My Pomeranian has had the Kennel cough for 5 Months now.. is that normal?

by Ayla Hourani
(Beirut, Lebanon)

Kiwi and Pepper

Hey! I got my Pomeranian 3 months ago, he was 2 months at the time..

Ever since I got him, he's been coughing mucus-like substances at 10 minute intervals. It's as though he's choking until something comes out. According to my Vet, it's the Kennel cough, but according to the internet, the kennel cough should be gone within a month or two at most.

He's eating regularly, and does NOT have diarrhea. Sometimes his nose is runny.
Last week, he lost his appetite and had a fever of 41 degrees celcius. Then, he slept at the Veterinary Clinic for 3 nights, while he was on an IV.

He's now taking antibiotics and coughing syrup.

I honestly have NO idea what to do anymore! I've been trying everything to get him better, but it's just the same, if not getting worse!:(

Also, I was reading that the Kennel cough is contagious, I have a 3 year old Chihuahua who is completely fine, no signs of coughing or anything whatsoever.. so I'm not even sure it's the Kennel cough anymore.

When he went to the Vet last week, he got an X-ray, and his chest was EXTREMELY smokey.

He's very tired all the time, never plays, and barely barks.

Please, please pleeeease help me through this! Everyone thinks I should put him down, but I really believe he's gonna make it through! He's a fighter!

Thank you so much!




Hi Ayla
From what you say there's definitely something going on here, but it absolutely does NOT sound as though he needs to be euthanized - that's terrible!

Your obviously doing everything you can to help him get better, and it's vital to keep up with the veterinary care so that you can find out what IS causing the problem and find a treatment that works.

I'm not a vet myself so I can't really give you any input as to what is causing the symptoms, but after such a length of time I'd personally be inclined to think that it's not Kennel Cough, or at least not just kennel cough that's causing the problem. More likely a secondary infection or inflammation that was brought on by kennel cough in the first place.

If your chihuahua is fully vaccinated (including the bordatella vaccination) he will be protected from Kennel Cough and wouldn't catch it. So don't rule it out based on that.

As your puppy is now on antibiotics, hopefully things will start to improve, but don't expect overnight results. Once an infection is chronic it can take time (and maybe even more than one round of antibiotics) to be effective. IF these meds. don't help, go back to your vet for more help. Don't be afraid to consult another veterinarian or ask to be referred to a specialist vet if you feel that you need more help or answers than you are getting.

This little guy is most definitely a fighter and his personality is shining in his face... he's relying on you to get him the help he needs to get better and you're doing an excellent job of taking care of him. With persistence and patience I think he has every chance of making a full recovery. Stick with it.

I wish you lots of luck and hope that he's 100% healthy soon.