Symptoms of Kennel Cough
Kennel cough can be caused by a variety of disease agents and can be viral, bacterial or both. The main clinical sign, a dry hacking cough, can occur between 3-10 days after exposure to the infection. Other clinical signs may include; lethargy, reluctance to eat, fever, retching associated with the cough, runny eyes and/or nose and depression. Although rarely very serious, depending on the severity, kennel cough can last from a few days to several weeks and even after the coughing has stopped, your dog can remain infectious for up to three months!
Kennel Cough Treatment
Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for Kennel Cough. The most important thing that you can do for your dog once infected, is to rest him or her. Antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent secondary bacterial infections which could lead to potential complications such as pneumonia.
Kennel Cough Vaccination
Vaccination against kennel cough is available and as such we advise you to protect your dog against this disease, especially if your dog commonly mixes with other dogs. Many boarding kennels also insist upon vaccination against kennel cough (and usually ask for the vaccination to be administered at least 1-2 weeks prior to boarding).
The kennel cough vaccination is different to the routine annual vaccination and is actually administered by squirting the vaccine up the nostril as opposed to injected and although this may sound off putting it is generally tolerated well by the majority of dogs we see.