What is canine kennel cough?
Kennel cough is a highly contagious infection of the upper respiratory tract (trachea or windpipe) and the main lower airways (bronchia). Canine kennel cough is primarily caused by a bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica and can involve various viral iinfections such as by parainfluenza, adenovirus, herpesvirus, reovirus, and distemper virus. Mycoplasma is a bacteria that may also play a role in some cases.
Kennel cough is a “cold” that dogs can get that is highly contagious from dog to dog. Dogs from shelters can be susceptible to it due to stress and exposure to a large number of unvaccinated animals. There is no cure for it; it has to run it’s two to three week course much like when people get colds. It is contagious to other dogs for much of that time. Signs of kennel cough include runny eyes, nasal discharge and a cough that may or may not produce foam or bile. If you notice these symptoms, try to separate the adoption dog from other dogs as much as possible. If you have recently adopted a dog from Pinellas County Animal Services in the last two to three weeks, call (727) 582-2600 and ask for a veterinary technician. We can either tell you some home remedies to try to relieve the cough or we can get you some antibiotics. The antibiotics don’t cure the disease; they just help prevent a secondary bacterial infection that could lead to pneumonia, which is rare. Please understand we cann
