Meeting new furry friends in shared spaces promises wagging tails, zoomies, and all-around excitement. But an outing alongside other dogs may also expose pets to an array of contagious respiratory infections commonly referred to as kennel cough.
Dr. Kathleen Aicher, an assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, shares what owners on the go this summer — whether it’s taking their furry companions on outdoor adventures or dropping them off at doggy day care — need to know about canine kennel cough transmission and management.
Catching A Cough
Kennel cough — also known as contagious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC) — encompasses a variety of contagious respiratory infections.
“These infections may be bacterial in origin like Bordetella bronchiseptica, Streptococcus zooepidemicus, or Mycoplasma,” Aicher said. “They may also be viral in origin, like canine parainfluenza virus, canine influenza virus, or canine respiratory coronavirus.”
Dogs may develop an infection when they are in close contact with another infected dog in places such as:
• Boarding kennels
• Training facilities
• Dog shows
• Dog parks
• Dogs that have had contact with dogs that have recently been in one of these environments are also at risk.
“These infections can either be transmitted by direct contact with an infected dog, surfaces contaminated by an infected dog, or through respiratory droplets in the air — even when the dogs have not had direct contact with each other,” Aicher said.
Because these infections are usually very contagious, it is likely that multiple dogs in a household may develop kennel cough if one develops clinical signs.
Spotting The Signs
Owners may notice kennel cough symptoms begin to develop in their pet within two weeks of exposure to an infected dog.
Signs of a kennel cough infection include:
• A sudden onset of a hacking, harsh cough
• Sneezing
• Nasal discharge
• Eye discharge “Usually these dogs otherwise feel OK, with normal energy levels and appetite,” Aicher said. “Very rarely do dogs develop more severe clinical signs — such as a fever, poor appetite, worsening cough, low energy levels, or difficulty breathing.”
However, if a dog is presenting with these symptoms, they should be seen by their veterinarian promptly.
Confirming A Diagnosis
“When a veterinarian sees a dog who has clinical signs of kennel cough, they will inquire more about history of exposure to other dogs and their environment to determine if kennel cough could be possible,” Aicher said.
Because of its highly contagious nature, if kennel cough is suspected to be the cause of a dog’s symptoms, owners may be advised to take special precautions when bringing their dog in for evaluation. This might include entering through a separate entrance or having the veterinary staff wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect other dogs in the hospital from becoming infected.
“Any dog can become infected with kennel cough, so this should be considered in any patient with appropriate clinical signs and a history of exposure to other dogs,”Aicher said. “Interestingly, a recent paper from the University of Minnesota described Yorkshire terriers and Cavalier King Charles spaniel as breeds more commonly diagnosed with Bordetella bronchiseptica infections.”
These findings suggest that these breeds may have an increased risk for more severe infections.
Treating The Infection
Dogs with kennel cough should be isolated from other dogs and should not be brought into public spaces with other dogs until they have recovered from their infection.
Most dogs will recover very quickly with time and with athome treatments such as cough suppressants.
“Very rarely do dogs need antibiotics, which will not help with viral cases of kennel cough,” Aicher said. “Very severely affected dogs, albeit rare, may require hospitalization for oxygen supplementation, intravenous antibiotics, and, even far more rarely, may need to have surgery to remove a severely diseased lung.”
Since prevention is the best medicine, owners should talk with their veterinarian about vaccinations that are available for some of the causes of kennel cough, including Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine parainfluenza virus, and canine influenza. These vaccines do not protect against all causes of kennel cough but may help reduce the severity of symptoms in a dog that becomes infected.
“Many boarding kennels and training facilities will require that dogs have received these vaccines to protect all the dogs in their care,”Aicher said. “Alternatively, owners can limit their dog’s exposure to other dogs — especially dogs with an unknown medical or vaccination history such as at dog parks. For dogs that enjoy being social with other dogs, owners could form smaller play groups or social outings with dogs of friends or neighbors.”
By understanding how kennel cough can spread and taking preventative measures when needed, owners can make informed decisions to help keep their dogs healthy, happy, and safe while socializing with other pets.
Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/ news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.