Dog kennel cough is named variously like canine cough, infectious tracheobronchitis and bordetellosis. It is a condition in which a dog’s windpipe and upper bronchi are damaged and irritated due to the action of infectious microorganisms. Both bacteria and viruses have been found to cause dog kennel cough.

Nature Of Dog Kennel Cough

The main symptom of kennel cough in dogs is a coarse and dry, hacking cough that appears in the dog within a week, or shortly afterwards, of the initial infection. Bacteria and/or viruses damage the lining of the windpipe and bronchi, exposing nerve endings. Air breathed in and out by the dog passes over these exposed endings of nerves and irritates them, causing the cough.

Severity And Duration Of The Disease

Most cases of dog kennel cough are mild and do not affect the dog’s overall health or physical condition, usually not rising the dog’s body temperature or causing loss of appetite. The cough, however, is persistent and the dog coughs every few minutes throughout the day. The duration of the disease, in most cases, is one to three weeks. Most dogs recover after that without any medication though using antibiotics is useful in quickening the healing process.

Transmission Of The Disease

Dog kennel cough can be transmitted like a cold in humans. This means that the germs causing kennel cough can be carried in the air, inhaled by another dog causing infection, especially if the recipient dog is susceptible to the microbes. If more than one dog shares a dog kennel the disease spreads among them (hence the name kennel cough). But it can be acquired anytime and anywhere from an infected dog.

Treatment And Prevention   

While most dogs recover from dog kennel cough without any medication, the veterinarian usually prescribes cough-suppressing drugs for relieving the annoying cough that characterizes the disease. Occasionally, antibiotics may be prescribed to assist in recovering from the infection.

It is important to have the dog examined by a vet because symptoms similar to kennel cough are also caused by other serious respiratory diseases. Vaccinating the dog against infectious organisms may prevent dog kennel cough. A dog that is not frequently in contact with other dogs already has a low chance of catching kennel cough. In case of vaccination, the dog should be given the vaccine at least a few weeks before taking it to a dog show or out in the company of other dogs.

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