La kennel cough It is a contagious condition that dogs usually acquire in kennels or in exhibitions. A certain cough is a symptom of more serious conditions. Let's learn a little more about this topic, its causes and treatment.
What is tracheobronchitis?
Cough is a reflex phenomenon whose consequence is the expulsion of air and materials or secretions contained in the respiratory tract, the so-called cough zones are usually located in the larynx, trachea or tracheobronchial tract, thus, cough is the symptom main cause of diseases of the respiratory system.
In general, animals that live in the city are more likely to develop chronic respiratory diseases, as a result of the environmental pollution in which they live, on the other hand, animals that live in rural areas are exposed to inclement weather and may suffer from pneumonia. , suffocation from foreign bodies entering the respiratory system, or grass-related allergies.
Causes of kennel cough
Kennel cough is also known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis, there are many causes that can cause cough in dogs, it is often related to heart failure, constituting an important alarm signal, for this reason it must always be taken seriously above all if it occurs in an older animal.
Previously this disease occurred in residences or in kennels; hence the name, however, with dog adoption houses, walkers and exhibitions are places where there are large numbers of dogs and has resulted in the spread of the virus.
How is kennel cough spread?
Kennel cough is highly contagious and is caused by the PIC virus (parainfluenza) or canine adenovirus type 2, there are also cases where herpes virus or the herpes virus have been recorded. Distemper in dogs.
We already mentioned that kennels are the place where the largest number of dogs can be infected and it is difficult to control the disease in these places, especially when it comes to isolating the sick animal.
In the same way how the flu is spread, it can be orally or nasally, in this way if there is an infected dog where it expels the germs through its respiratory fluids near the healthy dog, it can also acquire the disease. Puppies are the most delicate when it comes to acquiring the disease and extreme care must be taken with contagion and with any symptoms that occur in the dog.
Symptoms of kennel cough
After it has become ill, the dog begins to show signs of a visibly identifiable line of symptoms. The most characteristic demonstration of this contagion is the manifestation of a dry, hoarse, strong and continuous cough, caused by congestion of the vocal cords. Kennel cough can originate in several ways depending on the contagion, such as:
Infectious Origin
Depending on the location, it can be rhinitis, tonsillitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, bronchitis or deeper infections such as pneumonia, the scope of these conditions being variable, the appearance of the cough, in these cases it can give us very important clues, since they are diseases of the upper respiratory tract are usually strong frequent and intermittent in addition there may be associated symptoms such as fever, difficulty swallowing and salivation.
If, on the other hand, the cough is usually short and mild when it comes to deeper conditions and if so, the general condition can be very significant depression, respiratory depression.
allergic origin
Respiratory allergies are much less frequent among dogs, however, we must not forget that the asthmatic crisis of cats, whose cough, dry and intermittent, is usually the only early symptom. It is not uncommon for a dog to have allergies to grasses, human dander, or cat hair, all of which cause an urge to cough or sneeze to relieve itching. The problem lies in the difficulty of diagnosing this type of condition. However, once the cause is established, there are vaccines and effective inflammatory-based treatments for this type of allergic cough.
cardiac origin
The heart, like all organs, suffers from the effects of aging; Seventy-five percent of dogs over the age of eight (8) years have valvular heart lesions. The cardiac pump loses efficiency, occupying thirty percent of the cardiac capacity in the final third of life. Then circulatory disturbances appear, especially in the lung field, which amen causes a cough of cardiac origin. In the dog, cough can therefore be an early symptom of heart failure. It is a wet sound and sometimes accompanied by vomiting.
In general, kennel cough can cause complications, as we have already seen, or it tends to disappear on its own, if it is not serious, normally the symptoms disappear during the week for recurrent cases and this is the case for dogs that spend a lot of time in kennels, because immunity tends to be transient in some cases, this vaccine can be administered intranasally through nasal spray or by injection as is normally done with puppies.
Diagnosis of kennel cough
The treatment and diagnosis of kennel cough is complex. In the first place, it is convenient to highlight the cause, it is also necessary to take into account the age of the dog, the way of life, the breed of the animal and the characteristics of the cough.
Likewise, the pathological antecedents can be analyzed, such as the risk of pulmonary metastasis in cases of breast cancer in female dogs, something quite frequent and in almost all cases, a visit to the veterinarian is mandatory, so that they can carry out an in-depth study. such as cardiopulmonary auscultation, associated symptoms, complete exams, in cases of the most chronic cough, radiography, electrocardiograms, ultrasounds and more.
To treat the cough, logically, the cause must be treated, heart failure or the infection that causes the cough in order to start treatment, often these therapies are enough to make it disappear even in the case of a cough of infectious origin, not you have to hurry and go to the doctor to indicate the antitussive medications.
It is necessary to remember that cough is also a physiological defense mechanism, as occurs in productive coughs, in which antitussives are even contraindicated. Its use is recommended, above all, to fight dry, intermittent cough, which is the cause of fatigue, irritation and discomfort not only for the animal, but even for the owner himself.
Treatment for kennel cough
You should start by placing a sick dog in isolation, in a suitable place, in a room where only the dog will be for at least a week or the days that the treatment lasts. It is important to take this isolation into account so that the disease does not spread to other dogs that are in kennels or residences, in the same way you must be attentive to the rest of the dogs if they show signs of any symptoms where the disease manifests .
Control and prevent kennel cough through the treatment of anti-inflammatories and antibiotics depending on the level of the disease, all this will depend on the indications and recommendations of the veterinarian, the type of treatment that should be followed, remember that in this disease Various types of secondary diseases can be involved and this makes diagnosis difficult, which is why it is important to seek medical help so that the specialist can diagnose which is the best treatment to cure kennel cough.
When the dog is weak and does not want to eat, you must be sure that it says the amount of water recommended by the veterinarian so that dehydration can be prevented. The water also helps them to dilute the mucus that can accumulate in the respiratory tract and thus be able to promote their breathing.
Kennel cough in puppies
As we all know, every small dog or puppy is vulnerable to all kinds of disease, they are the most likely to acquire any virus, they are the ones with the highest risk of contagion of diseases, it is recommended that when acquiring or adopting a dog, it be taken directly to the veterinarian so that they can carry out the medical check-up and thus be able to determine if the animal is healthy or not, in turn, register it in its vaccination control, monthly check-up and the puppy's deworming control.
In puppies, kennel cough has a cure, but this does not mean that one should not be aware of the puppy, if it spreads kennel cough, everything can worsen until death if it is not treated in time, because it they can present secondary infections of any type.
How long does kennel cough last?
The recovery of each canine patient is determined by their health status, their pathogenic agent and the complications that may arise during the disease, how infectious, bacterial and secondary diseases develop. so no time frame can be determined for how long kennel cough lasts.
An example of this is kennel cough, which has been caused by the bacterium bordetella bronchiseptica. With this type of bacterium, the animal can take weeks to recover and cases have been seen where they last for months, since the bacterium remains in the respiratory tract. from three months onwards and more when it is not treated on time.
After starting a treatment, for any type of complication, kennel cough can take from seven (7) to fifteen (15) days, but it is the case that a dog does not improve after being treated and, on the contrary, more If it gets complicated and another secondary disease arises or any other type of disease, it should be taken to the veterinarian immediately.
How to prevent kennel cough
In pet residences, pet stores, exhibitions, kennels, a good health environment and the best conditions must be maintained in order to offer the dog a good stay and with the best health results. So the best preventive method so that there is no contagion among the dogs that are in these places is by taking all the necessary measures so that the contagion does not spread in the enclosure where the dogs are.
There is also the vaccine for kennel cough that is formulated to prevent this type of disease in particular. It should be noted that this vaccine is not for sale in all countries, so it is not a method that should always be used. It is best to take into account the control of their vaccinations, which should be mandatory because it is one of the factors that prevents all types of disease, including kennel cough.
Is the kennel cough vaccine effective?
As we have already mentioned, the vaccine is not available in several countries, but it is one of the main preventive measures against this disease. Although it is not totally guaranteed, because there are cases where the dog can be infected with canine infectious tracheobronchitis, but with the vaccine the kennel cough disease is not as strong and recovery is more feasible.
Is kennel cough contagious to humans?
This is a very important question since it can be thought that kennel cough is so contagious that it can be contracted by a person. The example of the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica if it joins with the bacterium bordetella perfussis, gives rise to whooping cough in children, there have been cases where adults and minors are affected by this virus. So we can say that the disease of the canine infectious tracheobronchitis It can be transmitted from animal to human since it is considered a zoonosis.
It is important to mention that these cases where kennel cough were transmitted to people are those where their defense system is below the normal blood level, such as people with cancer, with HIV.
My dog has a cough. Is it kennel cough?
If the dog coughs insistently and the bad thing is that he cannot speak or explain to us what is happening to him. We must be aware of certain symptoms that manifest themselves since there are many causes that can cause cough.
Dry cough, retching or vomiting are manifestations that the disease may be present, so it is common to worry about this respiratory pathology, when distinguishing the signs in the dog. In any case, it is feasible to make a mistake with gagging cough, so, to be safer, it is good to take the dog to the veterinarian to examine the dog and present the diagnosis if it is canine infectious tracheobronchitis or another type disease such as bronchitis, pharyngitis or canine distemper.