Dog kennel cough is also known as canine cough, infestious
tracheobronchitis and bordetellosis. A dog’s windpipe and upper bronchi
become damaged and irritated as a result of an infectious
microorganism. Dog kennel cough has been found to be caused by both a
bacteria and/or a virus.
Nature Of Dog Kennel Cough
A dry, hacking cough that lasts appears within a week of initial
infection is the main symptom of kennel cough. This is caused by the
bacteria or viruses that line the windpipe and bronchi in the dog. This
exposes the nerve endings. These are irritated when the dog breathes,
due to the air passing over them. This is what results in the
persistent cough.
How Bad is Kennel Cough
In most cases or kennel cough, the symptoms are mild. The affect on the
health of the dog is minimal. Most cases come without a rise in
temperature or lose of appetite. The main affect is the persistent
cough that occurs every few minutes through the day. These symptoms
normally last for one to three weeks in most cases. The use of
antibiotics are not usually needed, however, it is useful to speed the
healing of the cough.
How Does a Dog Get Kennel Cough
Dog (bichon frise) 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 illness spreads among the dogs (this is where
the name kennel cough comes from). But it can be acquired anytime and
anywhere from an infected dog.
What is the Best Thing to Do About Kennel Cough
The veterinarian usually prescribes cough-suppressing drugs for the
relieving the annoying cough that characterizes the disease. While most
of the dogs recover from kennel cough without medication, antibiotics
may be prescribed occasionally 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.
