What is Kennel Cough?
“Kennel Cough” Is a General Term Used to Describe a Variety of Coughs of Unknown Origin Observed in Dogs
Also known as Canine infectious tracheobronchitis, the term “kennel cough” is deceiving because dogs can become infected without ever setting foot (paw) inside a kennel.
A dog simply needs to be exposed to other infected dogs or areas where other infected dogs have been (i.e. a dog park/dog beach, hiking trails, at the groomer, in a retail store, doggy daycare, greeting other dogs while on a walk, etc.). Because of this, it would be more accurate to call it “canine cough” rather than “kennel cough”.
How Can I Prevent My Dog from Getting Kennel Cough?
Most cases of kennel cough can be attributed to highly infectious airborne pathogens. Infected dogs spread it to other dogs when they cough, sneeze, or even just touch noses when they’re greeting or playing, lick each other, drink from the same bowl, share toys, etc. In other words, they pass it to other dogs by doing dog things.
Dogs are social creatures, and unless they spend all of their time inside, alone, and away from other dogs, they will undoubtedly have many opportunities out in the world to come in contact with another dog who is currently infected.
The Importance of Bordetella Vaccines for Kennel Cough
You might be asking, “But what about vaccines? Won’t my dog be protected if he/she is vaccinated?” The short answer is: “Not necessarily…but it certainly does help!”
Although the majority of cases of Kennel cough are caused by the bacteria bordetella, and vaccinating your dog with the Bordetella vaccine will help reduce the risk of infection, kennel cough can also be caused by other organisms, such as bordetella bronchiseptica, canine parainfluenza virus, canine adenovirus type 2, canine respiratory coronavirus, etc. As with most vaccines, even the best ones are not 100% effective. We see a similar situation in humans – even though many of us get our annual flu shot, there are multiple strains of influenza, and no vaccine is 100% protective against all of them.
Puppies, Elderly Dogs and Immunocompromised Dogs Are More Susceptible
In other words, while it’s important to have your dog vaccinated with the Bordetella vaccine, it still may not prevent your dog from catching the disease – especially if that dog is a puppy (the younger the dog, the more likely it is that they are still building up their immune system), or elderly, or immunocompromised. It’s similar to young children at school; they get each other’s colds, stomach bugs, and head lice because kids aren’t the best at not picking their noses, or touching each other’s faces, or sharing hats. The same holds true for dogs, especially young ones, who just love to lick, sniff, mouth, and tumble with other puppies. The process of socializing a puppy will inevitably also expose it to other puppy germs.
Incubation Period
Another frustrating thing about kennel cough is that the incubation period can be a few days to just a little over a week, meaning your dog will not display symptoms of illness until several days or more following exposure to the virus. As you can imagine, this makes it difficult to prevent a sick dog from potentially infecting others in a social environment because they may not yet be showing signs of infection themselves. This is also why dogs can leave a facility appearing to be totally healthy, only to show symptoms at home a few days later.
The best defense against infection is a strong immune system, which is why puppies, elderly dogs, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to contracting kennel cough.
What precautions does K-Nine Solutions take to reduce the risk of kennel cough?
We request that all dogs entering our training facility be up to date on their vaccines, including the Bordetella vaccine, and we require proof of vaccination (but keep in mind that the Bordetella vaccine won’t provide 100% protection, so even vaccinated dogs may still contract kennel cough).
We also adhere to strict cleaning procedures, including daily cleaning of all surfaces with a dog-friendly disinfectant that is both bactericidal and virucidal, along with regular deep cleans.
Our team is also trained to look for and report any signs of illness in a dog.
Although we are not veterinarians and therefore not trained to diagnose disease, if we identify a dog showing symptoms of illness (such as coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy) we will quickly notify you, and you would then need to have the dog evaluated by your vet.
While allergies or physical objects like bones or other chew toys/treats might irritate a dog’s throat and cause similar coughing symptoms, we must treat all cases of coughing with the assumption that it might be kennel cough until cleared by a vet.
What should I do if I think my dog is exhibiting symptoms of illness?
If your dog is exhibiting any symptoms of illness, take them to your vet immediately for an evaluation. You should also keep the dog away from other dogs, including dog daycare, boarding, dog parks, training classes, etc., until cleared by your vet.
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