By Tess Thompson
Kennel cough is a common name for canine infectious
tracheobronchitis, a common respiratory infection in dogs
marked by inflammation of the trachea and the bronchi. Kennel
cough in canines
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may be caused by bacterial or viral infection. It is a
contagious disease and spreads very quickly among dogs. An
infected dog among those housed in close quarters, such as a
kennel, is liable to pass it on to others. This is probably why
the specific condition is called - kennel cough. Dogs
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can also develop kennel cough outside a kennel as the kennel
cough virus travels through air and does not necessarily need
physical contact.
Kennel cough is also known as Bordetellosis or
Bordetella, because a bacterium known as Bordetella
bronchiseptica is the most common bacteria that has been
isolated from this type of infection. Bordetellosis is an
inclusive name for diseases caused by Bordetella
bronchiseptica and includes some case of suppurative
bronchopneumonia associated with distemper in dogs,
atrophic rhinitis, septicemia along with kennel cough. Besides
Bordetella bronchiseptica, any of a group of small
parasitic bacteria that lack cell walls and can survive without
oxygen (mycoplasma) can also cause kennel cough in dogs
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Viruses like canine adenovirus, parainfluenza, respiratory
coronavirus are known to contribute to the disease, with
parainfluenza being the most common viral agent that causes
kennel cough in canines.
Both
viral and bacterial infections spread through the air when an
infected dog sneezes or coughs. They can also spread through
physical contact with infected dogs or surfaces. The disease is
highly contagious and besides kennels, it can be contacted in
pet stores, dog shows and other places where canines are likely
to be present in large numbers.
Symptoms of kennel cough usually start surfacing 3 to 5 days
after exposure and may last for ten to twenty days. Mild
instances of kennel cough that involve recurrent coughing even
as the dog is active and eating properly are allowed to run
their course without treatment. This is essentially so because
treating a mild case does not shorten the infectious stage of
the disease. However, treating severe kennel cough in dogs is as
important since it can progress to pneumonia if left untreated.
References::
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennel_cough
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&articleid=452
Information:
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