Central Hawkes Bay has had an outbreak of kennel cough. This disease can and will spread very fast between dogs and we recommend a vaccination to help protect your dogs.
What is kennel cough:
Kennel Cough (also known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis) is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Dogs commonly contract kennel cough at places where large amounts of dogs accumulate, such as boarding and daycare facilities and dog parks. Dogs can spread it to one another through the air (like a human cough), direct contact (e.g., touching noses), or contaminated surfaces (including water/food bowls). It is treatable in most dogs but can be more severe in puppies younger than six months of age and compromised dogs (eg sick or old).
Symptoms:
If your dog is affected with kennel cough, you may notice one or more of the following symptoms:
- a strong cough, often with a “honking” sound – this is the most obvious symptom
- runny nose
- sneezing
- lethargy
- loss of appetite
Treatment:
Typically, mild cases of kennel cough are treated with a week or two of rest, but a veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics to prevent a secondary infection to ease the symptoms.
Speak to your veterinarian for treatment recommendations. If you have a household with multiple pets, it may be useful to separate them as much as possible or at least to separate their water and food bowls to help prevent the spread of kennel cough in your house hold.
If you notice your pet coughing or you want to try and avoid kennel cough all together speak with your veterinarian today as early treatment (if required) will help keep your pets safe and healthy.
