I've had countless foster dogs come into my home from the shelter with Kennel Cough. It's not very serious, but it does have potential to turn into something serious. If what you're using isn't helping, and the illness is in fact getting worse, please go see a different vet who can give you antibiotics or give you another exam. Bordetella itself is a bacteria, but I think there's viruses that may be associated, if I'm not mistaken. So Antibiotics do help.
I doubt it's Distemper, that's not nearly as common. But it is way more serious. The symptoms sound like Kennel Cough, but you are right in thinking that they both have similar symptoms. If your dog did indeed have a low body temperature, that should be a warning sign to you, if you didn't already talk to a vet about that.
Has your dog been vaccinated against Bordetella and Distemper? Where would he have gotten Kennel Cough from, is he new?
He is 20 weeks old I got him from Switzerland from a reputable breeder at 11 weeks, he has had all his shots and boosters. He was around a nasty dog on the street last week Thursday who was dreadfully sick and sneezing, hacking, I SHOULD have walked away but the owner wanted him to play with her dogs, I will know better next time I see her. I didnt know they were sick dogs except the sneezing and hacking, I didnt know the symptoms of these diseases beforehand, MY FAULT. It was no sooner than hours later he was coughing and sneezing up a storm. He is doing better today, still the runny nose but no coughing anymore. He is eating properly and has energy. The discharge from his nose is light clear watery liquid like rain drops, damned it is all over me when he sneezes
The medicine is not herbal in the sense of herbal over the counter. It is specially and clinically and pharmacutically made from plants for dogs for this problem of viral KC. It is a prescription medication only for dogs. Not because it is herbally inclined it means it will not work
. It is working, however the runny nose is still there. I JUST NOW SPOKE to the vet, he will be taken back tomorrow, as the Vet said, give it 5 days and if no improvement in the sniffles we have to do something else. He tried the viral meds and it stopped the coughing, but not the runny nose. He will have tests done tomorrow and probably get antibiotics if it is bacterial. Antibiotics are overused in the USA and that is a known factor. Antibiotics should only be given when there is a presence of Bacteria in both animals and humans.
Bordetella is both viral and bacterial, there are various strains of Bordetella including the viral and baterial. You cannot give antibiotics for viruses, viruses are treated differently. Here is some information note the bold part, That is why the vet gave viral meds first, you cant just give antibiotics without trying the viral part. Vet said he does not have Distemper, he had a proper exam done and the vet knows my dog. He is a very good vet. The trachea meds which are also from plants have worked with the gutteral sound in his trachea
http://www.orangevillavet.com/articles/05-10-kennelcough.htm
Treatment:
Antibiotics: There is no one way to treat kennel cough.
While antibiotics have no effect on viral infections, it is impossible to determine whether bacteria or viruses cause a case of kennel cough because the symptoms are too similar. Also, mixed infections or complications of a viral kennel cough by bacteria are common.
For uncomplicated cases of kennel cough, antibiotics are recommended to prevent problems such as pneumonia, although they might get better without them
and antibiotics will not shorten the course of a viral infection. Antibiotics are necessary in any case of pneumonia, or acting "sick" beyond coughing. Ideally antibiotics should be chosen based on culture results, but because obtaining a culture requires anesthesia, generally an antibiotic is chosen based on being broad spectrum and the age of the dog. The antibiotics used most are: Clavamox Doxycyline, Enrofloxacin, and Trimethoprin-sulfonamide. Because of the risk of forming an antibiotic resistance, all antibiotics need to be given for the full course, usually 10-14 days depending on the antibiotic. Cases of pneumonia may require antibiotics for a month or more.