Sympathy Bronchitis

Cody and I both seem to have developed a form of bronchitis independently from each other.

Apparently Cody has developed a mild form of the "Kennel Cough" which has led to his hacking/coughing fits. The vet said it should go away in a few weeks and should be getting better. Cody didn't interact with many dogs except for his stays at PetsMart last week or PlanetPooch. I still feel as if the rules at PetsMart are more lax and the employees don't notice problems like coughing as much, so I'd much rather blame PetsMart for Cody's illness. Since I don't know for sure, I won't complain too much.

Cody received his Bordatella shots in April (if you board your pet, they recommend Bordatella shots every 6 months. In fact, I had already scheduled him to get another vaccination this Sunday before he got this cough). Apparently, a shot just diffuses the severity if the dogs come into contact with other dogs with kennel cough. Cody shouldn't interact with other dogs until his cough goes away (which should be in the next week), otherwise the other dogs have the danger of contracting the cough as well.

After talking to other dog owners, I realized it was a rarity that I keep Cody up to date on his shots and prevention medication (like heartworm and ticks), well-groomed, exercise and training, socialization, and general well-being (like brushing his teeth and consistently washing bowls). In general, I'm glad to have the routine of making sure that he's healthy. When he's older, I'd like to know that I did everything I could to prevent illness and to keep him healthy.