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Dog kennel cough is named variously like canine cough, infectious tracheobronchitis and bordetellosis. Both bacteria and viruses have been found to cause dog kennel cough. It is a condition in which a dog’s windpipe and upper bronchi are damaged and irritated due to the action of infectious microorganisms.

What is Kennel Cough

A dry, hacking cough that lasts appears within a week of initial infection is the main symptom of kennel cough. This is caused by the bacteria or viruses that line the windpipe and bronchi in the dog. This exposes the nerve endings. These are irritated when the dog breathes, due to the air passing over them. This is what results in the persistent cough.

How Long Does Kennel Cough Last

In most cases or kennel cough, the symptoms are mild. The affect on the health of the dog is minimal. Most cases come without a rise in temperature or lose of appetite. The main affect is the persistent cough that occurs every few minutes through the day. These symptoms normally last for one to three weeks in most cases. The use of antibiotics are not usually needed, however, it is useful to speed the healing of the cough.

How Does a Dog Get Kennel Cough

Dog (bichon frise) kennel cough can be transmitted like a cold in humans. This means that the germs causing kennel cough can be carried in the air, inhaled by another dog causing infection, especially if the recipient dog is susceptible to the microbes. If more than one dog shares a dog kennel the illness spreads among the dogs (this is where the name kennel cough comes from). But it can be acquired anytime and anywhere from an infected dog.

How to Treat Kennel Cough

Although the majority of dogs recover from kennel cough without treatment, in most cases the irritating cough that one associates with this disease is cured with cough-suppressing drugs, prescribed by a vet. In a few cases, antibiotics may also be prescribed to help dogs recover from the infection.

A dog that is not frequently in contact with other dogs already has a low chance of catching kennel cough. It is important to have the dog examined by a vet because symptoms similar to kennel cough are also caused by other serious respiratory diseases. In case of vaccination, the dog should be given the vaccine at least a few weeks before taking it to a dog show or out in the company of other dogs. Vaccinating the dog against infectious organisms may prevent dog kennel cough.

Tags: Pets

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