ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 11, 1996 TAG: 9602120056
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Claws & Paws
SOURCE: JILL BOWEN
Q: My dog had been in kennels over the Christmas break for 10 days. We picked her up and she seemed to be perfectly well, however within a couple of days or so, she started to cough and is still coughing. She seems quite well in herself and is eating. I gave her some pediatric cough medicine, but nothing much seems to help.
A: This sounds like a case of kennel cough. Kennel cough is a highly contagious bronchial disease. Infected dogs have a harsh dry cough that can last for several weeks. This constant coughing is irritating and tiring to your dog as well as to you. Even when the cough has finally gone, your dog will remain infectious for many weeks afterwards. Kennel cough is not necessarily caught in kennels. The infection is spread from dog to dog through the air, and can be caught wherever dogs come into contact with each other. Your dog was just as likely to have picked this particular infection up by sniffing noses with another dog while out on a walk or when at a dog show or training class.
The most probable cause of kennel cough is a bacterium which attacks the cells lining the respiratory tract producing the typical hacking cough. Dogs cough because they are trying to clear the thick, glue-like mucus caused by the infection. Dogs remain infective for up to three months after the cough has gone. There are other causes of coughing, for example, viruses, and even in these cases the bacterium causing kennel cough is frequently a secondary invader which complicates the infection making it much worse.
Luckily, there is a vaccine available which only requires one shot and lasts for one year, producing an immunity in about one week. So it is a good idea to immunize any dog before it goes into any environment where it will meet a lot of other dogs. Some kennels insist that all dogs be vaccinated before being boarded.
If your dog is still coughing and it does not appear to be getting any better I would suggest that you take her to have to your local veterinarian for a check to make sure that there is no other condition present.
Q: We have great horned owls near our house in Craig County. My mother warned me that these owls can carry off dogs weighing up to 20 pounds and to watch out for the safety of my 12-pound terrier. According to field guides, a great horned owl is only slightly larger than a red-tailed hawk, and I have been told that such a hawk can barely get off the ground with a full-grown chicken in its talons. Is my terrier at risk? Should I be worried? (I would be if I owned a Chihuahua!)
A: A great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) is 18-24 inches tall and is found virtually throughout the Americas. It will attack prey up to a medium-sized mammal or bird, for example skunks, porcupines, ducks or grouse, none of which normally weigh as much as 12 lbs. Furthermore, the owl is a nocturnal bird and is seldom seen by day. There have been a very few anecdotal reports of such an owl attacking dogs, but these reports have not been authenticated. Considering the widespread habitat of the great horned owl, if it was in the habit of taking dogs as part of its diet I am sure it would have been reported in the literature. I spoke to an ornithological expert at For the Birds in Blacksburg who said that it would be physically impossible for an owl to carry off a dog the size and weight of your terrier. So I think that your Mother's fears are groundless, however just to be on the safe side perhaps your terrier should not be left to run around outside unattended after dark.
LENGTH: Medium: 64 linesby CNB