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[T1307]Treatment For Kennel Cough

by Muna wa Wanjiru, Mun

The main cause of kennel cough are tiny organisms in the breadth of an infected dog. It is trasmitted in a similar manner to the common cold or flu that affects humans. These organisms are attached to the air passages of the un-infected dog. Since these passenges are warm and moist, they make an ideal environment for their replication within these cells.

About a week after your dog is infected with kennel cough, your dog will exhibit dry, coarse cough that feels like a clearing of the throat albeit harsher, it will cough now and as often as every few minutes throughout the day. The infected dog normally loses appetite and is generally weak. Luckly enough, although kennel cough deeply affects both the dog and its owner, the dog usually recovers in 7 to 21 days after infection, but majorly on its own.

Kennel cough vaccine is readily available today. Tracheobronchitis is named kennel cough as this cough is highly contagious and can spread easily among dogs sharing the same kennel.

Kennel cough can be caused by viral as well as bacterial infections .Viral infection like canine adenovirus canine distemper canine para influenza virus or canine respiratory coronavirus.
Bacterial infection like Bordetella bronchiseptica can be major causes for the spread of kennel cough.

Kennel cough being a viral and bacterial illness spread easily, if a dog is infected by kennel cough his sneeze as well as cough are carriers of the virus .This virus can be spread through air ,as well as any contact with contaminated surface or any direct contact with infected dog.
Kennel cough has 2 vaccination options
1. Injectable Vaccination
2. Intranasal Vaccination

Injectable Vaccination is a safer and faster means of vaccination especially for aggressive canines . Injectable vaccination provides better immunization from kennel cough. For systematic immunization two doses of vaccination need to be given after 4 months along with the annual booster.

Injectable vaccination cannot provide complete prevention from kennel cough ,but will definitely reduce the severity of the infection ,an immunized dog will suffer less severity than an non vaccinated dog.

Intranasal Vaccination is given very early to the canines ,as soon as they are 2 weeks of age
intranasal vaccination is given ,the preventive cover of this vaccination lasts for 10 to 12 weeks .This vaccine is given as an annual boost to canines to safe guard their health from this contagious disease . For intranasal vaccination it takes at least 4 days for the vaccine to immunize the dog completely. Intranasal vaccination can lead to sneezing as well as nasal discharge .

For canines intranasal vaccination is better than injectable vaccination.
DHLPP Vaccine is preventive vaccination for virus infections like Para influenza Adenovirus type 2 ,canine distemper and all other infections of kennel cough . Adenovirus Type 2 serum is a vaccination against Adenovirus Type 1 ,a carrier of infectious canine hepatitis.
Vaccination is a preventive measure for kennel cough ,it is 80% effective against kennel cough ,but it will have no effect for a dog who has bee infected with kennel cough.

Treatment: Preferably, affected dogs should not be hospitalized because the disease is usually highly contagious (and also self-limiting). Appropriate management practices, including good nutrition, hygiene, and nursing care, as well as correction of predisposing environmental factors, hasten recovery. Cough suppressants containing codeine derivatives, such as hydrocodone (0.25 mg/kg body wt, every 6-12 hr, PO) or butorphanol (0.05-0.1 mg/kg, every 6-12 hr, PO or SC), should be used only as needed to control persistent nonproductive coughing. Antibiotics are usually not needed except in severe chronic cases; cephalosporins, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline are preferable because they reach effective concentrations in the tracheobronchial mucosa. When needed, the antibiotic should be selected by culture and sensitivity tests of specimens collected by transtracheal aspiration or bronchoscopy. Antibiotics given PO or IM may not significantly reduce the numbers of B bronchiseptica in the distal trachea or major bronchi. Thus, in severely affected dogs that are not responsive to parenteral antibiotics, kanamycin sulfate (250 mg) or gentamicin sulfate (50 mg) diluted in 3 mL of saline may be administered by aerosolization b.i.d. for 3 days. Aerosolization treatment should be preceded by administration of bronchodilators. Endotracheal injection of antibiotics (eg, gentamicin) is a possible alternative to aerosolization. Corticosteroids may help alleviate clinical signs but should be used concurrently with an antibacterial agent; they are contraindicated in severely ill, coughing dogs.
Prevention: Dogs should be immunized with modified live virus vaccines against distemper, parainfluenza, and CAV-2, which also provides protection against CAV-1. Commercial products frequently combine these agents and often include modified live parvovirus and leptospiral antigen vaccines. An initial vaccination should be given at 6- 8 wk and repeated twice at 3- to 4-wk intervals until the dog is 14-16 wk old. Revaccination should be performed annually. When the risk of B bronchiseptica infection is considered to be significant, use of a live, avirulent, intranasal vaccine is preferable to parenteral products containing inactivated bacteria or bacterial extracts. A combination of an avirulent B bronchiseptica and a modified live parainfluenza vaccine is available for intranasal use. One inoculation is administered (intranasally) to puppies >3 wk old.

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Both Muna wa Wanjiru & Aaheroe Mu are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Muna wa Wanjiru has sinced written about articles on various topics from Recreation and Sports, Birthday Party and Jewelry. Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Coughs for Years. For More Information on Kennel cough vaccine, Visit His Site at