Our Experience with Kennel Cough

Every year when our dogs go for their annual examination they get the vaccine for kennel cough. We were under the assumption that after receiving the vaccine, they would be protected from the virus, but learned this isn’t always the case. Last October we took Buddy and Molly to a dog park a couple times, and one night we came home to find Buddy coughing and retching. At first we thought he will ill, but he was eating fine and was very energetic and we learned he had kennel cough. We took him to the vet and Buddy was put on a course of antibiotics and was back to his old self within a day. Molly was exposed to the same conditions as Buddy, but she never developed the cough.

About a month later, we went back to the dog park on two occasions and Buddy developed kennel cough again, which surprised the vet and we treated it and decided that we would only let him socialize with other dogs in situations where dogs are immunized for kennel cough and that has worked for us.

Kennel cough is a form of bronchitis which affects the trachea and while we requested the vaccination each year, we didn’t know much about it. Since then we’ve learned that kennel cough is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases that dogs can contract but it is not serious in most cases, and often resolves itself after a week or two. We learned that it is a general consensus of the veterinary community that in order to cause the illness, an animal must be virtually bombarded by multiple versions of these pathogens at one time. Dogs that spend a lot of time with other dogs are most at risk. I guess Buddy is very susceptible because he didn’t have much contact with other dogs.

The primary symptom of kennel cough is a dry hacking cough which is sometimes accompanied with retching. Coughing spells will often result in the dog coughing up a white and foamy discharge. Some dogs will also develop conjunctivitis – an inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelids. Nasal discharge may also be present. In a mild case, the dog will still have his or her appetite and be alert and active. As stated above, the disease is rarely serious and almost never life-threatening. Still, if you have seen any of these symptoms or have reason to believe that your dog has or has been exposed to kennel cough, you should consult your vet immediately for a diagnosis and treatment.

The best prevention is to not expose your dog to other dogs, especially puppies and to have them vaccinated. Buddy and Molly did receive vaccinations each year because they do socialize with other dogs routinely. Kennel cough can be caused by so many different pathogens and dogs are not immune despite having the vaccination. We also learned that our dogs shouldn’t be allowed to use shared toys, food and water bowls and they should be in a well ventilated areas. Since we’ve taken a few simple precautions, Buddy is socializing with other dogs and hasn’t been sick for a few months.