Millie's big day - going to the pet groomers - is cancelled! She coughed this morning. THE COUGH, that is. Sounds like a goose honking. This is kennel cough.
Early last week at Puppy Camp she was exposed to kennel cough. It can take a week to show symptoms, and here we are just over a week and she coughed this morning. That cough. It is very distinctive.
Not only did Millie cough, but Baxter, our cat, coughed too. Yes - kennel cough can be transmitted to your cat by a dog and dog to a cat.
Can you get kennel cough? Not likely. People with compromised immune systems have been known to get it.
Cough medicine and antibiotics for Millie and rest for one to two weeks. No dog contact. That was already the case last week when we were alerted to the exposure.
Reading about kennel cough is deja vu - the same as reading about the coronavirus. How does it spread? Within large animal populations in an enclosed area. Spread through sneezing, coughing, shared water bowls and contact.
Isn't this an interesting occurrence given our long journey with COVID. We move to Step 3 of our economic reopening in Ontario on Friday, July 16th. Gyms, indoor dining, and similar facilities can open at 50%, retail stores unlimited as long as people maintain two metres, and so on. Won't this be curious to see how we handle this freedom with around 50% vaccinated. after being told that the herd immunity number is 80 - 90%. That does seem in the distance - maybe into October, given all the hesitancy and difficulty reaching specific groups.
My searches on kennel cough result in these Youtube headlines:
-Tiny donkey thinks he's actually a dog -Hilarious dramatic husky throws a temper tantrum -Giving a hissing feral kitten a bath and this happens -Tiny piglet's whole world changes when she meets this baby cow
What is our picture today? A Luna moth caterpillar. It is growing in Lilycrest Gardens hybridizing field. A big "sleeve" is put over a branch of leaves protecting the caterpillars from predators.
Brian says it is in its final stage of growth - these are 4th-instar larva. They will eat voraciously so we moved everyone to a new branch. And I guess next time they will be completing their cycle or even be pupae. I'll let you know.
