Symptoms of Kennel Cough – what to look for.

Kennel cough can cause quite a lot of damage to the windpipe of a dog by irritating and damaging the area with infectious micro organisms. Kennel cough in a dog may be caused by either a bacteria or a virus.

One of the symptoms of kennel cough which should be observed is a dry and rough sounding cough from the dog which comes about in just a few days. The damage is done by bacteria or the virus to wind pipe and the bronchi lining, which exposes the nerve endings.

In many cases of kennel cough, the symptoms are mild and will not affect the overall physical condition of the dog. By it can be irritating and distracting as the dog can cough as much as every two to three minutes, all day and night.

The vet can prescribe antibiotics to speed up the recovery and in most cases, the dog rarely gets better without a trip to the vet. Even with the correct medication, the symptoms of kennel cough can take up to three weeks to subside completely.

Kennel cough in dogs can be transmitted just like a cough between human beings. Because the microbes are carried through the air, other dogs can contract the symptoms and illness by being in the same area. If the dog is in a kennel, with many other dogs in close proximity, then the illness is transmitted rapidly between the other dogs, hence the name. This does not mean that a dog will only get the illness in a kennel with other dogs. The illness can be transmitted in any locations.

The vet will recommend and prescribe a cough suppressing form of medication to reduce the coughing of the dog. They may also prescribe antibiotics to clear up any infection which may have been caused to the wind pipe but this is not always the case.

There are many other coughs which bear the same sound as a kennel cough but may be an indication of another illness so it is always worth a trip to the vet if your dog begins to cough.

Technorati Tags: Symptoms of Kennel Cough