Hacking Cough? How to Tell if Your Dog Has Kennel Cough 

Hacking cough? The likely culprit - kennel cough. But don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds. If your dog has kennel cough, knowing what to do is important. At certain times of the year, we see an uptick in cases of kennel cough - often during spring and summer breaks when there is an increase in boarding. In this blog, we'll look at what kennel cough is, its symptoms, treatment, and how you can help prevent it.

How to Tell If Your Dog Has Kennel Cough 

While it's important to determine if your dog has kennel cough, let's first look at what kennel cough is.

What is Kennel Cough?

Kennel cough is the common term for Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease (CIRD), a contagious respiratory infection in dogs. It got the name kennel cough because dogs often get infected while staying at kennels or boarding facilities.

Kennel cough is caused by a combination of bacteria, viruses, and even microorganisms such as mycoplasma. Dogs with kennel cough can be infected by two or more of these components simultaneously. 

The onset of kennel cough is typically within 7-14 days of exposure. 

Kennel is super contagious because it's aerosolized - like the common cold. When you sneeze and cough, all those air particles fly into the atmosphere. The same happens with dogs and kennel cough. Those infected aerosolized debris land on everything from food bowls and toys to even us. We can even be carriers of it. It can also spread in dogs through nose-to-nose contact. 

Symptoms of Kennel Cough

Most noticeably, kennel cough is identified by a honking-goose-like tracheal cough. Additional symptoms that your dog has kennel cough include:

These symptoms, combined with a history of being at a boarding facility, doggy daycare, dog park, or even a grooming facility, are likely indicators of a kennel cough infection.

In uncomplicated cases, dogs may only exhibit a harsh tracheal cough and may experience vomiting from coughing. But, often, dogs will still have a great appetite, be bright and alert, and have no other symptoms. Some dogs with kennel cough may not show any clinical signs at all. In these instances, there's not a lot to worry about, and kennel cough will typically resolve on its own within an average of 14 days. 

Occasionally, kennel cough can present with severe symptoms such as lethargy, fever, not eating, difficulty breathing, or discharge from the nose. There are rare cases where kennel cough can turn into pneumonia. Symptoms of pneumonia include fever, unhealthy lung sounds, and decreased appetite. If your dog has any of those, call your vet right away. 

Diagnosing and Treating Kennel Cough 

Diagnosis

There is no lab or test to diagnose if your dog has kennel cough. A diagnosis of kennel cough comes from a confirmation of symptoms and a history of exposure, as discussed above.

Diagnosing Kennel Cough at Buddy's Vets

We often have clients call who are concerned about their dogs because they have varying symptoms and a history of exposure. No one likes to see their dog not feeling well. But here's the thing about kennel cough - it's super contagious, and we don't want it at the clinic. 

At Buddy's Vets, we've adopted the protocol with coughing dogs: If the history sounds like a kennel cough case, we either see them outside/curbside or do a telemedicine visit, which is even better. In a telemedicine visit, we can get a clear history from the owner, see the animal, decide if we really need to see the dog in person and prescribe any drugs. 

Note: Telemedicine visits are only allowed if you have a valid client-patient relationship with your vet, meaning they've physically seen your pet at least once in the last year.  

Treatment and Plan

Research says that a dog may still be contagious 20-30 days after symptoms resolve. That's why there is ABSOLUTELY no boarding, grooming facility, dog parks, or hanging out with other dogs for that length of time. You also don't want to take your dog for a run or walk until symptoms resolve. 

You also need to be careful about going to your neighbor's house where there are other dogs because you could spread the virus to them, apart from your dog. 

Treatment for dogs with kennel cough is primarily supportive care. It's just like when you have a cold - lots of liquids and rest. We want to make sure they're eating and drinking. You can also put them in a hot, steamy bathroom and use a humidifier. 

Treatment outside of supportive care can include cough suppressants and anti-inflammatories, which may or may not work.

However, treatment in almost all cases does not include antibiotics, which is often hard for owners to understand. It's crucial to be judicial about antibiotic use with the increase in antibiotic resistance. 

If your dog does not improve after a period of time, has a fever, or has a green discharge, antibiotics can be reconsidered. 

At Buddy's Vets, when we have a suspected kennel cough case in the clinic, we have to take extra precautions. People who come into contact with a dog with kennel cough can become carriers and spread the disease to other dogs they come into contact with. Therefore, vets must be careful how much they touch the dog and should wear gloves. After using a stethoscope, it should get bleached along with the room and held for 20 minutes when nobody enters it. 

Just as we take extra precautions at the clinic, it's essential to do the same at home. This includes cleaning bowls and any shared toys. If there's another dog in the house, there's a chance that the dog will also get sick. But sometimes not. It's just like you and me. Why does one person get a cold in the house and another doesn't? There are various reasons: immune system, timing of virus shedding, and exposure. 

The good news is that even though kennel cough is super contagious, it's almost always self-resolving. If we did absolutely nothing, it would go away.

Prevention Strategies 

Vaccination

Some viruses that cause kennel cough can be vaccinated against, and some cannot. Vaccinations available to help protect against kennel cough include the Bordetella vaccine, the DHPP vaccine, and the canine influenza vaccine.

Note: As with any vaccinations, always discuss with your vet which vaccinations are and aren't recommended for your dog. 

It's important to note that vaccines will not 100% protect your dog from getting kennel cough. Your dog can still get it; however, if it's vaccinated, it can significantly reduce its risk and the severity of its symptoms. 

Environment

We can't always prevent our dogs from getting sick, let alone contracting kennel cough, but there are things you can do to help lessen your dog's risk. 

First, avoid exposure to large groups of dogs if an outbreak is occurring. Second, choose reputable boarding facilities with proper sanitation, such as Buddy's Boutique Boarding, where your pet's health and safety are our top priority. You can read our blog on boarding your dog for tips on boarding. 

Outbreaks of kennel cough happen when there are higher dog concentrations, such as boarding or grooming facilities and dog parks. If there is an active outbreak, avoid these places. If you must use them, be sure to discuss with the facility if they've had any outbreaks. Kennel cough outbreaks are nobody's fault. It's very similar to kids and daycare - it's often the nature of the beast and is a reminder to stay on top of hygiene. 

A Cold for Your Dog 

Kennel cough is like a cold for your dog, and prevention is key, especially during high-risk times or outbreaks. Vaccination is your dog's best line of defense in keeping them safe. Since kennel cough is highly contagious, watching your dog feel uncomfortable can be tough. The good news is that, in most cases, it resolves on its own without much intervention. If you suspect your dog has kennel cough, don't hesitate to contact us or your local vet. They're there to support both you and your dog.