Canine Cough

To all of our clients,

This is information about Canine Cough/Kennel Cough. We think it is helpful to provide you with information about this health concern. It is difficult to say where this cold starts because it is an airborne virus and has an incubation period of 3-14 days.

From day one, our first and foremost concern is the health and safety of your dogs. For this reason, we have always maintained rigorous cleaning and sanitizing procedures in our camp and we make sure that each camper is up to date on their vaccinations.

We ask that you please call us immediately if your dog shows signs of this upper respiratory infection. If your dog has contracted this cold he/she cannot come back to camp for a period of 21 days from the day they start their antibiotics. The bacteria can survive and be passed to other dogs up to 10 days after the dog has stopped coughing. We recommend restrictive contact with other dogs during this 21 day period. Please do not go to dog parks or on play dates.

This is the reason we require all campers to have Bordatella vaccinations every 6 months (we recommend that it be done as intra-nasal because it is more effective). In the meantime, however, we hope you find the following information to be educational and informative:

Upper Respiratory Infections and Canine Cough:

Canine cough consists of 1 bacteria and a virus.
You can only treat the bacteria with medication not the virus.
The bacterium is treated with a Broad Spectrum Antibiotic- there are many types.
Zithromax or Cipro is a Broad Spectrum Antibiotic but is used mainly if the dog with K-9 cough is not eating or has a fever.
The virus is treated with “supportive” care such as: bed rest, low activity/decrease activity, hydration, not pulling on collar, and keep warm.
The inflammation in the throat is the virus and thus can not be treated with medications but through the supportive care.

Canine Flu:

The Flu has the symptoms of a sever case of Canine Cough.
University of Florida suggests the flu has a second bacterium in addition to the bacteria and virus found in Canine Cough.
Only can be treated right now with Broad Spectrum Antibiotics because they are “miles away” from finding a vaccination for these particular bacteria.
Research for this is new and they are not certain how much of a problem this may be.
Primarily found on the East Coast in Greyhound racing track kennels. This could be due to stress in addition to the bacterial virus.
About 80 percent of the dogs in a kennel are affected by the flu once one dog contracts the flu.

WHAT IS "CANINE COUGH?"
Canine Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis) is a highly contagious upper-respiratory disease which is spread by an air-borne virus. The incubation period of the disease is roughly 3 to 14 days. The main symptom is a gagging cough, sometimes accompanied by sneezing and nasal discharge, which can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Although this coughing is very annoying, it does not usually develop into anything more serious but it is recommended to be treated by a vet. It can lower the dog's resistance to other disease making him susceptible to secondary infections.

HOW IS IT CURED?
Just as in the common cold, Canine cough is not cured but must run its course. Many times antibiotics will be prescribed to prevent secondary infection, and sometimes cough suppressants will be prescribed to reduce excessive coughing, but these medications do not attack the disease itself.

DOES CANINE COUGH OCCUR ONLY IN KENNELS?
No. Since this virus can be present anywhere, and can travel for considerable distances through the air, they can affect any dog…even one which never leaves its own back yard. But canine cough is more likely to occur when the concentration of dogs is greater such as at a dog show, kennel, veterinarian offices and hospitals as well as pet shops. Dogs can also be exposed while running loose or while being walked near other dogs or playing in the park. We highly recommend every dog in the NYC area receive their Bordetella vaccinations even if you are not planning to use daycare or boarding facilities.

AREN'T THE CHANCES OF CATCHING IT GREATER WHEN A DOG IS IN A KENNEL? It can be because, in a kennel, a dog encounters two conditions that do not exist at home which are proximity to a number of potentially contagious dogs, and the excitement of a less familiar environment, which can result in lowered resistance to disease. These same factors explain why children are more likely to catch the flu in school, rather than at home. But the more frequently a camper comes to overnight or day camp, the greater are the chances the camper will acquire an immunity to the disease.

IS THIS VIRUS A CONSTANT PROBLEM?
No. Canine Cough, like the flu, is often seasonal. It also tends to hit an entire area at one time. When veterinarians begin to see cases, they normally come from every kennel in town, dog park users, as well as from individual dog owners whose dogs were not kenneled at all. When the virus has run its course, the veterinarians might not see another case for months.

CAN MY DOG BE VACCINATED TO PROTECT HIM AGAINST CANINE COUGH?
Yes! Vaccines against Canine Cough however are not always routinely used as part of a puppy or an adult dog's yearly check up. This vaccination is not required by the state therefore it is not automatically given with annual shots, you must ask for it at most veterinary offices. Please explain to your veterinarian your pup comes to play at Camp Bow Wow and they need to be vaccinated with the Bordetella vaccination (either injection or intranasal). It is important to understand the Bordetella vaccination used to prevent this viral disease is made from only one strain of over the 100 different strains of the virus. Thus the vaccination is not as effective against some strains as others. Some strains are not included in any of the vaccinations. Therefore, in some cases there is not prevention against Canine Cough.

CAN'T THE KENNEL PREVENT MY DOG FROM CATCHING CANINE COUGH?
Unfortunately, no amount of supervision, sanitation, or personalized care can prevent a dog from "catching" an airborne virus. All that we can do is to recommend immunization against Canine Cough. We also refuse to board any obviously sick dogs; we listen and watch for any signs of sickness, and make sure that any dog requiring veterinary attention receives it as quickly as possible. Strangely, the dog with Canine Cough does not usually appear ill, yet is contagious.

If we work together we can hopefully contain and prevent serious outbreaks of this cold now and in the future.

Thanks for all of your support.