Kennel Cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease that spreads quickly between dogs, causing harsh, repetitive coughing fits. While usually not life-threatening in most cases, kennel cough is an uncomfortable condition that requires proper treatment and management.
Kennel cough is a broad term describing a complex of contagious bronchitis infections caused by different viral and bacterial infections that lead to inflammation of the trachea and bronchial tubes. The two core infectious agents involved. However, other bacteria and viruses can also contribute to these respiratory disease complexes.
Rather than arising from a single germ, kennel cough results when multiple infectious agents colonize the dog’s respiratory tract at once. This bug causes more severe coughing than any one pathogen alone.
Kennel Cough Symptoms
The predominant symptom of kennel cough is a harsh, forceful cough that sounds like a goose honk. Dogs develop these frequent, unmistakable coughing fits because the respiratory tubes become inflamed and hypersensitive, triggering repeated coughing reflexes even from minor airborne irritants or the slightest throat clearing. Other common symptoms can include a runny nose, sneezing, lethargy, decreased appetite, and wheezing or gagging after particularly intense coughing episodes. The repetitive coughing occurs as the dog’s body tries to clear the inflamed airways of mucus and debris. Dogs may seem relatively normal between coughing fits besides some tiredness. However, lack of appetite, wheezing, and other signs of respiratory distress indicate a more severely inflamed condition requiring immediate treatment.
Fever may be present in severe cases when secondary infections develop, but most dogs feel normal besides the harsh coughing episodes. Puppies, elderly dogs, and those with compromised immune systems are more prone to developing complicated cases.
How is Kennel Cough Spread?
The kennel cough complex is highly contagious through airborne transmission. Just being around an infected dog coughing or sneezing can expose nearby dogs to the various pathogens. Once the microbes enter the respiratory tract of a vulnerable dog, infection quickly sets in.
Kennels, shelters, dog parks, training classes – anywhere with high dog density – are hot spots for kennel cough to spread rapidly between dogs through coughing, sneezing, sharing food/water bowls, and surface contamination from respiratory secretions.
Advice on Kennel Cough
With most cases, kennel cough runs its course within 3-4 weeks with proper medication and rest. Veterinarians often prescribe antibiotics and cough suppressants as the first line of treatment. Anti-inflammatories can also help reduce irritation to the airways.
More severe cases may require stronger antibiotics, nebulization, or other intensive therapies, especially if pneumonia develops as a secondary complication.
Offering a humidified, clean environment, limiting exercises, and frequently cleaning contaminated areas also supports faster recovery. Isolating infected dogs from unexposed ones is key to reducing disease spread in multi-dog settings.
Dog owners should also limit exposure risks by avoiding overcrowded facilities, ensuring their dog’s immunity is up-to-date, and utilizing good hygiene like disinfecting contaminated bowls and surfaces.
When is Kennel Cough an Emergency?
While most dogs recover within weeks with basic treatment, kennel cough should be treated immediately.
If your doggo seems unusually ill, painful, or is struggling to breathe during coughing fits, seek immediate veterinary attention, as complications like pneumonia could be setting in.
Kennel cough is one of the most annoying doggy illnesses that owners encounter, but it is generally self-limiting with proper care. By quickly starting treatment, isolating sick dogs, and allowing ample rest, most cases resolve without any long-term consequences for the dog’s health.
Here are some wellness tips for preventing and managing kennel cough in dogs:
- Vaccination
Having your little one properly vaccinated against the core causes of kennel cough can provide some protection and lead to milder cases if infected. Puppies need their full series, and adults require boosters per vet’s recommendations.
- Limit Exposure
Avoiding crowded facilities like kennels and dog parks reduces exposure risks, especially when outbreaks are occurring in the residing area. Be cautious having your dog around coughing dogs.
- Good Hygiene
Frequently disinfecting food/water bowls, bedding, and any other areas exposed to a sick dog’s respiratory secretions is important. Washing hands after handling a coughing dog can also prevent spread.
- Proper Nutrition
Feeding a diet ensures your dog’s immune system functions properly to stave off infectious diseases like kennel cough. Consulting a vet about immune-boosting supplements is advised.
- At-Home Care
For mild cases, humidified air, limiting exercise, cough medication, and isolating the sick dog can resolve most kennel cough infections in 2-3 weeks without complications.
By being proactive with vaccinations, limiting risk exposure, reducing stress, and providing great nutrition and hygiene can help prevent your dog from contracting this annoying but treatable respiratory syndrome.
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