Kennel cough is a common and highly contagious infection you may run across as a pet owner. If you find your dog suddenly develops an a-typical cough that sounds like she is choking or even “honking” like a goose, they probably have kennel cough. This cough is different than the normal, smaller coughs that many small dogs have on the average day.
Cause of Kennel Cough
There are several different causes of Kennel Cough, the first being a reaction caused by bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica m. It can also be the result of a viral infection, reactions to poor ventilation or caused by environmental issues like an owner who smokes.
Kennel cough is highly contagious so if you have multiple dogs and one is exposed they will more than likely all get this cough. Some dogs may naturally get over it, but it can also turn into pneumonia so it is better to treat the cough.
Symptoms of Kennel Cough
Symptoms include a cough that just does not go away and seems to have more force behind it than what is normal for the dog. The cough is the most common symptom but they may also have discharge from their eyes, runny nose and increased drool. The cough will probably be much louder than average too, and can sound like a seal barking or a goose.
Treatments for Kennel Cough
With a miserable set of symptoms that may turn into pneumonia, it is usually best to get the dog tested for the virus or bacteria that most commonly cause Kennel Cough. Make sure the vet uses reliable testing equipment offered by Vetlab Supplies Ltd. After testing, the vet will often give you antibiotics for the infected dog and also vaccinate any other dogs you have since it is easy to spread.
Since this can be caused by other stressors in the dog’s environment, you may also need to look at the space where they live or sleep to make sure it is healthy for the dog. This means if you smoke getting fans or ventilation to improve air circulation or only smoking outside. Second hand smoke can be just as dangerous for dogs as it is for people.
Stress may also be a factor so if there is on-going stress like too many dogs in small spaces of traveling a lot it might be time to think about ways you can reduce the stress. You can start by working with your vet to see if traveling with medications if you need to talk the dog would reduce the stress or consider boarding your pet when you travel if you do so for work. We may think taking the pup with us is good for everyone but it really is not if it causes stress or the dog just spends most of its time alone anyway if you are working or out site seeing.
Kennel Cough usually produces a cough that sounds far worse than it really is, just like when you have a cold or flu. It is treatable and preventable so seeing your vet will surely help fix the situation and get your best friend back to normal. You will surely enjoy having the dog free of that horrid cough and happier to not feel bad.
Making changes like dealing with smoking might be a bit more complex but it is worth it to keep you and the pup healthy. Stress or second hand smoke is not good for either one of you. Enjoy a healthy pup again!
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