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Kennel Cough

If your dog came from an animal shelter, stays at a boarding kennel, visits dog parks or performs in the show ring, he could develop an illness known as kennel cough or infectious tracheobronchitis. Kennel cough is a mild but highly contagious disease caused by a number of infectious agents including both viruses like parainfluenza and bacteria such as Bordetella bronchiseptica. These agents irritate the windpipe or trachea causing a dry cough.
The main symptom, of course, is coughing and, sometimes, gagging which may be worse when your dog is excited or during exercise. Usually, dogs affected by kennel cough are still alert and have normal activity levels and appetites. On rare occasions, kennel cough may lead to secondary complications such as bacterial pneumonia, though this is usually limited to young puppies, dogs with compromised immune systems, or dogs with other chronic lung disease. Diagnosis of kennel cough is typically made by history and clinical signs of coughing, though more severe cases may require chest x-rays or collection of fluid from the windpipe for analysis.

Treatment of kennel cough requires restricted activity for about one week to minimize irritation of the airways and may involve the use of cough suppressants and antibiotics. Unless complications such as pneumonia arise, kennel cough is easily treated.

Kennel cough can be prevented by minimizing exposure to infected dogs and by vaccination with injectable or intranasal vaccines. Vaccines should be given every six to twelve months and are recommended for dogs in high risk situations such as those mentioned in the first paragraph.

Kennel cough is a mild, easily treatable infection but it can make your dog uncomfortable. Prevention is encouraged by limiting exposure to other dogs or by proper vaccination to reduce the chance of contracting the disease.

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