What is Kennel Cough?
The medical name for kennel cough is tracheobronchitis. Kennel cough is canine bronchitis and is similar to a human chest cold. Tracheobronchitis is known informally as kennel cough as the main symptom is a dry, or unproductive cough and the infection is spread easily in kennels and locations with multiple dogs.
Kennel cough is extremely contagious. It is transmitted from dog to dog by germs spread from coughing as well as from infected surfaces. Obedience classes and kennels often do not allow dogs without a valid vaccination against kennel cough.
Kennel cough is usually caused by the bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria. Viral infections account for most of the other causes of kennel cough. Some viral causes of kennel cough include distemper, adenovirus and parainfluenza virus.
Symptoms of kennel cough usually start to show within five days of exposure. Unproductive, or dry, coughing is the main symptom of tracheobronchitis, or kennel cough, and the coughing may be so mild at first that it may appear the dog has something obstructing the trachea, or windpipe. Kennel cough can be very serious as it can develop into pneumonia.
Puppies are especially susceptible to kennel cough and many veterinarians recommend giving the vaccine to puppies several weeks old. Vaccines for kennel cough come in injectable and intranasal types. Puppies are often given the intranasal vaccinations for kennel cough as the injectable vaccines are made for dogs four months of age or older.
Sometimes, the injectable type of vaccine for kennel cough may not prevent it, but minimize the symptoms. The intranasal vaccine works quickly and often allows protection against kennel cough in about five days. However, the injectable type may give the dog a longer period of immunization, so sometimes a veterinarian may administer both forms of kennel cough vaccine to dogs.
Along with a dry cough, kennel cough may present with a fever. The dog may also make gagging sounds if the pharynx, or throat, becomes very irritated. A veterinarian may prescribe a cough suppressant as well as antibiotics in cases of kennel cough.
Written by Sheri Cyprus
