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Kennel cough or bordetella:

Boarding your pet can be very heart-wrenching for both you and your pet. You usually want to pick a clean and trust-worthy place to board your dog. However, once you read the following information, you may want to consider more than how friendly the staff is at the boarding venue….

Bordetella is most commonly referred to as “kennel cough”. It is the dog equivalent to the common chest cold in human beings. Kennel cough, plainly put consists of a hacking cough that may sound as if there is something caught in your dog’s respiratory passage. Usually, kennel cough will run its course and the dog will be fine, but there are several circumstances that could escalate the severity of the illness.

Kennel cough is caused by a number of factors that include, exposure to large amounts of dust, debris, cigarette smoke, cold temperatures, not enough ventilation, or stress caused by shipping or being over crowded. Dogs that are kept in boarding situations or dogs that travel very frequently are more likely to be infected.  The only symptoms of kennel cough are a hacking cough, and in some cases the dog may cough up a white foamy substance.

Kennel cough, or Bordetella bronchiseptica is usually a series of infections, instead of being an infection caused by one specific virus. It can be attributed to a number of viruses entering the respiratory system.  Dogs are usually infected while they are in a closed off or crowded area, such as a groomer’s, or while being boarded in a shelter or vet’s office. These places usually have a lot of warm air with little ventilation. Kennel cough has an incubation time of approximately two days up to two weeks.  It is not transmitted by dogs alone, and can be picked up by other animals including cats.

Most cases of kennel cough will resolve themselves without needing medical attention, but common treatments include administration of antibiotics and certain cough suppressants.

Kennel cough is relatively contagious, but if preventative measures such as vaccinations and proper boarding locations are used, it may greatly reduce your dog’s risk. Other measures that will help prevent your dog from kennel cough are as follows. If you will be boarding your pet, or if they will be in a confined area for a period of time, make sure the area is very well ventilated and make sure your pet is not confined to a tiny space. Talk to your vet for more information concerning vaccinations and diagnosis of kennel cough. If your dog’s symptoms are paired with more serious symptoms such as fever, diarrhea or discharge from the eyes or nose, it may indicate a more serious condition. If this is the case, make sure you take your dog into your veterinarian’s office as soon as possible to rule out a more serious illness or disease. Puppies should be taken in for medical attention regardless of the severity or presence of more serious symptoms since their immune systems are not completely developed and their symptoms may worsen or become more serious.