Answering Your Top Kennel Cough Questions
If you’ve ever tried to board your dog or enrolled it in daycare, you’ve almost certainly heard about kennel cough. But unless your pet has had the misfortune of having it, you may not know anything else about it. So, what is kennel cough? And is kennel cough in Southwest Virginia a common problem?
Is it dangerous? And how do we treat and prevent it? We’ve got all your answers in today’s blog!
What Is Kennel Cough?
Kennel cough, as the name implies, is a respiratory disease common in dogs. Also known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis, it spreads the way most respiratory illnesses are through airborne droplets, close contact, and shared resources of infected animals.
It’s most commonly spread in places like doggy daycare, shelters, and boarding facilities. Quite often, these facilities require your pet to be vaccinated in order to participate there. The vaccine requirement is also common at grooming facilities.
Is Kennel Cough Dangerous?
A kennel cough diagnosis is generally treatable. In most cases, it’s not an emergency, but you should treat it seriously. For mild cases of kennel cough in a healthy dog, most vets will describe a week of rest.
We may also prescribe antibiotics to kill the underlying bacteria and cough suppressants, depending on the severity of the illness. Every dog is different, and it’s vital you get yours checked to determine its particular needs.
You must also isolate your dog from other dogs while it recovers. Even if your dog is doing well with fighting off the cough, puppies and older dogs might not be able to fight it as easily. Like people, these populations and those with other underlying conditions are more vulnerable to respiratory illnesses.
Kennel Cough Symptoms
The most distinct symptom of kennel cough is the titular cough, which many people describe as sounding like a honk.
Other symptoms are runny nose, sneezing, lethargy, and fever.
Note that these symptoms are also common in other veterinary diseases, such as canine influenza and the very serious canine distemper. They can also be symptoms of heart disease, asthma, or other underlying issues. So, you should always check with your friendly Roanoke vet to ensure your dog’s recovery and continued health!
Can You Prevent Kennel Cough?
You should always practice common sense safety precautions when interacting with other dogs. If another dog is exhibiting symptoms or has a known kennel cough diagnosis, keep your dog away from it.
If your dog frequently spends time around other dogs in playgroups, boarding facilities, dog parks, or other places where dogs have close contact, you should strongly consider getting the Bordetella vaccine, which protects against kennel cough.
Bordetella is typically an annual vaccine. It does not prevent every cause of kennel cough but inoculates your dog against the main culprit.
Do Dogs Commonly Get Kennel Cough In Southwest Virginia?
Kennel cough can happen anytime and anywhere, but kennel cough in Southwest Virginia is most common during the warmer summer months. Because it spreads quickly, it can shut down facilities like shelters or boarding facilities, so do your part to prevent its spread.
If you have more questions about kennel cough, especially if you think your dog may have it, call Old Dominion for your treatment and pet health questions!