Can young children get kennel cough from my two dogs, because my daughter has just started coughing?
I am going to be the different person here! Viruses are usually species specific. Very few viruses are zoonotic- that means travel from one type of animal to another. But bacteria can and do easily transmit from one species to another. Not all bacteria affect all species the same way, but they can spread. So if your dog has a viral KC, then, NO, the child cannot get it. But if your dog has a strep infection that is causing it to cough, then yes, certainly your daughter could pick it up. Kennel Cough is a general term for many different diseases in dogs. Just like “cold” is a general term for humans. It just depends on what organism is responsible for giving your dog Kennel Cough (bronchitis). Not all KC is viral in nature. KC is just a general term, not a specific disease. It simply means canine bronchitis. Many different things can cause bronchitis.
