Kennel cough in dogs: causes, symptoms, treatment. 24/7 Veterinary Care

It would be reckless to think that kennel cough can appear only in places where there are large concentrations of dogs. This is viral disease, which is difficult to avoid without regular preventive measures, the use of modern vaccinations. Today we wanted to tell you about the features of this formidable disease, so that every owner has an idea about it and can take the necessary measures in time.

general characteristics

Kennel cough is one of the most contagious diseases that is similar to the human flu, otherwise called "adenovirus". This ailment most often affects young and old animals. This disease manifests itself in places where dogs can contact each other or live relatively close. This is the private sector, large organizations where animals live at roadblocks and participate in the protection of the territory. Kennel cough can also be picked up at shows, especially if your pet is not vaccinated.

Causes

As we said above, this infection which is transmitted by the respiratory route. However, sometimes diagnosis and treatment can be complicated by the fact that infections of viral and bacterial origin have become the cause of the development of the disease. If you notice the first signs, but there is a good round-the-clock veterinary clinic nearby, then you should not waste your time - go to the doctor and develop your doubts.

The causative agents of this canine flu can be different pathogens. It can be microplasma, parainfluenza virus, reovirus different type, herpes virus or adenovirus. Each of them has the ability to mutate and change, which also affects the picture of the course of the disease. Therefore, if your pet has begun to show the first symptoms of the disease, then do not put it off. A good animal clinic can provide effective treatment and quickly get rid of the disease.

Symptoms

This disease can very quickly penetrate the body and affect all organs and systems. Adenovirus can be accompanied by bacteria and other infections, such as parainfluenza.

How does kennel cough manifest itself? The main symptom is a crackling and dry cough. Sometimes the owner may consider that a foreign object is stuck in the animal's throat. Sometimes coughing causes regurgitation, which can cause the owner to confuse the symptom with attempts to vomit.

However, diagnosis is complicated by the fact that at first the animal looks like a completely healthy animal and behaves similarly. But at the same time, any touch to the throat causes an attack of coughing.

It is important not to make a mistake

Why do we keep emphasizing that self-treatment does not good result what is needed good clinic for animals, where veterinarians will assess the condition of the animal and prescribe effective course? Because it is necessary to have certain experience and know what symptomatic manifestations this disease is characterized by.

This is primarily a loss of appetite and a decrease in activity. Within a few days after the onset of a cough, the animal will begin to refuse most feeds, and soon their favorite treats. The cough increases day by day, and in addition, there may be an increase in body temperature. Characteristic signs include serous discharge from the nose and eyes, as well as swollen lymph nodes. This is good sign: it means that the body is fighting the infection, it only needs a little help. Nursery can proceed in different ways, it depends on the immune system and the state of the body. However, like any disease, it is much easier to prevent than to treat.

Prevention

Kennel cough can affect any dog, so if you frequently visit a kennel or walk your pet in a common area where many other animals come, be vigilant. Your pet is also at risk when an animal living with you in the same entrance becomes ill. Therefore, the only remedy that guarantees your pet full protection is preventive vaccinations. They are recommended to be done at least once every six months. However, it must be remembered that a vaccinated animal can also get sick if immunity has decreased for some reason. Therefore, sometimes a fleeting contact with an infected animal is enough, and a meeting with a veterinarian is provided for you. It should be noted that any round-the-clock veterinary clinic is ready to offer you a good choice high-quality vaccines, so there are no difficulties with this.

To preventive measures can be attributed proper diet nutrition, providing the pet with vitamins and mineral complexes, as well as the normal physical activity. If you decide to get a dog, then first think about whether you are ready for another expense item. Every day your pet needs meat and fish, cereals and eggs, dairy products, vegetables. Poor nutrition weakens the immune system, which means that infectious tracheobronchitis, as this disease is also called, will have a higher chance of developing.

Treatment

What to do if your pet is already sick? Of course, he needs urgent help, but where to start? First of all, consult a doctor and get a conclusion that your pet should start with the isolation of the dog. Do not take her outside - inhaling cold air will not benefit a sick animal, but will only lead to irritation respiratory tract.

Only after a thorough examination, the doctor can prescribe the most suitable medicines. These can be antibiotics, antitussive drugs, immunomodulators and vitamins. However, apart from drug treatment The veterinarian will give recommendations to speed up recovery and at the same time alleviate the condition of the animal.

Support activities

Very well with this disease help inhalation. At first glance it seems impossible, but it is not at all the case. It is recommended to open 2-4 times a day in the bathroom hot water and wait until the room is filled with moist air. Then take your dog to the bathroom. Inhaling moist air, the dog will immediately feel better. The steam thins the mucus and reduces swelling in the airways.

The body needs strength to fight infection. However, the animal refuses to eat, which means that it is necessary to provide it with a nutritious drink. It can be warm milk with honey and low-fat broth. The most important thing is to consistently follow all the recommendations of the attending physician, and the pet will certainly recover.

Kennel cough is an infectious disease that can be contracted by a dog through contact with a large number of other dogs. Kennel cough (infectious tracheobronchitis) is an upper respiratory disease with a high risk of infection in dogs. The most common pathogens that cause kennel cough are parainfluenza virus, bordetella bronchiseptica and mycoplasma, adenovirus (types 1 and 2), reovirus (types 1, 2 and 3) and canine herpes virus.

Steps

Part 1

Learn about risk factors. Kennel cough is highly contagious. If your dog walks with other dogs in the park or has been in a kennel for a while, he has high risk get infected with this disease.

Pay attention to cough. A dog infected with this infection may suddenly develop a cough. varying degrees gravity. It may be a weak cough or a painful one. paroxysmal cough sometimes causing vomiting.

Vomiting. Just as people get a sore throat with the flu, a dog with kennel cough may experience vomiting. With this disease, vomiting may occur, which looks like choking attacks, but is actually a cough. You may also vomit a clear liquid that not is the result of indigestion.

pay attention to general state your pet. Some dogs with kennel cough are bothered by nothing more than a nasty cough. Other dogs may be lethargic and may refuse food.

Part 2

Isolate your dog. Kennel cough - very contagious disease, which is transmitted by airborne droplets. If you think your dog has kennel cough, it's important to isolate him from other dogs.

Take your dog to the vet. Do it as soon as possible. The veterinarian will make the correct diagnosis and tell you if it's really kennel cough and not something else. serious illness. In addition, the doctor will prescribe the necessary treatment.

Get antibiotics if needed. The veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics for your dog. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Take your dog with you to the bathroom while you shower (not in the shower itself), inhaling the steam can help calm a cough. Your dog must be in the bathroom for a few minutes, windows and doors must be closed. Five to ten minutes will be enough time, but be careful not to burn your pet.

Give your dog a rest. As far as possible, keep your dog out of any strenuous activity.

Take cough medicine. Cough is one of the most important reflexes to protect the airways. If you try to eliminate the cough completely, you will aggravate the dog's condition, as the mucus will accumulate in the chest, causing difficulty breathing. However, if your dog is coughing so much that he can't sleep at night, think about how you can help ease his condition.

Soften your throat. If your pet's throat is sore, you can give him a simple home remedy to help soothe the sore throat. Give your dog one tablespoon of honey and one teaspoon lemon juice mixed together in warm water.

1. Strengthen your dog's immune system. To help your dog fight infection, ask your veterinarian to prescribe vitamins. Wild berries, peppermint, raw honey, eriodictyon felt may be used under the supervision of a veterinarian.

   • Although there is no scientific confirmation of the effectiveness of these funds, according to anecdotal evidence, they are of great benefit.
2. If you have multiple dogs, chances are that if one of your dogs gets sick, the others will get sick as well. Watch for symptoms and take immediate action.
3. Human medicines can have serious and even fatal side effects in pets. Before using any medicine intended for humans, consult your veterinarian first.
4. Dogs that have been in a kennel are at high risk of contracting kennel cough.

Dogs, like all people, are prone to various diseases, including respiratory diseases. If the pet begins to cough strongly and exhaustingly and at the same time there is an abundant discharge of mucus, then, most likely, we are talking disease such as kennel cough. This disease is also known as:

A pet can become infected with aviary (nursery) cough in places where animals congregate, for example:

Causes of kennel cough in dogs

Cause this disease are infections of viral and bacterial origin, transmitted by the respiratory route. The most common causative agents of canine flu are pathogens such as:

• Mycoplasma.
• bronchiseptica;
• Bordatella;
• parainfluenza virus.
• Reovirus 1st, 2nd and 3rd types.
• canine herpes virus.
• Adenovirus types 1 and 2.

Symptoms of kennel cough in dogs and puppies

It is important not to make a mistake and make an accurate diagnosis of a sick pet. To do this, you need to know what symptomatic manifestations take place during the development of this disease.

1.
Loss of appetite and decreased activity. During the development of kennel cough, dogs lose all interest in food. This is especially noticeable if you give your pet his favorite treat. Also a symptom of this disease is a significant decrease in the activity of the animal. The pet practically does not get up, does not run and does not play.

2. Coughing. Kennel cough is different from the usual cough, which goes away on its own without difficulty within 5-7 days. This symptom is characterized by a strong jerky reflex act, which sometimes, due to spasms, leads to vomiting.

However, waiting a few days to confirm or deny the presence of this disease is not worth it. During this time, processes can begin in the dog's body that lead to more serious consequences.

3. Increase in body temperature. This symptomatic manifestation is one of the main signs of the development of aviary cough. If the temperature is high and lasts for several days, then the immune system the animal's body fights the infection, but is not able to resist it properly. Sometimes the disease can occur without a change in body temperature or with a slight increase in it.

4. Change in the nature of the reflex act. If you suspect the presence of kennel cough, it is recommended to see if its character changes after the dog's activity, food and water intake. If it becomes more frequent and intensifies, most likely, the animal became infected with an aviary cough.

5. Serous discharge from nose and eyes. Another characteristic sign of kennel cough in dogs is the presence of discharge from both nasal cavities (runny nose) and eyes.

6. Enlarged lymph nodes. With the development of canine influenza, The lymph nodes in an animal often significantly increase in size.

7. Malfunction of the digestive system of organs. If the body is infected digestive system must respond immediately. Such a reaction can be indigestion of food and diarrhea.

How to treat kennel cough in dogs?

It is necessary to start treatment of an animal infected with kennel cough immediately after the first symptoms characteristic of this disease are detected.

First of all, surround the patient four-legged friend care, create comfort and peace for him. Do not take your pet for a walk. Inhalation of cold air will not benefit the dog and little puppy, this can only lead to irritation of the respiratory tract, respectively, to aggravation of the reflex action. However, you still have to visit the veterinarian, and as soon as possible. After a thorough examination, the veterinarian may prescribe the following for the dog:

• antibiotics.
• Antitussives medicines.
• Immunomodulators;
• vitamins.

It is possible to treat kennel cough not only with medication. For a faster recovery of the pet, the owners themselves need to work hard. It is recommended to take your sick pet 2-4 times a day for 5-10 minutes to the bathroom, where the faucet is open with hot water. Inhaling moist warm air, the dog will feel lighter. Firstly, moist steam helps to thin the mucus that has stagnated. Second, exposing your pet to a humid steam bath will help reduce the amount of swelling in his airways. To avoid burns, do not leave the animal in the bathroom itself.

Your dog's body needs strength to fight infection. Considering that the animal, during the course of the disease, loses its appetite, it is necessary to try to give it as often as possible warm drink(water or milk with a small amount of natural honey). Such a drink will help not only in restoring the strength of the dog's body, but also in eliminating pain in the larynx. In no case should you add honey to a warm drink if the animal suffers from diabetes. This will only exacerbate the problem.

If the dog is at risk - has reached old age or has a serious illness, it is recommended to subject it to the vaccination procedure. This will protect your four-legged friend from contracting kennel cough for a certain amount of time.

Infectious tracheobronchitis is a common condition known as kennel cough in dogs; how and how to treat such a contagious disease? After all, a four-legged friend can pick it up everywhere: from exhibitions to walking areas. Precisely because of high degree spreading it is very useful to know how to identify the infection and what to do after.

Of course, the most main feature infection is a cough of varying severity. AT special occasions it is able to continue until vomiting and resume after. As a rule, a sick animal experiences a feeling of a lump in the throat, so his cough is similar to trying to get rid of a foreign object.

To determine if the pet is choking, you need to look into his throat, carefully opening his mouth with his fingers. For reliability, you can use a flashlight and enlighten the throat. If this option is difficult to perform, it is recommended to give the dog his favorite treat as a test. She will not eat it if a foreign object is stuck in her throat.

In addition, tracheobronchitis has the following symptoms:

1. Vomiting. Sometimes the sounds made by the dog are mistaken for an attempt to vomit out something recently eaten. However, in reality, such manifestations often turn out to be a strong choking cough. Sometimes it reaches the point where the animal begins to vomit a clear liquid or white foam. However, if the substance contains digestive products, most likely the pet has problems with the stomach, and not the respiratory tract.
2. Depressed state. Often, kennel cough in dogs is not accompanied by additional symptoms and has little to no effect on their mood. But in rare cases, the animal becomes lethargic, begins to refuse food and seek the support of the owner, insistently demanding affection or at least close presence.

Also, a four-legged friend sometimes has a fever, mucous discharge from the nose appears, but in the absence lung complications coughing does not in the least prevent the pet from feeling healthy and vigorous.

Causes of infection

It is not in vain that kennel cough in dogs received such a name in the common people. It is easily transmitted to other individuals by airborne droplets, and even the old saliva of a sick animal on the cage floor can become a source of spread. If the pet meets on the street or indoors with an infected fellow, then after 5-7 days characteristic symptoms will appear. Thus, it will not be possible to fully protect your pet, because in such a case everything depends on the prudence of other owners. The owner of a sick dog should immediately isolate it from other individuals, since adult representatives of the species tolerate this disease worse.

Many pathogens are capable of provoking infection, but the main ones among them are plague, parainfluenza and adenovirus viruses (mainly type 1, since the theory regarding type 2 is rather doubtful). Some veterinarians believe that herpes is also involved. The main problem that sometimes hinders the appointment proper treatment, lies in the high compatibility of the listed pathogens with other bacteria and viruses. For example, the formation of complex infections in tandem with staphylococcus often occurs.

Diagnostics and therapy

In addition, at the first sign of kennel cough, the animal should be isolated, even if there are no other representatives of the species in the apartment. The pet must be in the same room, while he needs good conditions content: high-quality ventilation is required (15-20 airings per day), a normal level of humidity without fluctuations, a stable air temperature and no stress.

As a rule, this disease goes away on its own without human intervention, since the body is obliged to fight the virus on its own. However, if the animal has a prolonged increase in body temperature or the symptoms do not subside after 5 days, you will have to resort to the use of medications.

To relieve seizures, drugs based on hydrocodone (dosage: 0.25 mg/kg) or butorphanol (0.05-0.1 mg/kg) are usually used. These funds should be resorted to only for the relief of a protracted and severe cough, since active ingredients capable of being addictive.

The use of antibiotics is useless if there is no secondary bacterial infection. To determine its causative agent, you will need to conduct a scraping in the clinic, otherwise the treatment may not be effective enough. In this case, cephalosporins, chloramphenicol and tetracyclines are considered the most effective, but you should consult your doctor about which drug is better.

However, not everything is simple here either. Even choosing an antibiotic, you need to take care of the way it is taken. Orally administered drugs practically do not reach the bronchi, so the best solution would be to use a nebulizer. With its help, aerosol inhalation is carried out with a mixture of saline and kanamycin sulfate (250 mg). To increase efficiency, agents that expand the bronchi are used.

And most importantly, what the owner should remember: it is strictly forbidden to inject corticosteroids while taking powerful antibiotics!

Prevention

Among all possible measures there is nothing better timely vaccination. Only she can be hoped for if the owner and his healthy dog ​​were not lucky enough to meet an individual with a bright pronounced signs aviary cough. Currently, there are drugs against most pathogens, that is, plague, parainfluenza and adenovirus. What is especially nice, some of them are available in the form of nasal drops, which give a higher level of protection compared to injections.

Although this disease is a minor problem for dogs, owners should be prudent and isolate their infected pets. After all, tracheobronchitis can become chronic and adversely affect the pet's show career, in addition, complications appear in some cases over time. Thus, knowing about the existence of such a sticky infection, pet owners must remember not only characteristic symptoms and treatment prescribed by a specialist, but also methods that will stop the spread of the virus.