Dog kennel cough: causes, symptoms and home remedies
82Kennel cough is common in dog shelters
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Learn more about this annoying upper respiratory condition
When 3 year old, Golden Retriever Sasha, started coughing, his owner thought she had something stuck in her throat as she started coughing and then gagging as if her throat was irritated by something. However, when the cough did not resolve within 24 hours he took Sasha to the vet concerned there must be something blocking her airway.
"My dog seems like he has something stuck in his throat" is something vets hear often as a description from owners. More often than not this typical cough is a sign of kennel cough.
Medically known as Bordetella or Infectious Tracheobronchitis, kennel cough is a highly contagious respiratory infection that is common in dogs that are gathered together in kennels (hence the name kennel cough)or dog parks, dog shows, or just about anywhere where airborne viruses can spread from a dog to another.
SYMPTOMS
Dogs affected by kennel cough will often develop symptoms approximately 3-7 days post exposure. The most common symptoms suggesting this respiratory infection are:
Dry hacking cough
"Something stuck in throat" appearance
Cough following exercise
Gagging
Nasal discharge
Mucous expelled from mouth following cough
Lethargy (in most severe cases)
Inappetence (in most severe cases)
Fever (in most severe cases)
Pneumonia ( in very severe cases)
Death (in very rare instances)
In Sasha's case her symptoms appeared days later after having socialized with other dogs at a dog park. She was not vaccinated that year against Bordetella so that made her particularly susceptible to the infection. Her appetite appeared normal and she was her normal playful self, her rectal temperature registered 100.9 which was considered normal.
TREATMENT
Kennel cough often resolves itself within 2-3 weeks. However, antibiotics are often prescribed to prevent complications and speed up recovery. In some cases cough suppressants are prescribed. In Sasha's case a 14 day course was prescribed. She recovered pretty fast and her cough gradually went away one week following treatment.
Minor cases are often treated at home by clearing up the airway with a non-medicated humidifier or by having the dog breath in a bathroom full of hot water steam.
Administering Robitussin DM has proved helpful in minor cases, according to veterinarian Dawn Ruben, however, as with any medication it is highly advised to consult with a vet first and seek information about side effects, correct dosage and interactions with other medications.
Bordetella vaccines are very good in preventing this annoying respiratory infection. The vaccine may be administered intranasally or by traditional inoculation. The intranasal form appears to begin immunization more swiftly versus the traditional inoculation version.
Kennel cough is a pretty common respiratory disease, however, any case of coughing needs closely monitored and investigated as any cough can suggest other more serious problems such as potential heart conditions, valley fever or even heartworm disease, all conditions that can be life threatening.
DISCLAIMER: The above article is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for veterinary advice. The above symptoms described may mimic other more serious conditions and therefore should not be used as a diagnostic tool. Please refer to your veterinarian for advice and proper treatment.
What kennel cough sounds like
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Ohhhh, thanks so much! I am always happy when my hubs are helpful, take care and a kissy to your pup! If you ever need help with anything you can request a hub from me, I will be glad to write one for you,
kind regards
Great advice, and it is also worth mentioning that Kennel Cough dogs will cough up small amounts of white mucous onto the floor. It is also really important to keep kennel cough dogs away from other dogs until they are well again. When I worked at a Vets we used to book any dog that sounded like a "suspected" kennel cough case as the last appointment of the day. We would then have to disinfect the whole clinic thoroughly afterwards, even though Kennel Cough is actually airborne, but the vet felt it was better to be on the safe side anyway.
Thank you for posting!
Yes, we used the same protocol when having dogs with suspected KC. Very, very contagious! I have seen some cough up mucous and other with a drier version.
My dog started dry and then progressed into mucous at the ending stage. It was very annoying to deal with and this is why I always vaccinate against bordetella.
Tks v much. It was v imp to me that you followed up with:
"My dog started dry and then progressed into mucous at the ending stage. It was very annoying to deal with and this is why I always vaccinate against bordetella."
I now know, we're near the end and that we'll now vaccinate.
One complication. It's too impractical to separate the 2 infected dogs at home. Like a family cold, once it's gone through the house, will all be free from it? Or is KC so contageous, it'll just keep going around and around, from 1 dog to the other?
Kind regards,
Peter
Sydney, Aust.
It is indeed quite difficult to keep dogs separated, especially since germs are airborne, they should all go through it (but some may not get it depending on how strong their immune system is) and hopefully the virus will have runned its course. However, if they still keep on getting in contact with other dogs affected by it they may get it continuosly if not vaccinated.
If a dog has kennel cough will they get worse if you leave them outside and it is cold? Is it like a human flu should they be kept warm and fed garlic and etc?
It is somewhat similar to the human cold perhaps resembling in some ways whooping cough. Some dogs may get a fever as well so if left outside they may shiver and feel lethargic. Dogs with kennel cough benefit from drinking warm broth to open the airways. However, just to be on the safe side, I would stay away from garlic because it has a history of causing Heinz disease (a form o anemia) in dogs and cats.
thanks forposting this information is very heplful to have somekind of idea of what your dog has.
We did much search on-line thinking our curious beagle was choking. But it went on sporatically for 2 days.
The video you have on this link confirmed kennel cough - thank you for the info & specifically the video!
This was great site. Info was very informational. And helped my dog stop caughing.
Thank you so much.
my dog is seven months old we have given him all required and suggested shots and vaccinations including one for bordetella and yet he still got the virus. are their multiple strains of the virus like the common cold? I am trying to figure out why the "guaranteed" shots i was given by my vet did not prevent this. and can this virus be passed to humans?
no vaccine is actually 100 percent effective. also keep into consideration the type of vaccination given: if it was the injectable form of bordetella usually it takes 7 to 10 days to become effective, if it was the intranasal version it generally takes only 3 days...
Some vets also recommend giving the bordetella vaccine every 6 months..
Also consider that yes, the virus mutates just as the human flu..
Thank you thank you thank you. I just rescued my puppy from the pound and he had been coughing and sneezing. I started to get worried that it was something worse but all of the comments calmed me down. He has been on meds for a few days now and hopefull will be getting better soon.
Hiya
Just picked up my 6yr old lab from kennels, they told me he had developed kennel cough but he was at the end of it, as u would expect he is doing the dry cough a bit, as he's at the end stages of it as the people at the kennels said, do I need to do anything? Warm water instead of cold etc? He was at kennels for 8 days so how much longer would be expected till he recovers?
Any comments would be gratefully recieved
Thanx
Hey, all the information above is great. however I have a 2month old Bull Arab that has developed kennel cough as we got him from the pound.. he has been on medication for 3 days and seems to be doing very well. but i also have a 4 year old Mastiff and was wondering how long i need to keep them apart. Its very difficult to keep them apart. My mastiff has been vaccinated but im told there are different strains and cannot be totally sure hes vaccinated for the right one. So any info would be great THANK YOU
It is hard to say, it's like asking how long a person with a cold should stay away from others, it will vary. Generally, you would think a couple of weeks would suffix, but it is hard to say for sure.
Would a dog cough all the time?
I have a 6 month pug and he has at least we assume has kennel cough. We had previous dogs with kennel cough so antibiotics are still available for us but it's been going on for a week but for has been having a hard time breathing. Sometimes it appears as if hes suffocating. Is that hotmail because my other pugs did not have that. We tried giving him honey and put on a humidifier and it got slightly better but the suffocating sound is worse. Help!
Sorry I meant is that normal? Not hotmail.
Nicky, the fact you still have antibiotics from other dogs suffering from kennel cough, makes me think that you have a tendency to not give the medications as prescribed. Antibiotics should be given as directed by a vet, this means that very likely the whole bottle should be finished. Your pug therefore may need a full course of antibiotics which may mean given from 10 days to 2 weeks, depending on the type of antibiotic used and your dog's condition. When kennel cough is not treated as needed, it could lead to pneumonia. I recommend a vet visit also because a pug's facial features makes it harder for them to breath when they are affected by respiratory disorders, best wishes!
my 15 week old lad puppy has just started with what i think is kennel cough - i tried sticking my fingers down her throat thinking she was choking - all night long she has been gagging poor thing - she was at vets last night - they said not - but she never coughed once while we were there - watching videos posted im sure it is - so back to the vets again today - keeping her warm and rested today - its really worrying
We rescued a dog from the shelter 2 days before he was sceduled for euthanization (due to overpopulation). He is very sweet and loving, but after we got him home what we thought was just him clearing his airway as a cause of him being half pug turned out to be kennel cough. He is on an antibiotic and cough medication both prescribed by the vet. They also administered a nasal bordatella to my other dog who was given his yearly bordatella shot back in June to hopefully help boost it in his system. I was always told bordatella was a once a year shot, but the vet I went to yesterday said no it needs to be given every 6 months. So now I'm very worried my dog is going to catch this from our newly adopted dog. I'm keeping them separated as best as possible, but they had full contact with eachother for 3 full days. How long before my dog could show signs if he in fact caught the virus from our new dog? Just hoping for a quick recovery, and also when I asked the vet if I should be disinfecting my home they said there really is no need because it's airborn. Any suggestions, or cleaning in my home I should be doing?
I don't think there is much you can do to prevent infection at this point especially since you claim they were together for 3 days. Your vet is right; the intranasal form lasts 6 months, whereas the injection form typically lasts 8-9 months up to a year. The incubation time for bordetella is between 5-14 days before a cough is seen.
DOG is gone two weeks after a really bad cough and seeming recovery.
What are the possible reasons??
Could be the dog had a heart condition (heart problems also cause coughing) or had heartworms. Could be also had a pulmonary infection. The best way to know would be with a necropsy, sorry to hear that.
I have a 3 year old chihuahua, who suffers from a cough during the spring months, we were told that it was seasonal allergies, but after hearing the video it sounds the same, she has never been in a keenal and is not around other dogs. She is an inside dog, do you think it could be "kennel cough"?
Kennel cough tends to last a few weeks and comes from exposure to other dogs just as colds are spread from human to human. From your description the cough sounds seasonal. Never hurts to ask the opinion of another vet.
Hi,
My Corgi will cough when we play with him. Usually he'll bite our comforter on the bed or his soft toysthen suddenly he'll cough afew times then stop. So is that Kennel cough? If so, what can i do to help? Visit to the vet?
It is hard to say. Has she been around other dogs lately? A cough upon exertion is not normal, so a vet visit is recommended. If this happens only after biting something it could be particles swallowed make her cough.
euhlala 3 years ago
I can't believe this just came over to me! My first little dog ever and guess what we just took him to the vet for a little over a week ago? I know why I'm a fan of this hubber - everything you've sent my way is so useful - especially since I'm new to this whole puppy/dog world. I can't say thank you enough!
Great article - keep it up!