As I've been traveling with Lily and Bear over the last year or so, I've been pretty fortunate in regards to the health of both of them. I stay current on their shots and checkups wherever I go and I inform myself about pet issues in the communities where I work and stay.
We've only had two minor illnesses while traveling.
Giardia Is No Picnic
The first was earlier this year when both of them kept me up for a full night with trips outside with diarrhea. I took them to the local vet I found when I first started working in the area. Our best guess was they had picked up Giardia somewhere between the daycare/boarding place and our daily walks around the area of the hotel. A bunch of meds and lots of rest later, both my pups were back to their playful selves.I waited a few days before taking them to the vet because dogs can have upset stomachs for any number of reasons, however, when it was clear that it was persistent and symptoms were getting worse, I didn't hesitate to make an appointment for them.
Kennel Cough Is Obnoxious
The second time they have been sick was pretty recently. Even though I keep my dogs up-to-date on their shots, they visit daycare a lot and they are in boarding one to two times a month. This increases the risk of picking up various illnesses. This time it was kennel cough. While they both have current Bordetella vaccinations, not all strains of kennel cough are covered by the vaccine.They went to daycare on a Wednesday perfectly fine, and by Wednesday night, Lily was coughing and sneezing a lot. The poor dog couldn't seem to catch her breath. I was worried immediately. Could it have been something she ate too fast, or was it really kennel cough? By Thursday evening, I knew it was probably kennel cough, as Bear started to cough and sneeze to clear his throat. His breathing was labored and he had a lot of nasal drip.
I was able to get an appointment Friday morning for the local vet.
It was the first time I've ever had to do contagion protocols for my dogs. Since the progress of the symptom onset was pretty fast and due to them both being vaccinated, the vet was worried that it might be fairly contagious. I had to bring each dog in from the car one at a time, through a side door, to an isolated room to control exposure to other animals in the building at the time.
The vet and her assistant were great. They worked efficiently so both dogs could be seen and assessed quickly. I shuttled the dogs to and from the car. Once the exam was over, they gave me a bag of meds and instructions and we were on our way.
The dogs won't be able to visit daycare or be in boarding until they are asymptomatic for at least 10 days. Thankfully, my schedule can accommodate that fairly well right now. Not being able to do daycare for a few weeks is sad for both me and my dogs, as we all get a much needed break outside of the house and socialization, but it's even more important to make sure they are healthy and we don't contribute to other dogs catching this particular strain of kennel cough.
If my dogs had been older or weaker, it's possible they could have ended up with more complications. If I had waited another day or two, the infection could have spread to their lungs and caused permanent damage, or even death. After 24 hours of meds and rest, they are already doing much better and the severity of the coughing has lessened. Hopefully by Monday we are truly on the mend and healthy before we travel back to Texas for our Christmas break.
Tips For Handling Illness On The Road
- Don't wait to see a vet. As soon as you identify a problem that isn't normal, contact a vet and make an appointment.
- Keep all paperwork on-hand. While it might seem like a pain to travel with all the papers for vaccinations and visits your dogs have ever had, it's saved time and phone calls for the vet and assistants doing intakes for appointments. I even keep adoption records and micro-chip numbers with their paperwork so it's available if I ever really need it.
- Use home remedies sparingly. I know visiting a vet can be expensive. It might seem like a good option to use a suggested remedy from the internet. However, you might only be delaying or exacerbating the illness for your dog without medical intervention. Use home remedies only if a vet suggests them. I've used anti-diarrhea meds, antihistamines, pedialyte, and melatonin, only at the suggestion of a vet with a good idea about what the dosages should be for my dogs.
- Keep water bowls full and fresh. Dehydration is a big issue with a lot of illnesses, especially for dogs. Changing out the water in bowls can help reduce recontamination and entice your dogs to stay hydrated.
- Bribe Them If You Have To. When dogs are sick, they often don't want to eat. If you have to give them meds which require food, getting your dogs to eat can be tricky. Go for things with extra protein in them like bits of meat, egg, or broth. I've found that a sausage patty or a hard-boiled egg does wonders when I'm trying to get pups to eat so they can have their meds.
