Kennel cough is an extremely infectious canine disease that is also sometimes called infectious respiratory disease, infectious canine cough or bordetellosis. It is very commonplace and can strike dogs of any breed, age and gender.

The disease is often associated with dogs kept together in large groups, such as in kennels (hence the name), at dog shows, or in shelters. But in fact, it is so contagious that even dogs not exposed to those conditions can get it. A good analogy is to think of it as you would a human cold. All that is needed is one dog coughing and the virus becomes airborne. When that occurs any dog within the immediate area can catch it.

The virus attacks the dog’s windpipe and upper bronchi, although the dog will show little or no obvious signs of being ill. The most obvious symptom is a dry hacking cough that has been described as sounding like a “honking goose”.

This often panics dog-owners, but actually most cases of kennel cough are nothing to be concerned about. The dog’s overall health will generally be fine, with only the persistent coughing indicating that anything is amiss.What you should be concerned about though is the risk of kennel cough escalating into pneumonia, which is dangerous. That is why, any occurrence of kennel cough, no matter how mild, must be referred to a vet as soon as possible.

After an initial diagnosis, your vet may decide to treat the infection with antibiotics. He may also decide, if the infection is not too serious, that no treatment is needed. In this case you will be asked to monitor the dog’s condition and report any problems.

The best way to ensure that your dog is not exposed to kennel cough is to keep him away from dogs that you are not familiar to you. Keep this in mind while you are walking your dog or in areas, like a beach or park, where you are likely to meet other dogs. Be particularly careful while your dog is a pup, because his immune system will still be weak and not fully developed.

Be sure to also quiz the owner of any kennel or doggy day care your dog spends time at, although these facilities normally have strict rules and insist on proof of vaccination before they accept a dog.

Vaccinating your dog against kennel cough is an absolute necessity, even if he’s never likely to see the inside of a dog kennel. The vaccine is usually given with the annual “five in one” booster shot, but speak to your vet if you have any concerns in this regard.

Kennel cough itself is not a serious danger to a healthy adult dog, but because it can be a factor in more serious diseases it always pays to have it treated right away.

There’s a lot more about kennel cough, dog care, information on dogs and other helpful dog advice at www.dogsanddogtraining.com

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