Kennel cough is a term that most dog owners have heard; however, I think the name is a little misleading.
It is not just something your pup can pick up at a kennel!
Any place where there is a lot of dog traffic, socialization, or that lacks proper hygiene is a potential source for kennel cough. That means groomers, shelters, dog parks, training classes, day care, and even the vet clinic.
What is kennel cough?
Kennel cough is the common term used to describe a respiratory disease caused by numerous infectious agents. The more commonly involved organisms include:
- Bordetella bronchiseptica
- Parainfluenza
- Adenovirus type 2
A combination of multiple agents (mixed infection) leads to a more comprehensive term that is used – Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease (CIRD).
Single agent infections tend to be the milder, self-limiting infections and most pups will recover from this on their own with little time (1-2 weeks). You may just note some harsh, honking sound coughing.
My dog sounds like he has something stuck in his throat!
Usually how most dog owners describe symptoms when their pup presents with kennel cough
Is coughing the only symptom?
Although coughing is the most common symptom in pups other symptoms to watch for include:
- Retching or hacking episodes
- ‘Coughing up mucus (spit)’ sometimes mistaken for vomiting
- Repeated gagging
- Sneezing
- Discharge from the eyes and nose
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Inappetance
The degree of symptoms can sometimes indicate the severity of infection and if in fact it is true kennel cough versus a more complicated respiratory infection. As mentioned above, pups with single agent infections will have less symptoms reported. Pups with more severe symptoms are at higher risk of progression to pneumonia, a complicating factor.
How do I stop my dog from coughing?
In some situations, pups may not need any intervention. If the cough is excessive they may need to be treated with a cough suppressant or anti-inflammatory prescribed by your vet to help with the inflammation caused by the chronic cough.
Antibiotics are rarely needed but may be prescribed as a preventative measure to curtail progression to pneumonia; HOWEVER, this is something I try to avoid unless necessary. Using antibiotics when not warranted can lead to antibiotic resistance.
Veterinarians have been at the forefront of antibiotic stewardship, meaning we are truly making an effort to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed by our colleagues and used in our patients.
Spreading kennel cough
Kennel cough is comparable to a human cold. It is shed from respiratory secretions of infected animals and once airborne these secretions become aerosolized. Healthy dogs can then inhale the organisms and become infected. The secretions can also land on surfaces, toys, food bowls, and other objects (fomites) that can later lead to transmission.
Incubation period is usually 6 days, but can range anywhere from 2-14 days. This means that if your dog was at the kennel a week ago and now is starting to cough he most likely picked it up at the kennel.
We recently experienced an outbreak of kennel cough in my area and it sounds like most of Canada. It’s hard to pin point exactly why this happens but a few of my theories include:
- Pet parents opting out of vaccinating due to COVID and ‘not going anywhere this year’
- More pet parents working from home and having more time to go on outdoor adventures/walks with their dogs which increases exposure to other infected dogs and fomites
- Pups socializing with carrier pups that are not showing symptoms
- Potential for pets developing respiratory symptoms when in close contact with COVID positive pet parents
Again, these are just my personal theories so take them at face value. They make sense when you consider how kennel cough is spread and how contagious it is.
How to prevent kennel cough
When it comes to prevention, vaccinating against kennel cough is your best bet; unless you plan on keeping your pup in a bubble.
Like most vaccines, though, there is never 100% guarantee on complete immunity. In the case of the kennel cough vaccine, protection is mainly aimed against Bordetella bronchiseptica. In the case of a multiple agent infection we can still sometimes see vaccinated pups develop mild symptoms; however, more often than not their symptoms are much milder and recovery is much quicker.
Check out my previous post on puppy vaccines for more information on vaccinations:
Additional preventative measures involve isolating infected pups from other dogs for at least 2-3 weeks and disinfecting areas of exposure with appropriate cleaning agents.
Final thoughts
Usually what gets my spide-y senses going and thinking my patient may have kennel cough comes from a combination of findings. This includes recent history, vaccination status, type of cough, and the presence of other symptoms.
My physical exam is also a huge piece of the puzzle that helps to determine a diagnosis. Usually kennel cough pups have a very sensitive throat area and any palpation of this area elicits the cough, so definitely considered a classic exam finding of kennel cough.
Although kennel cough is self limiting and most pups can recover without any additional intervention I would still recommend getting your coughing pup checked out. Kennel cough is not the only possible cause of a cough in dogs so it is important to rule out other possibilities. It’s usually never a good idea to just assume best case scenario and it’s usually never a good idea to skip the trip to the vet!