Hello,
My name isXXXXX and I would be happy to help you with your question about Stig. Please let me start by saying I'm sorry you're having this problem with your newly adopted staffie - it's so difficult worrying about them when they're sick and doubly hard when they're new and you're just getting to know each other.

Here's the scoop: it *is* possible that this is still just kennel cough. We do sometimes see really persistent cases that take as long as three weeks to go away. Antibiotics often make no difference at all. Cough suppressants like robitussin can help a little, or sometimes not at all. These coughs are typically worse in the morning and the dogs affected act otherwise fine: bouncy, playful, active, eating.

But, like you, I'm worried about the possibility of this being something else. This is especially troubling because we don't know Stig all that well and are unfamiliar with his history. Because of this, I would not simply wait this out. The fact remains that most cases of uncomplicated kennel cough would have gotten better after two weeks.

Only after another visit to the vet and an aggressive diagnostic work-up including blood tests and chest x-rays would I feel comfortable concluding this is just kennel cough and waiting it out. There are too many other serious problems it may be instead of kennel cough, and the sooner that gets identified, the sooner he can be on the road to recovery.

You are correct to be concerned. If Stig has already had a full work-up including blood tests and x-rays, give it one more week and no longer before pursuing a second opinion.

I hope you find this information helpful. Please remember you can always post more to this thread, even after you've clicked ACCEPT. I'm happy to help. Thanks for asking!