Kennel cough is a common disease suffered by dogs, including other household pets. Most of it is because of the fact that a cough is a highly contagious disease. So if ever one of your dogs has it, be sure to keep in a place away from your other pets.
Causes of Kennel Cough.
Upper respiratory tract infection in dogs causes Kennel Cough.
The infections affect the outer lining of the throat and air passage, creating irritation and cough.
The dogs may even face difficulty in eating their food.
The superficial damage heals during the recovery phase of the disease without any subsequent problem.
Kennel cough can develop due to several reasons. Here are the top three causes of kennel cough in dogs:
1-Bordetella Bronchiseptica
B. Bronchiseptica is the main bacteria that causes kennel cough. When this bacteria forms inside the body or has found its way inside, either through the air or through direct contact.
your dog is most likely to develop kennel cough after a short period of time.
These bacteria can reproduce in certain quantities, enough to make your dog sick.
Once that happens, the disease will surface. In which case, your dog will cough incessantly.
Canine Parainfluenza-3
This is the virus that primarily causes kennel cough, along with the other potent virus called the canine adenovirus type 2.
This virus infects the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. It may damage the dog’s trachea, and it causes yet another disease called tracheobronchitis, if not eliminated immediately.
This virus is also the same virus that causes distemper in dogs.
Canine Adenovirus Type 2
This virus is also the carrier of common colds in dogs. Canine adenovirus type 2 can penetrate deep into the lungs of your pet. This is related to the virus that causes canine hepatitis. However this virus is less common.
Type 2 canine adenovirus usually mixes with the bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria and the canine parainfluenza-3 virus. When these three main causes of kennel cough come together, the result is a disease that requires the intervention of a veterinarian to achieve the necessary cure.
Acquiring these harmful elements will make your dog either infected with kennel cough, a carrier of it, or both. It is possible that the symptoms of the disease won’t show in your pet, yet it can be the one that is infecting others. Kennel cough can be an asymptomatic disease. It is possible for an infected dog to show absolutely no signs of it.
The idea here is to make sure that your pet is free from these parasites that use your pet’s body as their breeding ground. Once these elements invade your pet, it is very hard to eliminate them. You will need to administer certain drugs and antibiotics to fully clear your pets of them.
Mere association with other animals that has cough will make your dog susceptible to the disease. To find the best cure for your pet, always begin with acquiring more information about the disease. If you are pretty sure that your dog is suffering from kennel cough, you have a choice to treat it with natural remedies or over-the-counter medications. Of course, you should always consider taking your pet to the vet for it to be prescribed with the proper kennel cough treatment therapy.
Kennel Cough Symptoms in dogs
Kennel Cough may not be a serious or a life-threatening disease. However, it can leave your dog very irritable and uncomfortable just the same. As such, your pet has to be treated immediately so that it won’t have to suffer from the Kennel Cough Symptoms any longer.
Kennel Cough Symptoms in dogs are as follows:
1. Hacking cough.
Dogs may cough differently from humans. In dogs, it may sound like a dry, vomiting-like type of cough. It is a sound that resonates inside the dog’s body frame. When you listen to it, you are almost sure that the dog is going to throw up any minute. The cough may also be continual, which is a big discomfort to your pet. Dogs with kennel cough have to be treated right away to achieve relief.
2. Phlegm.
If your dog emits phlegm and is producing a gagging sound from its throat, then it is definitely suffering from kennel cough.
Check the sleeping area of your dog for phlegm or yellow-like discharges. However, there are times that your pet has dry cough and that won’t produce phlegm. That doesn’t change the fact that your pet suffers from a respiratory tract infection that you have to address immediately.
3. Fever.
Fever is one of the symptoms of kennel cough, although it always present in most dog diseases. However, if your dog’s coughing is combined with fever, then you are almost sure that your dog is suffering from the worse case of the disease. You need to take it to the vet right away to receive the necessary treatments.
4. Less alert and active.
You will definitely know a sick dog if you see one. Sick dogs will try to tell their master that they are not feeling well. They do so by not responding eagerly to calls or by staying in one corner of the house all day.
Dogs with kennel cough are definitely suffering inside. However, there are dogs that remain active even though they have acquired the disease. Either way, you should recognize your dog’s condition and provide it with the necessary care and guidance.
Kennel cough is a highly contagious disease. Therefore, your pet has to be cleared of it before it tries to infect the others. Dogs are social animals. You can’t keep them in one place all day unless you put them on a leash or keep them inside a kennel. Remember that kennel cough can transfer from your dog to your cat and to other pets. So whenever one of them is affected, try to keep everybody else in their proper places.
Treatment
With the right medications, these symptoms of kennel cough can be addressed easily. It may take your dog a full month before recovering from the disease. However, that should be worth the wait for as long as your dog is no longer suffering.
There are instances when a dog suffers from this health concern, it becomes very prone to it and can transmit it to other animals for the rest of its life. This is where the guidance of a veterinarian can help
Kennel cough should never ever be taken lightly as it is an extremely dangerous and contagious disease. It can spread from one dog to another within no time as the virus or bacteria that cause it are extremely virulent and can spread in a jiffy. They can survive in the air for a long time. if you suspect that your dog has kennel cough take it to the vet immediately before the kennel cough symptoms worsen.
Your pet will need to be treated either with antibiotics or the use of herbal kennel cough medications to ensure that it is healthy again