Kennel Cough: A Common Health Problem in Dogs

You might think that humans are the only respiring organisms highly prone to infection by bacteria and viruses; dogs can also suffer a lot in the same way as humans. If humans can get fever and flu, dogs have a good chance of experiencing the same problems.

Coughing is also a common problem among people, young or old. But when it comes to dogs, it’s called kennel cough. This is a common problem in the world of canine health, but why the name? The name itself originated from how dogs in the same kennel can quickly pick up an infection. When this happens, inflammation occurs in the dogs upper respiratory system. As for other dogs within the kennel, they too can easily contract the same virus and bacteria simply through airborne droplets from the initially infected dog.

If your dog begins to show signs of coughing without phlegm, throat clearing, retching, sneezing, and huffing and puffing for several days, it could already indicate kennel cough. In some cases, a dog may experience a fever, and the worst could happen when kennel cough develops into a more serious problem for your dog, such as pneumonia.

Prevention is still the best cure for kennel cough. Keep areas your dog frequents in your home clean, and kennels in particular should be sanitary as well. If your dog requires interaction with other dogs in places like parks, kennels, or training schools, this is a call to get your dog vaccinated against kennel cough.

It is worth taking precautionary measures for your dog’s health, even before an infection begins to develop or symptoms appear, to prevent you, the dog owner, from experiencing all the discomfort and problems that could arise when your precious dog becomes infected and experiences kennel cough.

If you notice any symptoms as explained above, see your vet immediately.