When dogs are in tight spaces or even share toys, there is a chance they could spread kennel cough to one another.
Kennel cough is a contagious respiratory infection that can be caused by either a virus or bacteria.
Symptoms of kennel cough include a bad cough that gets worse with exercise or excitement, a fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, and difficulty breathing.
The illness is spread by bodily fluids from one dog to another.
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We spoke to one dog owner who said her puppy, Fred, was about four months old when he got kennel cough, so she put him on medication, and then; it came back again.
Owner Kappy Kilburn said, “it turned into pneumonia, so now he’s susceptible to pneumonia, or at least that’s what the vet has said he’s more likely to catch it now because he had the kennel cough when he was younger.”
Typically, dogs do not have as severe of a case of kennel cough as Fred.
It usually filters out in one to two weeks.
Dr. Jerry Klein with the American Kennel Club told us pet owners should be on the lookout for signs of the cough if they think their dog has been infected.
There are vaccines to prevent your dog from getting sick, and treatments in case the cough becomes severe.
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