Kennel cough is a term that refers to an infection in a dog in a kennel as a result of contracting it from a dog coughing in the same environment. More accurately, kennel cough or infectious tracheobronchitis, is a broad term for a variety of infectious upper respiratory tract problems in dogs. The most common causative agents for kennel cough are Parainfluenza virus, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Mycoplasma, Canine adenovirus (types 1 and 2), Canine Reovirus (types 1, 2, and 3) and Canine herpes virus.
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Part 1 of 2: Getting to Know Kennel Cough
Step 1. Understand the risk factors
Kennel cough is a highly contagious disease. If your dog plays with other dogs at the park, or has lived in a shelter kennel, there's a good chance he might catch it.
Step 2. Listen to the sound of the cough
Dogs infected with kennel cough can suddenly cough with varying severity, from a calm, persistent cough to a violent cough, and choking.
- A choking cough is often mistaken for something stuck in a dog's throat. If possible, open the dog's mouth to check for bones or sticks.
- Another way to determine if something is stuck in your dog's throat is to offer him food. A dog with a blocked throat will not be able to eat, so if he eats and swallows easily, the chances of something getting into his throat are very small.
Step 3. Watch out for choking dogs
Just as humans get a sore throat from the flu, so do dogs suffer from kennel cough. This disease can cause the dog to try to clear its throat, suffocate, and vomit.
- For some dogs, these symptoms can be so severe that they will vomit saliva or foam.
- Dogs who vomit because they feel nauseous (not because of excessive coughing) will excrete yellow bile or food from the stomach. This may be a sign of another disease.
Step 4. Supervise your dog's power
Some dogs with kennel cough show no signs of illness, other than a nagging cough. While other dogs can appear lethargic, lack energy, and lose their appetite.
Taking a coughing dog to the vet is a good option, and it's especially important if your dog suddenly loses power or hasn't eaten for 24 hours
Part 2 of 2: Treating Kennel Cough
Step 1. Isolate the sick dog
Kennel cough is a highly contagious disease, because every time a dog coughs, tiny particles that can spread disease are released into the air. So, if you believe your dog has kennel cough, it's extremely important to separate him from other dogs immediately.
- Dogs with kennel cough should not be walked around.
- Other dogs in the same neighborhood are potentially infected. However, when symptoms begin to appear, the dog is already infected, so separating him from a sick dog at this stage is useless.
Step 2. Take your dog to the vet
The best way to deal with a coughing dog is to get him checked out by a vet as soon as possible. The vet will determine whether the cough is due to an infection, or other causes such as heart disease. It will also let you know if your dog needs grooming or not.
- The vet will perform a complete examination, which includes taking the dog's temperature, feeling the size of the lymph nodes in his throat, examining his mouth for foreign bodies, and listening to his heart and lungs using a stethoscope.
- If there is no heart murmur (heart murmur), and your vet suspects kennel cough, he or she may offer a "treatment-based diagnosis" instead of blood tests and other expensive tests. If your dog is not responding to treatment as expected, further testing may be needed.
- When you call the vet to make an appointment, tell the receptionist that you suspect your dog has kennel cough. He or she may ask you to wait outside until the vet calls you in. This is done to reduce the risk of transmitting the disease to other dogs while waiting in the waiting room.
Step 3. Give antibiotics, if necessary
The vet may or may not prescribe antibiotics for your dog. If this medication is prescribed, take it as directed.
- Antibiotics should not be used in all cases of kennel cough. This is because the cause of the infection is likely a virus, which cannot be treated with antibiotics, and must be treated by the dog's immune system. There is no way to differentiate a bacterial and viral infection based on a physical examination alone.
- On the other hand, if your dog is unable to fight off infection on its own, or if the vet finds that the dog has a fever, or hears signs of a blockage in the dog's chest, these could be signs that your dog has a secondary bacterial infection due to the primary infection (which possibly caused by a virus or bacteria). In this case, antibiotics may be prescribed.
Step 4. Steam your dog
Turn on the hot water tap for a few minutes with the bathroom windows and doors closed. Sit with your dog in the steamy room for 5 to 10 minutes, keeping the dog out of the hot water.
- This treatment will loosen the mucus in the dog's chest, which will relieve the cough. This treatment can be repeated as often as needed throughout the day.
- Never leave your dog unattended in a bathroom with hot running water, as the dog may scald.
Step 5. Rest your dog
Prevent the dog from overexerting as much as possible.
Don't walk the dog. Not only will this increase the risk of transmission to other dogs, but the exertion of the dog's exertion (especially breathing in cold air) can further irritate the airways and make the coughing worse
Step 6. Give cough medicine
Coughing has the benefit of removing phlegm from the dog's chest and clearing its lungs. Stopping the cough is not a wise move, as this will simply make the mucus build up in the lungs, and make it difficult for the dog to breathe. However, if your dog is coughing so much that it is difficult to sleep at night, give him a cough suppressant.
- Cough medicine suitable for dogs is a spoonful of Robitussin DM for children. Give the dog 1 teaspoon for every 9 kg of body weight.
- Never give your dog any other cough and cold medicine without consulting your veterinarian first. Giving the wrong dose or ingesting the active ingredients of certain drugs can cause serious health problems.
- Ideally, give cough medicine only once every 24 hours.
Step 7. Relieve itching in the throat
If your dog's throat is irritated, you can also give him a home remedy that will help relieve the itching. Give the dog a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of lemon juice, mixed with warm water.
- This potion can be given every hour if necessary.
- Never give this mixture to a dog with diabetes, because honey can be dangerous for him.
Step 8. Increase the dog's resistance
To help your dog fight the infection, ask your vet to give him a vitamin C pill crushed in water, wild berry sticks, peppermint, raw honey, or yerba santa.
This treatment has not been scientifically proven, but some evidence suggests that it is quite beneficial
Step 9. Prevent future infections with vaccines
If your dog is at high risk (such as being in a crate a lot, attending dog shows, or playing with lots of dogs in the park), consider giving him the kennel cough vaccine to prevent further infection.
- This vaccine is quite effective against the main cause of kennel cough, and provides a 12-month protection period.
- Kennel cough is not a fatal disease, but it is very annoying. You may want to consider getting vaccinated, especially if your dog is elderly or has other illnesses.
Tips
Kennel cough will appear 2 - 10 days after exposure to the virus, and usually lasts for 10 days if there are no complications, or 14 - 20 days if the infectious agent is more than 1
Warning
- Dogs that have been rescued from shelters are more likely to develop kennel cough after adoption.
- If you have several dogs, chances are that if one of your dogs has kennel cough the others will get it too. Watch out for the symptoms mentioned above.
- Once a sick dog recovers from kennel cough, the chances of it being infected by the same infectious agent are much less. Exposure and recovery are the main principles of how vaccination works, so your dog is basically vaccinated against the disease. However, because there are many different infectious agents that can cause kennel cough, nothing can prevent your dog from getting sick again from a different germ.
- Human drugs can cause severe or even lethal side effects. Before using any human medicines, consult your veterinarian first.
