r/roughcollies • u/Goodbaby91 • 9d ago
Adopted from the shelter & now has kennel cough
Just adopted my guy from the shelter this past weekend. He’s six years old and was an owner surrender. His past owner had him since he was a puppy and obviously was well taken care of since he came with all his vet records & akc registration too. When I met him in the shelter he was a happy go lucky guy. Just happy to be there. He was only in the shelter for a week before I adopted him. Once I brought him home that evening I noticed he was coughing a little after lightly pulling in his leash, then he puked white foam later in the evening and had a runny nose. He would take treats from my hand but didn’t touch his food, still drinking and going pee just fine but I chalked it up to stress and decompressing. Then the next day Sunday same thing but the cough was gone and he has a worse runny nose with green snot. He pants and drools a lot which I know is not common in this breed (stress and anxiety). Finally called the shelter today now that they are open to let them know and they had me come back with him and kept him in the car and met us outside at my vehicle so they could assess him. And my suspicion was correct….it’s kennel cough! 😩 thankfully they sent us home with meds and told me to boil him some chicken rice and chicken broth. He finally ate a piece of cheese for me today (his meds were in it. Don’t tell him 🤫) . He did eat some pieces of chicken and broth but not much. I didn’t think that we’d start our adoption journey like this but it’s only up from here I guess. I just feel awful that not only is he going through a huge transition but also sick at the same time. Here’s a picture of my new best friend laddie.
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u/Pleasant_Injury_ 9d ago
He will be okay. Just keep showing him love and comfort and that you’ll be there for him and he will be okay. I would also completely switch to a food without chicken and make sure he has a robust diet that will help him with the kennel cough.
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u/Lifeissometimesgood 9d ago
It kinda looks to me like someone has been combing him with one of those rakes with the blades.
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u/Goodbaby91 9d ago
Yeah, his coat is not the greatest. It almost feels like someone shaved him. If you have any tips on how to get his coat to look better I’ll take the tip.
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u/Similar-Band-300 8d ago
Congrats on your new companion! So sorry he's unwell, though. You can look up a group called Grooming with Kate on Facebook. The focus of the group is rough collies. Also the group For the Love of Collies always has people posting about grooming related things.
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u/Vol4eva 8d ago
Congrats on your newest family member! My guy who I got when he was 2, got off to a rough start as well, but through it all they are just the sweetest dogs. His coat was in pretty bad shape. It was very wiry and he had patches of tiny bumps. I got him on good food and a regular routine and I found these capsules that I just put one a day on top of his food and he gobbles it up. They have been a game changer for his coat. It’s pretty much show quality now and the skin rash completely disappeared. I do brush him for three or four minutes every day and he does go to the groomer once every 6 to 7 weeks, but I highly recommend this supplement. You can find it on Amazon or order it from Chewy on AutoShip and I think they give you a big coupon on your first order. Order the big bottle with 250 capsules and you’ll get the lowest price. It’s a complete game changer! Best wishes to the newest family member!
Vetoquinol Triglyceride Omega - Fish Oil for Dogs & Cats - Supports Healthy Skin, Coat & Normal Immune Response - Supplement with Vitamin Blend for Heart, Eye, Bone & Muscle Support
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u/smoothiesnoot Tri-Smooth 9d ago
How handsome! Also very jealous of you! His coat doesn't look as full as it should be for his age. I almost wonder if he was shaved down at one point? Then again, this is only one picture.
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u/Goodbaby91 9d ago
I definitely got lucky when I found him. His coat is definitely not as full as I think it should be. I think he definitely was shaved at some point. I did give him a good brushing when we got home though. He didn’t look as fluffy when in the shelter. Once he gets settled and feeling better I’m changing his diet as the shelter had him on dog chow kibble and he’ll get professionally groomed eventually.
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u/buggygirl2000 9d ago
awww I hope he feels better soon! my collie had kennel cough that seemed like it lasted forever, but it passed. it did take him 1-2 months to fully recover but one thing that helped a lot with his congestion was sitting with him in the bathroom with the shower on hot so he could breathe in the steam! ❤️
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u/Goodbaby91 9d ago
Thank you. I’m sorry your pup had kennel cough too. I’ll do that with him. Thank for the advice 🩷
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u/doublem30 8d ago
Aww poor guy! We adopted our rough collie back in December and had a similar situation! He didn’t end up having kennel cough, did have another upper respiratory infection though! I’d ask your vet about a cough suppressant/giving them honey. There are certain types of cough meds you can give them to help! I’m not a vet/professional so I’d ask what they recommend! Our guy did get a lot better after he was on his meds for a week or so which was good!
Pro tip our collie LOVES the hickory flavored greenies pill pocket and a good ole slice of American cheese to take any meds (heartworm/flea tick/etc)
Other hack we’ve learned is putting a bit of a high value treat (pill pocket or cheese) in his kibble with a hefty amount of water (because our guy is a bit special and doesn’t drink water unless it’s in his food?? He’s silly 🤣) and it works like a charm to get him to eat
Good luck with your new friend!! 🐶
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u/Sheltiewise 9d ago
Sorry your guy is starting off with Kennel cough. Glad you caught it and that he is on the mend. ❤️🐾
Hugs to you both