Kennel cough

What is Kennel cough

It is also known as Canine Cough,Bordetellosis,Infectious Tracheo bronchitis.Kennel Cough damages & irritates the lining of dog's trachea & upper bronchii.Most common organisms associated with Kennel Cough are bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica & three viruses Para influenza virus,Adeno virus &Canine Distemper virus.Even an organism Mycoplasma is also associated with Kennel Cough.Kennel Cough is fairy common & highly contagious respiratory disease of dog.Kennel Cough may have serious respiratory complications for very young & very old dogs.

Transmission
:-Causative organism can be present in expired air of an infected dog.whenever number of dogs /puppies are confined together in kennel;animal shelter house;indoor dog show, the disease is much more likely to spread.It can also be acquired from neighbor's dog, from a champion show dog at dog show, from animal hospital when your dog has just came in for treatment /vaccination etc.

Kennel Cough Symptoms:- It is worse at night & laying down.Cough produced is harsh,dry,can be quite loud & forceful,cough is produced every minute all day long & sounds as if dog needs to clear it's throat.It increases by extra activity & exercise.Dog is generally healthy &eats as per routine.It last for 1-2 weeks & majority of dogs got recovered on its own even without any treatment.

Some serious respiratory diseases e.g. Blastomycosis,Valley Fever,Heart Worms,Cardiac Disease might produce similar coughing.

Kennel Cough Diagnosis
:-It can be tested by putting little pressure on throat just above collar area under jaw & it will produce a cough if it is suffering from kennel cough.

Treatment/Cure
:-It is generally symptomatic with non-prescription or cough-suppressants. If fever persists- give antibiotics.

Home treatment
Natural treatment will increase immunity & support liver. A collar may initiate coughing spasm,so avoid it.Instead of stressing on home remedies consult with a pet hospital or veterinary surgeon

Prevention:
-Vaccinating with just commercial kennel cough vaccine alone containing only Bordetella agent may or may not protect fully because of other infectious agents which might be associated in producing disease.Intranasal Bordetella vaccine produce slightly faster immunity than injectable vaccine.

Vaccinate dog for live Parainfluenza,Adenovirus & Canine Distemper virus.Always ensure to vaccinate few weeks prior to potential exposure to allow protective immunity to develop.

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