THE FACTS ABOUT CANINE COUGH
Given the recent reports of canine cough in our area, we thought it be helpful to provide our campers and their families with information about these health concerns.
Before we had any reported incidents from our campers, we were made aware by local vets of an increase in reported cases of upper respiratory infections & kennel cough from the surrounding area. It is difficult to say where this started 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.
Should you like more information on canine cough & upper respiratory infections, please visit www.veterinarypartner.com. In the meantime, however, we hope you find the following information to be educational and informative:
- Canine cough consists of 1 bacteria and a virus.
- Symptoms include coughing of any kind (often sounds like gagging), wheezing, loss of appetite, congestion, runny nose and/or eyes, etc.
- You can only treat the bacteria with medication not the virus.
- The bacteria is treated with a broad spectrum antibiotic- there are many types.
- 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.
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.
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! There are vaccines against canine cough however they are not always routinely used as part of a puppy and an adult dog's yearly check up. 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 require 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. A dog with canine cough may not appear ill, yet is contagious.
Camp Bow Wow's Policies
We do everything we can to keep our campers as healthy as possible. Here's how:
- We strictly adhere to vaccination requirements.
- We check on the health status of all dogs upon check-in and ask that all clients advise us of any health issues their dogs may be experiencing.
- We require that any dog who has become ill be symptom free for 2 weeks before returning to camp.
- We encourage owners to bring their dog to the vet if they suspect their dog may be ill.
- If we suspect that a dog is ill while staying with us, we will immediately isolate him/her from the rest of the dogs. We then assess the situation and take appropriate action (take the dog to the vet, adminster medication, or have the dog picked up from camp).
- We ask all ill dogs and POTENTIALLY ill dogs to stay away from camp until cleared per above policies.
If you'd like to hear an example of canine cough, click here.