This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only. www.provet.co.uk.

You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

At this time of the year veterinarians see a large number of coughing dogs and the cause is frequently described as "kennel cough" - but what is it ?

Kennel cough" is a term commonly used to describe the cough caused by inflammation of the windpipe (trachea) and the lower airways in the chest - the bronchi.. Kennel cough can be caused by viruses (eg canine parainfluenza virus), but in the UK it most often occurs due to infection of the airway with a bacterium called Bordatella bronchiseptica. The disease is properly called infectious tracheobronchitis.

The signs are:

• A cough - which sounds like a "honk" and owners often think the dog has something stuck in its throat.

• Occasionally the dog will cough up mucus.

• A discharge down the nose

• Difficulty breathing

• If pneumonia occurs as a complication the disease can even be fatal.

Kennel cough outbreaks frequently occur when dogs have been kennelled away from home. There they come into contact with dogs carrying the infection, and they spread it around their neighbourhood when they come out.

Fortunately there are vaccines available to protect against kennel cough. Owners should have their dogs protected prior to sending them into a kennel, and reputable kennel owners should insist that all dogs are fully vaccinated against Kennel cough before they are admitted on to the premises.

Vaccines against Bordatella are administered by spraying up the nose, whereas vaccines against viruses (eg parainfluenza virus) are given by injection. It is important to realise that immunity to Bordatella takes 5 days to develop after the vaccine is given and booster vaccines are advised every 6-10 months. For parainfluenza virus two vaccines are needed 3-4 weeks apart and annual boosters are required.

© Provet. Winterpaws gratefully thanks Provet in letting us reproduce this article "Kennel Cough".