Kennel cough: contagion, symptoms, treatment and prevention

In this post we are going to talk a little about canine infectious tracheobronchitis , popularly known as the famous “kennel cough” .

What causes kennel cough and how is it spread?

The main agent that produces this disease is the canine parainfluenza virus . Canine adenovirus type II and canine respiratory coronavirus may also be involved . 

Despite being a viral disease, it can be complicated by bacteria, mainly Bordetella bronchiseptica and, to a lesser extent , Mycoplasma .

As for the main route of infection, this is the respiratory route. 

The incidence is higher in areas where many dogs are concentrated, mainly in kennels. It is common for there to be outbreaks in areas where puppies gather,  such as in the pipican where we take our puppy to hang out with his furry friends, therefore it is easy for contagion to occur under normal conditions.

What signs can we observe and how to treat the disease?

Normally, if the animal that has been infected is healthy, the process will remain in a tracheitis and the main sign that we will observe will be a dry cough that ends in a retching, which may be followed by vomiting on some occasions. 

Other signs that can be seen are fever, shortness of breath, mucus  which normally appear when the condition has become complicated and we have established bronchitis.

Regarding treatment, we cannot kill the virus but we will need to go to the veterinarian to prescribe a symptomatic treatment for our little animal and treat the symptoms, and also to check that the condition is not aggravated and that we then need antibiotics to treat these complicating bacteria. .

Can we prevent canine infectious tracheobronchitis ?

Yes, there is a vaccine to prevent this disease, which we always recommend to be sure that our dog does not get sick and there is no possibility that the condition will not remain a mild viral process and endanger our dog

It is an intranasal vaccine that acts against the Parainfluenza Virus and Bordetella Bronchiseptica , taking only 3 days to be effective and of which no side effects have been recorded after inoculation.