What is Kennel Cough

Kennel Cough is characterized by a dry, hacking cough that sounds as if something is lodged in the dog's throat and can be quite forceful that it leads to retching or heaving.

Healthy dogs  can easily acquire the disease in vaccination clinics, animal shelters, veterinary hospitals, local parks, kennels, dog shows, grooming parlors or animal boarding places with infected dogs. Crowded situations where the air is very warm and ventilation is poor are a potential source of kennel cough.

Kennel cough can be caused by one or a combination of the following airborne agents (either as the causative or secondary agent): canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus 2, canine parainfluenza virus, the bordetella bronchiseptica or other gram negative bacteria. The condition is triggered when two or more of these pathogens attack the dog at the same time, leading to bronchial and tracheal inflammation. Other signs of kennel cough include thick yellow or green nasal discharge, rhinitis and conjunctivitis in some dogs.

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