Kennel Cough - What it is and How to Stop It

Kennel cough in canines sounds like the dog has something stuck in its throat, as it hacks every few minutes. Kennel cough is caused in most instances by bacteria known as Bordetella bronchiseptica, but a pair of viruses is also responsible for about ten to twenty percent of kennel cough cases.

Kennel cough is usually not a serious condition in dogs but can sometimes develop into pneumonia under the right circumstances. Kennel cough can be treated with the use of cough suppressants and sometimes with antibiotics, and it typically clears up on its own in one to three weeks.

The actual cough associated with kennel cough is caused by an upper respiratory infection, with the dog's trachea and upper bronchial tubes affected. The linings of these regions are damaged by the infection of the bacteria responsible for kennel cough, or by one of two viruses- Parainfluenza virus and Adenovirus.

The harm done by such an infection is not severe, but it does expose sensitive nerve endings to the passage of air as the dog breathes, precipitating a dry, coarse cough. A dog with kennel cough normally does not lose its appetite and remains alert, with no sign of a fever.

Transmission of canine kennel cough happens in the same way as human colds are passed from person to person. An infected dog will cough and breathe out, with the tiny organisms that cause the kennel cough being sent into the air where another dog will breathe them in. These viruses or bacteria then attach themselves to the dog's upper respiratory linings and begin to multiply, injuring the cells that they are infecting. Contact with an infected surface can also spread kennel cough.