Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Recognizing kennel cough
• Part 2 of 2: Treating kennel cough
• Tips
• Warnings

Kennel cough is a common name that refers to an infection that dogs in a kennel can contract from other coughing dogs sharing the same airspace. A little more careful is kennel cough, or infectious tracheobronchitis, a collective term for a variety of highly contagious infections of the front airways of dogs. The most common causes of kennel cough are the parainfluenza virus, the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica, Mycoplasma, the canine adenovirus (types 1 and 2), the canine reovirus (types 1, 2 and 3), and the canine herpes virus.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Recognizing kennel cough

1. Understand the risk factors. Kennel cough is incredibly contagious. If your dog has played with other dogs in the park or stayed in a kennel, there is a possibility that he has been exposed to it.
2. Watch for coughing. A dog infected with kennel cough may suddenly develop a cough. This cough can range in severity from a silent, persistent cough to a choking, choking cough.
   • In the latter case, it is often assumed that the dog has something in its throat. If possible, try to open the dog's mouth to see if there is a bone or twig stuck in it.
   • You can also find out if the dog has something in its throat by offering it a treat. A dog with something stuck in his throat probably won't be able to eat the treat. So if he takes it and swallows it without difficulty, nothing strange will be stuck in his throat.
3. Watch for gagging. Just like people get sore throats with the flu, dogs do with kennel cough. This can lead to clearing of the throat, gagging, or vomiting.
   • In some dogs, this is so bad that they vomit saliva or foam.
   • A dog who is vomiting because of nausea (rather than from excessive coughing) will spit yellow bile or food from the stomach. This probably indicates another problem.
4. Keep an eye on how much energy your dog has. Some dogs with kennel cough show no symptoms of illness at all, except for the nasty cough. Other dogs may be lethargic, lack energy, or lose their appetite.
   • It is always wise to take a coughing dog to the vet. It is essential to do this if your dog suddenly seems to be lacking energy, or if he has not eaten for more than 24 hours.

Part 2 of 2: Treating kennel cough

1. Without the dog. Kennel cough is extremely contagious because very small droplets are released into the air when your dog coughs - these droplets spread the disease. If you think your dog has kennel cough, separate it from other dogs immediately.
   • Do not take dogs with kennel cough for a walk.
   • Other dogs in the same household may also be at risk. However, when symptoms begin to develop, they have already been exposed - so there is no point in isolating the dogs from the sick dog now.
2. Take your dog to the vet. It is best to have any dog ​​with a cough examined by the vet as soon as possible. The vet will be able to determine if the cough is caused by an infection; and not something else, like heart disease. He / she will also be able to tell you if the dog needs treatment or not.
   • The vet will perform a thorough physical examination: he / she will take the dog's temperature, feel the lymph nodes in the throat, check the mouth for foreign objects, listen to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope, etc.
   • If there is no heart murmur and the vet strongly suspects the dog is suffering from kennel cough, he / she may suggest “diagnosis by treatment”. This means that the symptoms are first treated before blood tests and other expensive tests are done. If the dog then does not respond to the treatment, further investigation will be done.
   • When you call to make an appointment, tell the receptionist you suspect the dog has kennel cough. He / she may then ask you to wait outside for the vet to call you in. This is because of the risk that other dog patients in the waiting room will be exposed to the infection.
3. Obtain antibiotics if necessary. The vet may or may not prescribe antibiotics for the dog. If he / she does, administer the antibiotics as instructed.
   • Antibiotics don't always make sense. This is because the infection can also be viral. In that case, antibiotics won't help because the dog's immune system has to fight and kill that infection. A physical examination alone cannot distinguish between a bacterial or a viral infection.
   • However, the doctor may still prescribe antibiotics if your dog is unable to fight the infection on its own, or if the dog has a fever or appears to have swelling of the chest. This is because a secondary infection may have developed as a result of the primary infection (which can be viral or bacterial). In that case antibiotics can be prescribed.
4. Give your dog some steam. Turn on the shower faucet for a few minutes and close all bathroom doors and windows. Make sure the water is hot. Sit with the dog in the steam room for about five to ten minutes. Make sure the dog cannot get near the hot water.
   • This can help loosen mucous membranes in the dog's chest, soothing the cough. This process can be repeated as often as necessary per day.
   • Never leave the dog alone in the bathroom when the hot tap is on. The dog could burn itself.
5. Make sure the dog is resting well. Try to prevent the dog from exercising as much as possible.
   • Do not take the dog for a walk. Not only does this pose a risk of infection to other dogs, but the exertion (especially breathing in cold air) can irritate the dog's airways and make the cough worse.
6. Administer cough medicine. Coughing performs an important job: it removes mucus from the dog's chest and keeps the lungs clean. Stopping a cough altogether is not a good idea, because it means that the mucus remains in the lungs. This makes it more difficult for the dog to breathe. However, if the dog is coughing so much that it cannot sleep at night, it is acceptable to give it some relief.
   • A suitable cough medicine is a spoonful of cough syrup for children. Give the dog one teaspoon per ten pounds of body weight.
   • Never give the dog any other cough or cold medicine without first consulting a veterinarian. The wrong dosage and certain active ingredients can cause serious health problems.
   • Ideally, you should not administer cough medicine to the dog more than once a day.
7. Soothe the itch. If the dog's throat is irritated, you can also simply give it a home remedy that will help calm the itch. Mix a teaspoon of honey with a teaspoon of lemon juice and warm water. Give this to your dog.
   • You can give this mixture every hour, if necessary.
   • Never give this to a diabetic dog - the honey can be harmful to him.
8. Promote the dog's immune system. To help the dog fight the infection, ask the vet if you can give the dog powdered vitamin C pills in water, peppermint, raw honey, or yerba santa.
   • While these treatments have not been scientifically proven, anecdotal evidence suggests it may benefit.
9. Prevent future infections with a vaccination. If your dog is in the high-risk group (if he spends time in kennels, attends dog shows, or hangs out with other dogs often), consider getting him vaccinated to prevent future infection.
   • This vaccine works against the main causes of kennel cough and provides 12 months of protection.
   • Kennel cough is generally not fatal to dogs, but it is very annoying. It is worth getting the dog vaccinated, especially if it is a little older or has other health problems.

Tips

• Kennel cough symptoms appear within 2-10 days of exposure and last an average of about 10 days if there are no complications, or 14-20 days if there are multiple causes.

Warnings

• The chance that dogs from a shelter or animal shelter will develop kennel cough after adoption is quite high.
• If you have multiple dogs, chances are if one of your dogs has kennel cough, the others will too. Pay close attention to the above symptoms.
• Once a sick dog has been cured of kennel cough, the chances of getting sick again from the same infectious agent are slim. Vaccinations are based on the principle of exposure and cure, so your dog is basically vaccinated against that particular disease. However, many different infectious agents can underlie kennel cough. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to prevent a dog from developing the same problems due to another infection.
• Human drugs can cause serious or even fatal side effects in animals. Consult your veterinarian before administering human medications to your dog.