Kennel Cough In Dogs?
Should you be worried about kennel cough in dogs? Normally its a short period of time that your dog will have this. Find out what to look for and to to treat it now!...
What is kennel cough in dogs? Kennel cough is a generic term for a condition that is caused by a combination of various viral and bacterial factors.
Some of the viruses and bacteria isolated in the stud of kennel cough include reovirus, canine adenovirus, canine herpes virus, Bordetella bronchisepta, parainfluenza and microsepta.
Kennel cough is rarely caused by a single one of these disease agents.
In most cases kennel cough in dogs is not serious and will run its course in ten to fourteen days.
If your dog is acting normally, eating as usual and not laying around a great deal then you probably do not need to take him to the vet.
Be careful to watch closely to see that the condition does not worsen and turn into something a great deal more serious like pneumonia.
Some kennel cough symptoms include a dry hacking cough which can lead to vomiting of a white foamy discharge.
This is the result of an infection and excess mucus of the trachea and bronchial tubes. Additional symptoms can include rhinitis (sinus infection) and conjunctivitis (pink eye).
In mild cases the hacking cough and white foamy discharge may be the only symptoms you see and your dog will continue to act and eat normally.
If the kennel cough worsens you may see that your dog becomes lethargic, runs a fever and starts having a yellowish or greenish discharge from their nose.
At this point you should take your dog to the vet and get him on some sort of antibiotic treatment to keep it from moving into pneumonia.
Preventing kennel cough is much easier than it might seem. If you need to board your dog make sure you visit the kennel before the need to actually take your dog there.
Get a tour and check out how the dogs are housed and find out how often they are exercised and what the policy is on vaccinations.
Only choose a kennel that accepts dogs with up to date shot records. This will ensure that you are doing the most to keep your dog from being exposed to the various viruses and bacteria that can cause kennel cough in dogs.
Keeping your dogs shots up to date is the best way to prevent kennel cough. Do not let the shots go past their due date as you never know what kind of germs your dog will come in contact with at any time.
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DISCLAIMER
The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your veterinarian or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment.
