Kennel cough in canines is as common as head cold in humans. It is caused by a number of agents – viruses as well as bacteria. The most common agents that cause kennel cough are parainfuenza (viral) and bordetella bronchiseptica (bacterial).

Kennel cough is a respiratory infection of the bronchi and throat that causes a prolonged dry hoarse cough. The infection as such is neither serious nor painful to warrant panic but long spells of honking cough can be extremely frustrating for the owner and uncomfortable for the dog. Medically, kennel cough in dogs can potentially lead to weakening of the immune system and secondary infections like pneumonia.

Common symptoms of kennel cough include fever, listlessness, spasmodic and prolonged cough, lack of appetite and nasal or eye discharge. The severity of the infection determines the level of symptoms that are manifested. In most cases, your dog may behave normally with a dry cough as the only apparent symptom.

The best treatment for kennel cough is to let the condition run its course as there is no cure for this condition. The most that dog owners can do is to attempt to ease the discomfort of the dog.

Basically cough is a body’s natural way of indicating that there is something wrong inside the body and especially in the respiratory system. Dogs, like humans, cough due to many reasons. The type of cough is often, but not always, sufficient indication of the cause. A dry hacking cough is a typical symptom of kennel cough in dogs.

Kennel cough is an infection that dogs usually acquire when exposed to other dogs with a similar infection. Dogs that have been recently boarded or those that have returned from dog shows are at a higher risk of contracting the disease. Kennel cough is commonly caused by parainfluenza, Bordetella bronchiseptica, and mycoplasma. Other possible infectious agents include adenovirus, reovirus and the canine herpes virus. In majority of the cases it is a disease caused by a combination of bacterial and viral infection.

Parinfuemza and Bordetella bronchiseptica commonly appear in conjunction with each other in most cases of kennel cough. Symptoms usually develop within a week of exposure. The main symptom that is indicated is a dry hacking cough. The dog strains to vomit and usually coughs up a white foamy discharge. The disease is actually self-limiting and disappears on its own if unattended. But severe cases manifest themselves as an inflammation of the windpipe, conjunctivitis and nasal discharge.