Canine kennel cough is the common name for canine infectious tracheobronchitis. As the name implies, kennel cough in dogs is characterized by coughing.
Causes of Canine Kennel Cough
Canine kennel cough is a multi-factorial disease. It is the result of a compromise to the normal protective mechanisms in place within the respiratory tract. This compromise can be caused by many different factors, including:
- stress caused by long distance travel (for instance, from a puppy mill to a pet shop)
- stress caused by crowded conditions (as in boarding kennels, pet shops, animal shelters, grooming facilities)
- cold temperatures
- poor ventilation
- exposure to excessive amounts of dust or other pollutants in the air
- exposure to cigarette smoke
- various infectious agents, including viruses (canine adenovirus, canine parainfluenza virus, canine distemper virus, canine reovirus and/or canine herpesvirus) and bacteria (Bordetella)
Bordetella bronchiseptica is a bacteria which is quite effective at taking advantage of minor damage to the healthy respiratory tract. Once established in the upper respiratory tract of the dog, Bordetella can actually act to protect itself by inhibiting the cells which are normally responsible for destroying bacterial invaders in the respiratory tract. However, Bordetella is usually not solely responsible for causing the symptoms of kennel cough in infected dogs. Usually one or more of the factors listed above is present and Bordetella infection is often accompanied by at least one of the viral causes listed above as well.
Canine kennel cough is frequently seen in boarding kennels, animal shelters, grooming parlors and other areas where many dogs are kept together in a small area with close contact. Kennel cough in dogs is extremely contagious and easily passed from one dog to another through respiratory secretions.
Canine kennel cough is not normally contagious to people with intact immune systems. However Bordetella bronchiseptica is closely related to the agent which causes "whooping cough" in people, so there may be some threat to immuno-compromised individuals.
Symptoms and Treatment of Kennel Cough in Dogs
The hallmark symptom of canine kennel cough is coughing, usually a deep throated cough which many dog owners describe as sounding as though the dog has something stuck in the throat. Uncomplicated cases of kennel cough may be self-limiting and may resolve without further intervention. Dogs that remain active and alert with a good appetite may not need medical treatment.
However, in some situations, kennel cough can become more serious and can progress to causing pneumonia. This is most common in young puppies whose immune systems are already stressed. These dogs may need veterinary care in the form of antibiotics and/or anti-tussive medications (cough suppresants). Dogs which become extremely weakened by the effects of kennel cough-induced pneumonia may need additional care, as will dogs which are infected with serious viral respiratory diseases such as canine distemper virus.
Prevention of Canine Kennel Cough
Vaccinations against Bordetella are available for dogs at risk of developing kennel cough. Bordetella vaccines are not core canine vaccines and are not recommended for all dogs. However, many boarding kennels require vaccination against Bordetella for all dogs admitted to their facilities. In addition, vaccination against Bordetella may be recommended for dogs which frequently visit grooming parlors, take part in obedience or puppy socialization classes or are otherwise at risk for being exposed to canine kennel cough.
Dogs which are vaccinated against Bordetella are still capable of developing clinical symptoms of canine kennel cough. However, in most cases, the symptoms experienced by the dog will be milder and shorter lived than for those dogs not vaccinated against the disease. This is because the Bordetella vaccine protects against Bordetella only and does not protect dogs from the other inciting causes of canine kennel cough.
Canine kennel cough should not be confused with canine influenza, which produces similar symptoms but is actually a totally different disease. Vaccinations against Bordetella do not protect dogs against canine influenza and the vaccine against canine influenza does not protect dogs against canine kennel cough.
Canine kennel cough is a frequent cause of coughing in dogs and many acute cases of coughing in dogs are actually caused by canine kennel cough.
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