(Sorry, here's a wall of text.)

Our little guy Jax contracted kennel cough (scary!). Our vet told us that even though he's been vaccinated twice for Bordatella, this year there may be a new strand floating around. It's kind of like the equivalent of what the flu is to us--only it's deadlier in dogs if not treated. 

So I thought for health reasons I'd like to share his x-rays and his symptoms so that no one has to deal with what we did. We were a day away from losing Jax, and didn't even know it. On Sunday, he received an electric shock by chewing through a live lamp wire. Obviously we assumed all of his symtoms were related in some way to that, but our vet discovered that he's completely healthy from his electric shock experience. Instead, the kennel cough lay dormant in his system and was probably triggered by the stress related to the electric shock. 

I heard that most dogs become lethargic when they first contract kennel cough. However Jax was still very outgoing and eager to please, and the only thing holding him back was a dry, raspy cough. Any time he ran around or got active, he would immediately hack and continue on his merry way. 48 hours after his first dry cough, his cough became wet and very phlegmy. Nothing changed in his behavior. 72 hours after his first cough, he coughed up a green ball of phlegm for the first time at the vet's office. His activity level SIGNIFICANTLY decreased. Within three days of his first cough, his lungs were so inflamed and filled with mucus that he struggled to breath. His stomach was enlarged, due to him swallowing air every time he coughed. His upper lungs and lower trachea were swollen and if we had waited until tomorrow to bring him in, he may not have made it through the night. He could have suffocated from lack of oxygen, or his lungs could have drowned in fluid. 

Protect your dog! Don't let this happen to you, especially if you suspect something is wrong. The first vet we saw right after his electric shock didn't think much of a cough. If he had been treated that first day, he would never have gotten so sick. But we're so thankful that he's ok :) 

But here are the x-rays. You'll see that his stomach is enlarged. Also, the lungs should be black (meaning it's clear). Instead they're very misty and grey. These are the enlarged and inflamed vessels. 

Hopefully this has been educational.