog]

[MENTION=490]reallyrob[/MENTION]: The vet said the timing indicated it was the vaccine, but because Lupe was also boarded, it could be actual exposure. (It was a rural vet in Utah that also did boarding....I guess that's not ideal since vets usually board sick dogs. Bad mommy!)

They didn't do any blood work, and without a fever, she didn't seem concerned about antibiotics. If it's not a reaction to the vaccine or actual Kennel Cough, what might this be? Maybe a cold? She's still snorty/phlegmy today, red eyes, but not as bad.

 

[reallyrob]

It could be a number of things.....with all the dogs there...it could be animal dander, My cocker spaniel is actually allergic to my cats! believe it or not....he has to get his Benedryl daily or his eyes are so red and he weezes. When we go down to my condo in FL, the cats have never been there, and he is just fine. He only does it at my house with the cats, nowhere else. Allergies are really weird the way they can come on...dust, animal dander, grass, pollen, dirty carpet, food....anything can cause it. My bullie Bertie on the other hand, is healthy as a horse!

I have not really seen a dog 's eyes get all bloodshot and red with Kennel cough. My grandma used to breed and show English Bullies and my mom bred and showed Cockers, and I have seen quite a few animals with Kennel Cough, but the red eyes are unusual...it's usually a hacking cough and weeze sort of like whooping cough with phlegm. And like I said, a lot of vets, not really specialized in English Bulldogs are ready to call it kennel cough. Now, I'm not saying it's not Kennel Cough....I'm just telling you my experiences. :-)