hi i have purchased a staffy from rspca, but wen es walking on a walk or even in house it sounds like he is choking, e will do a wierd deep noise like he is trying to get it out of his throat and then will cough and cough, and its been goin on since sat wen i rescued the dog

could be kennel cough

It could be a myriad of things tbh - ring the RSPCA in the first instance for their opinions.

Ours did the same after we rescued him, lasted for about 1 week, however he was also sneezing (with some discharge) and off his food.....it cleared up and he is fine now. We were advised to give him some Benylin, but I would definitely get him to the speak to the RSPCA/get him to the vets if you are worried.

Edit to say that, that does actually sound different to our lad, as yours seems to be related to activity....

I think that the RSPCA need a call on this too. If it's kennel cough that was acquired in their kennels then they really should be liable for the vet costs associated with it and they need to know so that they can watch for this and treat accordingly in their other dogs too.

What did it say, please rub my tummy?

My Staffie cross had exact same symptoms when i bought him from Sheffield city council pound 3 weeks or so ago.
It was Kennel cough, even the kennel staff there told me he had kennel cough so im suprised at the RSPCA not telling you this, if this is what your dog has.
My staffie cross passed it on to my Jack Russell, i took them both to the vets and he prescribed antibiotics for them both. Alfie the staffie cross is on his second course now .
The vet has me wait outside with my dogs because Kennel cough is highly contageous.
Im really hoping this second course hes on will clear everything.
He had stage 3 because it gave him a chest infection, but all the green stuff has gone now and hes so strong , obviously better,but that cough when walking and when he gets exited still persists.
They've had cough stuff and i gave them inhalations of eucalyptus too.
Millie only had a mild cough but im worried about her, shes finished antibiotics but has a temp. Shes due to see the vet tomorrow.
If youre worried please go to vets, as if it is kennel cough, remember other dogs can get it while out walking.

What did it say, please rub my tummy?

HaHa, just realised my error

If it is kennel cough then the RSPCA should be able to give you some antibiotics to clear it up free of charge. In the meantime dont let him mix with other dogs, it is highly contageous and is an airborn disease so they dont have to be nose to nose. Benylin will ease it for him, but wont cure it, so you need some antibiotics.

Is he walked on a collar and lead? if so and he is a puller, then get him a harness too.:thumbsup:

Antibiotics don't actually cure Kennel Cough, they can stop any secondary bacterial infections though, which could progress on to Pneumonia etc if not dealt with in good time.

You can have a vaccine against Kennel cough, but this won't help your dog get rid of it, or stop your dog getting any of the secondary infections.

Antibiotics don't actually cure Kennel Cough, they can stop any secondary bacterial infections though, which could progress on to Pneumonia etc if not dealt with in good time.

You can have a vaccine against Kennel cough, but this won't help your dog get rid of it, or stop your dog getting any of the secondary infections.

vets wont vaccinate for k.c if the dog is already showing signs of having it ,,i would keep him in as much as possible & give benelyn ,mine have all had kc at sometime , i treat it as flu and have never had to give antibiotics, but if you are worried give your vet a ring first as its not forced to be k.c. but it does sound like it

Was it definately the RSPCA you adopted your boy from and not the Sheffield Council Kennels? Was it the new building or Spring Street.

Keep him warm - walk on a harness and only gentle short walks. If he seems worse in next day or two - he may need the vet - but benolyn will ease the throat for him
Its a terrible terrible infection and staffy's do struggle with it and can come down with bronchitus - and worse.
There are some poorly ones in the Council kennels at the moment - we have just taken a lovely staffy bitch out who is really poorly with it - that Spottie is fostering for us.
I hope he gets better soon - most healthy dogs dog get over it pretty well.

it was the one on spring street, they said when i got him it was kennel cough, so whats best thing for it

Thats not the RSPCA anymore, it's the Sheffield Council dog wardens kennels.

I would still strongly advise contacting the RSPCA and telling them all about it - for the sake of the dogs still in there.

http://rspcasheffield.org/cgi-bin/makepage.py

Thats not the RSPCA anymore, it's the Sheffield Council dog wardens kennels.

I would still strongly advise contacting the RSPCA and telling them all about it - for the sake of the dogs still in there.

http://rspcasheffield.org/cgi-bin/makepage.py

I was going to do that because Alfie was from the pound as has been so ill with KC
But when i read about the dogs that the RSPCA had taken from the pound and were too ill for them to rehome, i just assumed alarm bells would go off and the RSPCA would investigate the matter.
They told us at Spring st it was only like a cold etc but Alfie also had a chest infection which was obviously not picked up on while in Spring Street.
In fact the only medical he had was when he first went in on the 10th nov, which stated he was in good health . Certainly not the case when we adopted him.
My vet at Highgreen put mine on antibiotics straight away.

They don't have a medical when they go in, they have a 'visual health check' by the person who picks them up, which entails looking at the one of hundreds of dogs they are dealing with and ticking some boxes.

The more people who contact the RSPCA about the condition the dogs they are paying for are in, the more they will do about it.

jus been to vets charged me £30 for some antibiotics, and got to go back after xmas for vaxination, they said they wanted it neuded but it cost 160 anywere better than that?

Didn't they explain anything to you at Spring Street? They should have, I think you should get a voucher through the post for free/reduced cost neutering, it should say in the paperwork they gave you?

Also Microchipping.

I don't think they help with vaccinations, though.

Your dog should pull through once it's got warm and dry inside and the tablets help.

We want pictures! :)

They don't have a medical when they go in, they have a 'visual health check' by the person who picks them up, which entails looking at the one of hundreds of dogs they are dealing with and ticking some boxes.

The more people who contact the RSPCA about the condition the dogs they are paying for are in, the more they will do about it.

My dog had some temp innoculations as well. Did yours. The stickers were stuck on the health check paper/medical (not nit picking.) Just the same as a vet would put them in your innoculation record book.
So are you telling me the person who picked him up gave him these.

[QUOTE=beansforyou;4403142]Didn't they explain anything to you at Spring Street? They should have, I think you should get a voucher through the post for free/reduced cost neutering, it should say in the paperwork they gave you? Quote

It says they might be able to help with a voucher and they ring you after 4 weeks.
Nothing about recieving anything through the post.

I also remember asking kennel staff about this voucher, she said they dont provide them.
I was stunned because i thought they did.
Anyway its nearly 4 weeks now since my dogs adoption so i willl ring them next week if they dont ring me.

The Dogs Trust used to provide vouchers to dogs adopted elsewhere - if they were of certain breeds, but that campaign has come to an end

dogs are Vacc'd as soon as they arrive in the pound, during the check-in, and before they go to kennels - that's what the stickers are on the paperwork

They don't have a medical when they go in, they have a 'visual health check' by the person who picks them up, which entails looking at the one of hundreds of dogs they are dealing with and ticking some boxes.

The more people who contact the RSPCA about the condition the dogs they are paying for are in, the more they will do about it.

yes but we have to be carefull ,they could always p.t.s.as opposed to rehoming !

My dog had some temp innoculations as well. Did yours. The stickers were stuck on the health check paper/medical (not nit picking.) Just the same as a vet would put them in your innoculation record book.
So are you telling me the person who picked him up gave him these.

Yes they have a temporary vaccination when they are booked in at the kennels, thats not the same as the proper ones you need to have at the vets though.

It might not be the person who picked them up that gives them the jab, just one of the staff at the kennels.

Is it worth considering why there are so many dogs in kennels? the problem does not begin with the council it starts with people on the outside. Agreed many of the dogs are reclaimed by owners who have lost their pets for a variety of reasons but the higher percentage are dumped by ignorant non feeling scum who use and abuse dogs on a daily basis.
Whether the conditions are 100% or not they are there for a reason and surely must be better than an animals roaming the streets. Consider also while we punch out retorts and slate the kennels there are are staff there offering something in the way of affection to animals that may not have experienced any in their life up to that point, and all this in temperatures that are far from comfortable; a fact pointed out by so many of us.
So long as it is so easy to buy, breed own a dog it will be necessary to have kennels, sanctuaries as part of the dogs life.

Welcome to the forum topb and thank you for your contribution - it is very valid. However, your comments about the actual workers at the kennels is always raised on here. They are at the end of a service that receive inadequate funding and are working in a horrenduous situation - anyone who understands the system always tries to ensure that the staff understand - changes are requested higher up the ladder for things to improve. The staff should not have to close the door to a kennel where they feel a dog is ill and not receiving treatment, cold and not have any bedding or coat and them not have the hope that things are in place to increase the rehoming rate whereby the kennels are not bursting at the seams with dogs.

You are totally correct - stray, abused, lost and neglected dogs are not the problem of any council. However, it is a service that we as rate payers have requested the councils do look after the dogs that are 'for the moment' without an owner.

Some councils throughout the country have looked at the problem and tackled it properly - through educating their community on the problems with irresponsible breeding and by promoting responsible dog ownership. One council we work with over the last 4 years had offered a reduced price neutering scheme (funded by the council not Dogs Trust), and also a FREE neutering scheme for certain breeds (ie staffy, and rotties and their cross breeds). The policy within the council was that if owners were traced for stray dogs - the dog wardens took dogs back to the owners and made them aware of their responsibilities. Advising them on secure fencing and wearing an id tag.
Their dog collections have reduced to 1/3rd of the figures they were 3 years ago and in fact they have just made 2 dog wardens redundant because the stray problem is nowhere near as bad as it was. HOWEVER, any sick or injured dogs in their care GO TO A VET.

Nobody is expecting 100% conditions, but neither is anyone accepting neglect, cruelty and irresponsible dog ownership - basic animal welfare. My belief is that if animal reaches either council or rescue care it should be free from pain and illness. Rain Rescue primarily tries to help dogs in crisis- and sees many dogs in such conditions in Sheffield. We have never once taken a poorly dog out from Sheffield that I am confident it has seen a vet. Certainly we have never had any vet instructions for the ongoing care of some very very sick dogs. In fact - I have taken a dog out that has had to be destroyed straight away - it was so poorly. This dog was very ill and had been in care with Sheffield for 8 days - I do not believe - nor have any proof that - it saw a vet.

I agree - the problem has to be tackled at source. You obviously have a good understanding of the situation and must feel strongly - so I would urge you to request that the council put measures in place to improve education in the community - but in the meantime - we have to deal with the problems that we are facing because Sheffield has such a bad problem of over-breeding, abuse, neglect and cruelty.

Stray kennels run properly can produce some income to be able to pay for SOME improvements too - however Council staff have to think 'outside of the box' and not just shove the problem away behind closed doors.

It's easy to extract the negative side of everything as we sit in front of our laptops punching out endless rants. Animal sanctuaries and council pounds operate for different reasons though both may share an interest in keeping strays off the streets. Regardless of how good or bad either system is there are people that genuinely care for the animals they deal with and the conditions should not deter from this fact. Most threads on this forum connected to dogs will eventually include comment on the kennels in Spring Street in one form or another with organisations such as your own ready to chip in, very few make any attempt to advertise any good they may do. The council are on a loser regardless as we have an inherent desire to bring them down but there are innocents involved and it can't be easy to face a barage of innocuous remarks from people who base there comments on hearsay, snippets of information and brief encounters with kennel staff before putting two and two together. The system is in place because it needs to be, what wheels turned that saw authority move from the Police to the Council I don't know and it's immaterial anyway. It must be obvious now that the council are unable or unwilling to spend large sums of money on an issue that rates low on their list of importance.
The facts are that the kennels appears to be an unpleasant place that is in need of blankets, newspaper and support form people that seem intent on demoralising animal carers. If, as they are so quick to point out they have a genuine love for dogs then their energies would be better suited to organising a constant supply of these needs as it is a given that they will be in short supply at all times, find some positves and give the staff some support. They are at the end of the chain as you say and will no doubt have little real influence on the decisions made. The fact that they, as any under staff will tell you, adhere to the rules does not mean that they are in agreement and remember that knowledge is gained through experience. Staff are dealing with a problem that is on the increase; this we know as a fact.
Sanctuaries are not blessed with an inbuilt knowledge of breeds and their ailments neither are staff at kennels, their views are based on observation and a dog may not display any sign of illness until days even weeks after it has been placed in kennels or rehomed, by then it has been passed to another.
Any establishment that puts time aside to help the problem of strays and unwanted pets should be commended for their efforts and each should resist the temptation to pass comment or judgement on the other.
I understand that the building prior to the council taking it over was an RSPCA premises. Assuming the conditions have not altered a great deal were they viewed in a similar fashion or was it acceptable because of its charity status.

This thread has very much gone off topic from the question first asked about a poorly dog bought from Scc - and I'm sorry for that mic123abc. How is your dog now - any better - I hope his KC is settling down.

As a final reply to the above post

The members of this group know we work tirelessly for dogs in pounds, and have every sympathy with staff on the ground.

It strayed from topic as soon as you queried whether it was the RSPCA or Spring Street Kennels that the dog was purchased from, a fact that had little to do with the original question of advice. You know that kennel cough can turn up anywhere there are dogs kept at close quarters including sanctuaries, it has little to do with which particular place it occured, and as the kennels deals with large numbers of dogs it's likely that one of them will enter the premises with the infection. Most people on this site have a grievance of some sort with the council's kennels and i'm no advocate of their attempts to solve the problem. it's a foreboding place which has no appeal at all but it is all there is at present and until such time as an alternative becomes available it'll have to do.
My understanding is that it serves only to reduce the numbers of strays walking the streets of Sheffield and along with the general public sanctuaries offer a solution to easing the strain on limited space but you are right, and the thread should be dealing with the question in hand and the forum is obviously the place to seek medical advice for a pet.

I think confirming where the dog was purchased from was very relevant to the original post, as it would be wrong to lay the blame at the wrong door.

I hope your dog is making a good recovery mic123abc.

I think the fact the RSPCA chose to not have premises in Sheffield for a number of years rather than continue in the Spring Street kennels speaks for itself.

I think confirming where the dog was purchased from was very relevant to the original post, as it would be wrong to lay the blame at the wrong door.

I hope your dog is making a good recovery mic123abc.

I think the fact the RSPCA chose to not have premises in Sheffield for a number of years rather than continue in the Spring Street kennels speaks for itself.

so in order to advise on the dog in question it becomes necessary to lay blame.
The fact that the RSPCA ducked out of their responsibility for two or three years has been questioned in a previous forum with most people considering their abandonment of animals in need as disgusting. If the council had done nothing at all i'm sure the complaints against them would be as prolific as they are now, i'm certain also that the growing trend to destroy animals in this country as a means to solve the problem would have been increased further.

No, not necessary, but this is a public forum where people can freely ask what they like, without fear of being bullied or intimidated by anyone.

Lets face it, by knowing where the dog came from, it has also stopped anyone thinking the worst of an innocent charity who didn't actually have anything to do with this dog.

I'm sure the council are doing everything their budget allows them to, but they do have a duty of care? - I mean, if anyone else picked up stray animals then sold them on, they would have to keep those animals in a reasonably healthy condition, if not for the dogs sake, then at least to meet legal requirements regarding selling 'fit for purpose'.

Of course the council don't have to worry about such frivalities as they class it as an 'adoption' fee - rather than a purchase.

Surely the term 'adoption' means the Council therefore are responsible for the animals health whilst in their care?

It's funny, but I only recently spoke to someone who had a similar, poorly-veiled attitude towards what the council does as yourself, throwing around such statements as ' we could just have them all put to sleep you know' - not exactly the most responsible of attitudes for someone in such a position.

But, as they say, every dog has it's day :)

it's also possible that the dog arrived at the kennels with the infection, in which case no one is to 'blame'.

I agree, this forum is a place to practice free speech and i have no problem with that. It's also a place where we can freely express a different point of view as we do not all share the thoughts of the vast majority of people who post on this site. I think its splendid that you all get on so well but do not share your points in full or so readily.
I do however agree with your opinion that the council should adopt one of their many disguises. They are either a short term place for strays intent on finding a place in a sanctuary or they are an adoption agency that promotes responsible ownership by way of neutering/spaying the animals before adopting out to ensure that there are no ulterior motives behind obtaiing one.
The term 'Adoption' can be defined as 'taking the subject on in order to raise in the family' responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the adoptee.
The subject of animal welfare is convoluted but yes the council should have a duty of care as defined within the new Act and it's possible that they fall seriously short at times but to hold them responsible for every ailment that leaves the premises is a touch blinkered as many infectios do not show symptoms until it is already too late.

I do not share the belief that an animal should be put to sleep and hope that your statement does not imply that i do. I believe strongly that there is hope for an animal to adjust if given the right stimulus and environment and am a fervent protester against the current Dangerous Dogs 'Act' debacle.

Interested to hear what my 'poorly veiled attitude' towards the councils responsibilities might be though Beans'

The Poorly veiled attitude, was in reference to such lines as:
Regardless of how good or bad either system is there are people that genuinely care for the animals they deal with and the conditions should not deter from this fact. - You can't hide the way the kennels are run behind the goodwill of the staff either.

The council are on a loser regardless as we have an inherent desire to bring them down but there are innocents involved and it can't be easy to face a barage of innocuous remarks from people who base there comments on hearsay, snippets of information and brief encounters with kennel staff before putting two and two together. - I can honestly say i've never seen a bad word said about the kennel staff and the great job they are trying to do with meager funding or support from higher up.

The system is in place because it needs to be, what wheels turned that saw authority move from the Police to the Council I don't know and it's immaterial anyway. I don't really see the relevance here, as the Council have always had kennels for the stray dogs, they used to be at Rainbow Kennels before Spring St. So the Police washing their hands of any responsibility doesn't make the council any less responsible than they always have been.

i'm certain also that the growing trend to destroy animals in this country as a means to solve the problem would have been increased further.

Sorry, but I just got the tone from your posts that you feel the Council are doing some sort of free service? I was under the impression that the council got funding from the rate payer, not to mention the money coming in from adoption fees, it would be very interesting to see the books.

yes the council should have a duty of care as defined within the new Act and it's possible that they fall seriously short at times but to hold them responsible for every ailment that leaves the premises is a touch blinkered as many infectios do not show symptoms until it is already too late. - I'm sure if each dog got to see a vet at least once in it's stay with the Council, it would help enormously. as things are, the kennel staff themselves state they only get to see a vet ' if something is wrong we can't deal with' - how do those kennel staff know? are they trained to spot illnesses that they won't be able to deal with?

I have every sympathy for the kennel staff, they work in awful conditions trying to help the victims of todays throw-away society, but when all you get is trying to lay the blame at someone elses door when you try to speak to those in charge, you wonder what hope they have of getting anything productive done.

Ok, well this kind of rhetoric could continue for ever couldn't it analysing each paragraph of our respective posts but there's no sense in that.
My thin veil does not exist i merely point out that the content of many posts is derogatory towards the council and probably for good reason though i have not come across any comments aimed directly at the staff. Having said that i'm sure it hasn't gone unnoticed that they are a focus of constant attention from people who comment without knowledge, they merely get caught up in the euphoria or as i have mentioned make snap judgements based on a quick visit to 'view the dogs' held there.
The staff I'm sure do a sterling job and long may it continue but you wonder what makes them want to in light of the fact that the 'company' they work for are being accused openly on a daily basis.
For the record I believe that there are many establishments that fall short of their duty of care with regard to animals it just so happens that the council are under the spotlight
The current problem with strays is growing in most areas of the UK and has more to do with ignorance than credit crunch.
The problem now is which ones do we rescue as their is evidence to suggest that some sanctuaries are becoming selective in their choice as bad press helps to extinguish any interest in certain breeds.

It could continue forever, and hopefully with open and honest debate it will continue forever, otherwise where would we be? :)

I feel I should apologise to you personally regarding my choice of wording, what I meant by poorly-veiled attitude - it's just that I recognise so many statements from your few posts that I have heard time and time again, used as poor defense - along with other threats and accusations, when trying to deal with those higher up, who aren't a company, but are supposedly working for us, the public.

As for the morale of the kennel staff, well i'm sure the few that are members on here always let the others know how much support they have from us, the rate payers, we not only show it in what we post on here, but also in the amount of time and effort put into collecting warm bedding, and other such goods the council choose not to supply.

I think the council are under the spotlight because they work for the public.

If the council found out a privately run rescue or any kennels kept their dogs in the same condition, i'm sure they would have something to say about it.

Again, when all you get is those ' in charge' trying to deflect any responsibility, by pointing the finger at other organisations or just trying to make the new adoptee feel to blame when they contact them to try and sort out a problem, it doesn't look good for those further down the ladder.

hi i have been in various pounds around uk & to be quite honest sheff pound would be one of the better ones, a lot of pounds dont even vaccinate & the dogs are a lot thinner

apology accepted Beans'

I can never be accused of defending the council I just like to argue a point from the other side. I sympathise with anyone who is hog-tied by red tape and i'm sure if the oness was on the staff at the kennels they would conduct affairs with a lot more compassion.

The problem now is which ones do we rescue as their is evidence to suggest that some sanctuaries are becoming selective in their choice as bad press helps to extinguish any interest in certain breeds.[/QUOTE]

No takers on this comment then

Without getting myself in too deep on pounds VS charities as it's a subject which I'm not very knowledgable on, is there actual selection in choosing breeds from the pound to put into rescue? What an awful thought but if there is selection on which dogs should be chose (simply because of space/budget concerns) shouldn't it be the ones which are the most rehomable i.e. non aggressive/placid types rather than the breed?

Without getting myself in too deep on pounds VS charities as it's a subject which I'm not very knowledgable on, is there actual selection in choosing breeds from the pound to put into rescue? What an awful thought but if there is selection on which dogs should be chose (simply because of space/budget concerns) shouldn't it be the ones which are the most rehomable i.e. non aggressive/placid types rather than the breed?

Should they identify themselves as animal rescue if they are to be selective about breed. If kennels are left with breeds or types that are considered by rescue to be non rehomable the option of putting to sleep becomes a necessity and the complaints seen on this forum alone would appear to be against such a practice, but in choosing which animals are to be spared the ordeal they indirectly condemn perfectly good dogs to death.
Budget is not really an issue for charities as by definition money coming in is donated. Kennels on the other hand have no choice but to adopt to destroy if it means that they face long term housing for an animal that rescues deem to be unfit for resale.

if there is selection on which dogs should be chose (simply because of space/budget concerns) shouldn't it be the ones which are the most rehomable i.e. non aggressive/placid types rather than the breed?

does a dog with attitude not deserve the same chance to be rehomed. There's no reason to believe that it cannot be socialised

There are many rescues devoted to singular breeds or 'types' of dog all over the country, most liaise with their council dog wardens regarding their specific breed. This is good as it ensures the dogs get put into hands that know exactly what care they may need.

I believe there are other rescues that also deal just with dogs with 'issues' - that may not be rehomeable immediately.

Many have a no kill policy also.

As far as I know the only time putting an animal to sleep is considered is if the animal is in poor health, or it's a financial burden, but i'm sure there may be other people who can give more info than I can.

we have rescued no saved the lives of over 3,000 dogs this yr ,if they are on deaths row we take them,90% are staffy We have also paid vet bills for over 900 dogs whilst they are in pounds, but as a lot know we have had to close doors on taking any more in(lack of funds )we are a charity but the monies donated only go so far, we are now transporting dogs for rescues aslong as they pay for desiel Yes it hurts to know that dogs are paying the price for irresponsable owners,If anyone could do any fundraising/driving it would be gratefully received just pm me thanks