6 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT KENNEL COUGH

Understanding Kennel Cough: A Guide for Dog Owners

Kennel cough, a common and highly contagious respiratory disease in dogs, is something every dog owner should know about. Here's a comprehensive guide covering its other names, causes, symptoms, prevention, and more.

1. Does Kennel Cough Have Another Name?

Yes, kennel cough is also known as Infectious Tracheobronchitis or Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease (CIRD). These terms describe the same condition, emphasizing its impact on the respiratory system.

2. Does Kennel Cough Affect All Dogs?

Yes, kennel cough is a global concern that can infect a significant percentage of dogs. It is believed that most dogs will experience kennel cough at least once in their lifetime. While all dogs are susceptible, certain groups are more likely to suffer severe symptoms, including:

Unvaccinated dogs

Young puppies

Elderly dogs

Dogs with compromised immune systems

3. What Causes Kennel Cough?

Kennel cough is caused by a combination of bacterial and viral pathogens. These include, but are not limited to:

Viruses:

Parainfluenza virus

Adenovirus

Canine respiratory coronavirus

Canine herpesvirus

Canine distemper virus

Canine influenza virus

Bacteria:

Bordetella bronchiseptica

Mycoplasma species

Streptococcus zooepidemicus

These pathogens can work alone or in combination to cause the infection.

4. How Does a Dog Get Kennel Cough?

Dogs contract kennel cough primarily through inhalation of airborne infectious agents. This typically happens in environments where infected and healthy dogs are in close contact, such as:

Kennels

Dog parks

Training classes

Dog shows

When an infected dog coughs or sneezes, it releases droplets containing bacteria or viruses into the air. These can be inhaled by other dogs, spreading the disease. Additionally, pathogens can survive on surfaces like:

Toys

Food or water bowls

Bedding

Contact with these contaminated objects can also lead to infection.

5. What Are the Signs of Kennel Cough?

Dogs with kennel cough may show a range of symptoms, from mild to severe. Look out for the following:

Mild Cases:

A dry, hacking cough that may sound like honking

Retching or gagging

Watery nasal discharge

Normal appetite and activity levels

Severe Cases:

Decreased appetite

Fever

Lethargy

Progression to pneumonia

Rarely, the disease may result in death, especially in vulnerable dogs

6. Can Kennel Cough Be Prevented?

Yes, kennel cough can be effectively prevented. Here’s how:

Vaccination:

The most reliable way to minimize your dog’s risk is through vaccination. Vaccines for kennel cough target specific pathogens like Bordetella bronchiseptica, parainfluenza virus, and adenovirus. Talk to your veterinarian about your dog’s vaccination schedule, especially if they frequently interact with other dogs.

Other Preventive Measures:

1. Keep Your Dog Healthy:

Maintain a balanced diet and regular exercise to boost immunity.

2. Reduce Stress:

Avoid stress and extreme temperature changes, as these can weaken your dog’s immune system.

3. Improve Ventilation:

Ensure your dog’s living area is well-ventilated to reduce pathogen buildup.

4. Limit Contact with Strange Dogs:

Especially in enclosed spaces, avoid unnecessary exposure to other dogs.

5. Assess Boarding Facilities:

If using kennels, choose ones with strict vaccination policies and good ventilation.

Kennel cough is a manageable disease with the right precautions. By understanding its causes, recognizing symptoms early, and prioritizing preventive care, you can protect your dog from this common illness. Always consult your veterinarian for guidance tailored to your dog’s specific needs.

COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANINE DISTEMPER PREVENTION

What is canine distemper?   

Canine distemper is a highly contagious viral disease of the whole body, essentially the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and the nervous system of dog and other wild canines like wolves, coyotes, foxes, ferrets, lions, and cats among others.

HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED?

Via aerosol: inhalation of droplets of moisture exhaled by an infected animal.

Puppies are the population at greatest risk of coming down with infection

HOW DO YOU TELL IF YOUR DOG HAS CANINE DISTEMPER?

Dogs with Canine distemper exhibit the following signs

1. Short fever which lasts 3-6 days; post infection usually occurs

2.  Loss of appetite

3. A second fever follows after the first subsides and this lasts several days and may be seen alongside discharges from the nose and eyes

4. The skin of the foot pads and nose are overgrown, hence “hard pad” disease

5. Central nervous system signs associated:

·  Twitching of muscles of a localized area e.g face, legs.

·  Bacterial infection may be complicated in animals with distemper

· Partial or total paralysis first with the hind limbs (legs) and the all four limbs (legs and hands).

·Convulsions, drooling and chewing movement of the jaw. As the disease progresses so does the seizures. The dog may fall on one of its sides and paddle its legs

The course of the disease is 10days at least.

Puppies infected with canine distemper are highly feverish and show signs of widespread infection.

Some dogs may recover, in which case intensive nursing care is advised. Also, some dogs may not make it to recovery (especially those neurological problems of distemper) even after treatment is administered. 

In such case, the most humane thing to do is euthanasia (to put it down). Your vet would choose and combine the therapy as appropriate for your pet’s condition, for best results.

HOW DO I PREVENT MY PET FROM CANINE DISTEMPER?

It is simple! Canine distemper vaccine is administered at 5-6 weeks of age with 2 booster doses at 2 weeks interval, which means, it should be repeated at 8 and 10 weeks and then yearly. 

It is important to see a veterinarian for the complete Vaccination schedule for your dog based on you area and the dog’s health.

DO YOU KNOW DOG WORMS CAN BE ZOONOTIC?

                                     See signs of worm infestation

Worms of dogs are important because they threaten the health and wellbeing of one of man's favorite pets, the dog, and can also infect humans. Zoonotic dog helminths possibly have more deleterious effects in humans than is commonly appreciated.

It is difficult to diagnose zoonotic helminth infection in humans, as the worms rarely reach maturity and therefore do not produce eggs that assist with the diagnosis.

It is therefore important for man to make sure pets are free form worm infestation to cut the risk and chance of contacting it. The zoonotic worms include Ancylostoma spp.  Which is produce a mild infection, to the Echinococcus spp which produce a lethal disease

                                   image frompit-bull-shirts.com

Treatment and Prevention.

• Routinely deworm puppies beginning at 2 weeks of age, with deworming repeated every 2 weeks.

• Begin administering a monthly control product with efficacy against intestinal helminths when           puppies reach 4 to 8 weeks of age

• Broad spectrum parasite control products should be administered monthly year round.

• Keeping dogs on a leash or in a fenced yard to prevent predation and scavenging activities; this limits the opportunity for dogs to acquire infection via ingestion of vertebrate hosts (ascarids) or from a feces-contaminated environment.

• Promptly removing feces from the yard to prevent eggs from being released from fecal material or dispersing into the environment.

• Preventing contamination with eggs of B procyonis by not keeping raccoons as pets and avoiding areas frequented by dogs and wildlife

You can read more on dog worms

Does Frontline Plus really control fleas or ticks?

The answer is simply  YES, frontline plus work with a loud YES.

Many would say flea and or tick control is one of the hardest and most difficult task to do, but that is certainly not true with me.

I have seen situations where ticks and fleas have been controlled successfully with only one chemical, Dichlovus, but today, I am going to show you how to control fleas and ticks with Frontline Plus.

Frontline plus contains majorly fipronil and methoprene, it may be worth noting that fipronil may be  toxic to cats if applied in excess.

Follow these instructions to apply FRONTLINE Plus for dogs.

To apply, simply follow these instructions–and repeat every 20days and 30 days after first application.

Remove Applicator: Lift and remove the plastic tab to expose foil backing. Then peel away the foil. Or use scissors to open

Open Applicator: Hold upright with foil side toward you and snap applicator tip

Apply FRONTLINE plus: Part your dog's hair between the shoulder blades. Place the applicator tip just above the skin and squeeze.

 Apply entire contents of the applicator in a single spot directly onto the animal's skin. Do not apply on top of the hair coat. Avoid contact with treated area until dry.

Don’t forget to keep away from children, in the case where animal ingest frontline plus, see a veterinarian immediately.  

You could also read the complete guide to preventing and controling tick infestation

Know the most important thing about Rabies or Mad dog.

Rabies is a highly infectious, deadly, non treadable viral disease caused by Viruses which include a Rhabdovirus called Rabies virus, others include Lagos bat virus, European bat virus and others

Species affected include

Man

Domestic dogs including the wild dog viz; wolves foxes, coyotes and others

Domestic Cats including wild cats  viz: lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards and others

HOW RABIES IS TRANSMITTED TO MAN AND TO PETS

To Pets:

1. Bites from an infected dog or cat(during a fight or play)

2. From bitch to the puppy(mother to child transmission)

3. Uninfected pet licking broken skin of infected animal

4. Contamination of exposed mucus membrane to saliva of infected animal

TO HUMANS:

Bites from an unvaccinated infected dog or cats or infected human, or other infected animal, rabies can also be transmitted through contact with neutral tissues and saliva of a rabid animal

Following bite from an infected animal or person, it take 1 to few hours to weeks or months for the signs to manifest. The height of the signs being barking sounds from the human, and severe respiratory distress.

If prompt therapy is not given to the bitten human, its may reach the nervous system and in which case death is inevitable. Thus following a case of bite from a suspected dog, both a vet and a human doctor should be promptly informed.

The vet needs to diagnose and confirm if the dog is rabid or not, while the medical doctor gives emergency and full therapy to the human based on reports from the vet.

SIGNS OF RABIES IN DOGS

Rabies signs exists in 3 basic stages forms: dumb form, furious form, paralytic form

A. The dumb form is the early stage of infection. It is quiet inapparent the signs at this stage are: unusual calmness, lethargy, changes in behaviour, fever, change in the  tone of bark, the pet chews at bite site frequently.

B. The furious form is the second stage. It is the most dangerous period and transmission to other uninfected pets and human through bites is most likely at this stage. The signs here are: aggression, listlessness(being totally uncomfortable, always chases any moving object or being,persistent growling, dilated pupils, seizures.

C. The paralytic form is characterised by: dysphagia(inability to swallow during feeding) difficulty in chewing due to paralysis of the jaw and chewing muscles, the mouth of the pet expresses white foam.

When your pet expresses any of these signs, stage 2 and stage 3 being most apparent, report to your pet veterinarian promptly for proper diagnosis, confirmation and execution of appropriate measures.

HOW TO PREVENT RABIES IN DOGS AND CATS

1. Vaccinate your pets  pet. Vaccination is the best and cheapest method of preventing rabies This should be at the first 3 months and  first 12 months of its life. After that ensure booster doses of vaccine is given it once every year, or depending on the type of vaccine, once in 4 years.

2. Prevent  your pet from playing with other dogs with unknown vaccination status

3. Keep your pet from straying by keeping them in clean environment or kennels. This prevents them from being victims of bites from infected dogs.

CONTROL OF RABIES IN PETS AND HUMAN

RABIES HAS NO TREATMENT!!!

Once your pet gets bitten or a human gets bitten, prompt medical attention should be given from both the veterinary hospital and human hospital.

Report promptly to your vet should you notice any of the signs of rabies infection in your pet. A rabid dog or cat must be euthanized(put down) by the vet in the hospital. This is a humane and most appropriate to rabies as it has no cure; the dog may transmit it to you, your kids or other individuals and pets, it will suffer greatly and eventually die if not euthanised.

For humans rabies antitoxin will be promptly administered in the hospital following report of the case of rabid dog bite to neutralize the effect of the virus before it gains access to the nervous system(spinal cord and brain). If this is not done promptly, death is sure when the virus reaches the nervous system.

Prompt washing of the site of bite with cold water and soap is important in reducing the viral load at the site of bite.