Is your dog coughing? Could it be kennel cough? Read some information about the disease and consider an exam by a veterinarian to rule out other possibilities.
Kennel cough is otherwise known as Infectious Tracheobronchitis. The clinical sign we typically see is a dry, harsh, hacking cough. Most owners that bring their coughing dogs in to see me will say "something is stuck in my dog's throat," or "my dog is choking on something." Other clinical signs we can see involve fever, loss of appetite, sometimes vomiting if they are coughing enough to stimulate the gag reflex, and lethargy. The cough can be followed by a gag or swallow and often, dogs can cough up a frothy, foamy mucus. This is not vomiting, but rather a productive cough. On occasion, the coughing is so bad that dogs can't even rest at night to recover from this disease. If an infection is severe, it can develop into the lower airways and cause a pneumonia.
So, how does your dog get infected?
This is an air borne disease that is usually seen in spots that many dogs frequent and interact. A dog that has the infection will shed the bacteral and/or virus in their respiratory tract, which is then aerosolized and breathed in by healthy dogs. Most dogs get infected when they are housed in close contact with other dogs in high risk areas. Examples would be boarding kennels, shelters, dog classes, dog parks, grooming facilities and hospitals. This disease has a bacterial and viral component. The throat normally tries to clear infectious agent and mucus with mucociliary bodies. These throat cells move mucus with ciliary projections. These ciliary bodies become paralyzed, so to speak, by this disease. As a result, mucus gets "stuck" in the throat and dogs develop a thick, harsh cough, attempting to move mucus and debris. That is where the harsh cough comes from. Dogs that are at higher risk for disease include those with more exposure, puppies, geriatric dogs and immunosuppressed dogs, or dogs with other underlying conditions.
THE INCUBATION PERIOD IS 2 TO 14 DAYS - meaning your dog could take up to 2-3 weeks for signs to develop.
How do we know this is kennel cough and not something else?
Kennel cough is a diagnosis of rule-outs. That means there is no definitive test for Kennel cough. Plainly speaking, it means that lots of tests are needed to rule out other possibilities before we can rule in Kennel cough. X-rays (or radiographs) can help rule out pneumonia or other complicating lung disease. Blood work may also be helpful in eliminating other differentials. History of exposure to other dogs can also make Kennel cough more likely, along with underlying clinical signs. Simple exam can help differentiate other possibilities as well and if Kennel cough is suspected, simple trial treatment can be performed as we evaluate them for response.
How do we treat it?
We treat the bacterial component of Kennel cough with antibiotics, directly killing the Bordetella organism.The cough itself can be treated with cough suppressants to provide comfort.Anti-inflammatory medications are recommended if they have a fever. Supportive care should be provided for the viral component, including rest and encouraged water and food consumption. If they are not improving in the next few days, other disease or progressive pneumonia should be considered. Pneumonia is a very serious condition and should be treated aggressively.
Is there a vaccine?
Yes, however, keep in mind that not all members of the kennel cough complex have a vaccine. The Bordetella vaccine is not a very efficacious vaccine. This means that dogs exposed to Kennel cough may still become infected, however the clinical signs and symptoms may not be as severe. This vaccine should be boosted every 6-9 months to be effective. Two doses should be given (approximately 3-4 weeks apart) the first time and then every 6-9 months after that.
VACCINATION IS NOT USEFUL IN A DOG ALREADY INCUBATING KENNEL COUGH.
Also keep in mind that for protective efficacy, the last vaccine should be given at least 5 days prior to exposure (at a kennel or dog park).
I was hanging Christmas lights in the front yard this afternoon, listening to the radio, and heard a public service annoucement. They said that pet influenza was present in our area (Denver) and they were suggesting that every dog owner have their their dogs get flu shots. They did say that dog influenza is not the same as people's, but that it was highly contageous among dogs that went to day care or kennels, and that it was not transmissable to people.
Do you think we should get our dogs vaccinnated?
Can i use pinesol to clean my floors if i have cats?
Dear Dr. Spohn
Last year my wife an I got two kittens from a local animal shelter. They've both been tested negative for FIV and FeLV, but have not been tested for FHV1 (feline herpes), which we believe they probably have (since they come from a shelter). On their first months with us (they were 2 and 3 months old each) last year the female cat had two flares of conjunctivitis, while the male had a single one. This year, the female cat also had a very mild flare of conjunctivitis that did not even lasted long.
The problem is the eye of the female cat that had the conjunctivitis keeps tearing a very small amount of "rheum" indefinitely. It's not wet, and it's not on large quantities, but sometimes her eye looks "pale", and the conjunctiva is slightly more red than on the other eye. Occasionally there also some kind of weird artifacts, like it's dirty with something over the cornea (that closing/opening moves away).
After reading around the web, it seems it's probably conjunctivitis. But I don't want to go to a vet to have him/her tell me to use some antibiotic now and have the same problem again in two months. I mean, ok, she will probably have conjunctivitis for the rest of her life, but I don't think it would be good for her to spend this life under antibiotics. Specially for such a mild case of conjunctivitis. If it is conjunctivitis at all
I'm not even sure if I should take her to the vet, because it might not be detectable visually when I make the appointment. For example, sometimes her eye is like this http://imgur.com/AgPR3.jpg , but some other times is normal, like on this http://imgur.com/cnxtN.jpg picture with her brother hugging my internets.
The rheum is generally dark. I've realized that cleaning it often with tissue helps, but still not completely. Once, when using the thumb and index finger with a soft tissue, I've pulled a full fur from her eye. She has very thin fur and I even started to think it could be some pelage stuck in the eye.
She's been with these symptoms for months already, would you have any advice?
Thank you very much.
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Questions Answered By:
Dr. Lauryn Spohn, DVM
