The kennel cough is an infectious disease that affects the respiratory system. Normally, the kennel cough symptoms will only be present for a few weeks and should go away without any specific treatment.
How Long Does Kennel Cough Last?
The kennel cough is also known as tracheobronchitis and it may be caught from infected dogs, especially in kennels or other places where there are a lot of canines.
The kennel cough may be caused by different viruses such as the parainflueza virus, the adenovirus or the respiratory coronavirus; it may also be caused by bacteria such as Bordetella bronchiseptica; however the name comes from the fact that the disease is often spread in environments such as dog kennels.
The kennel cough will typically last between 10 and 20 days. If the dog is under stress or he is affected by a different disease that will challenge his immune system, the kennel cough symptoms may reoccur. The disease will be contagious several weeks after the dog shows no other symptoms of kennel cough.
However, in puppies are dogs with a week immunity, the kennel cough may persist for over 1 month. In this case, treatment is necessary.
Symptoms of Kennel Cough
The kennel cough will cause the swelling and irritation of the respiratory system. The symptoms of kennel cough will be displayed 3 to 5 days after the dog gets infected with the virus or bacteria.
The dog will display symptoms such as dry cough, lack of appetite, lethargy and in more severe cases, the disease may affect the lungs, causing pneumonia.
If the kennel cough turns into pneumonia, the treatment will be longer and it may take several weeks or over a month for the cough to disappear.
Treatment and Prevention of Kennel Cough
The kennel cough doesn’t require specific treatment; however, if the dog is a puppy or has a compromised immunity, the vet will recommend hospitalization and fluid therapy plus treatment. If the disease is caused by bacteria, the vet may prescribe some antibiotics.
If the cough is disturbing, it should be treated with some over the counter anti tussives. Please note that if the dog has a productive cough, anti tussives should not be taken.
You may also opt for natural anti tussives such as honey or maple syrup.
The infected dog should be kept in isolation and avoid any contact with other healthy pets. If the dog is hospitalized, the vet will place him in an isolated portion of the clinic.
The kennel cough may be prevented though vaccination. The DA2PPC vaccine is an effective vaccine that can be administered to prevent viruses such as canine distemper, adenovirus, the canine parvovirus, the parainfluenza, the canine coronavirus, so it will prevent all viruses that may cause the kennel cough.
In kennels, the cages must be disinfected and all dogs that are boarded should be tested prior to boarding.