What is Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex, and what causes it?
It is common to use the term “kennel cough”, “infectious tracheobronchitis” and variations on “canine infectious respiratory disease complex” interchangeably. However, this is an overly simplistic view of a complicated syndrome. Disease is not limited to the trachea, nor does it always manifest as coughing. Clinical syndromes of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) may include sneezing, nasal and ocular discharge, and sometimes lower respiratory and/or systemic disease. Viral pathogens associated with upper respiratory disease in dogs include • Parainfluenza • Adenovirus • Canine respiratory coronavirus (this is distinct from canine enteric coronavirus) • Canine herpesvirus Canine distemper and canine influenza may also be associated with upper respiratory signs, as well as potentially causing more severe systemic disease in a proportion of infected dogs. Bacterial pathogens implicated in CIRDC include: • Bordetella bronchiseptica • Mycoplasma spp. • Streptococcus zooe
