By Dr. Victoria Bennett, CNIB Veterinarian Advisor
Time to take the focus off of COVID-19. It is important to remember that the winter season brings coughs and colds to people, and "Kennel Cough" to our dogs.
The primary symptom is an acute cough, but sneezing and nasal discharge are also possible. The correct term for Kennel Cough is Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) as there are at least seven known viruses and three bacteriae that can cause CIRDC. It is not just the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica that is incorrectly considered the cause of Kennel Cough.
So what? Depending on the vaccine type(s) and route administered (oral/nasal or injectable) for your dog's "Kennel Cough", protection is limited. Typically, it will reduce the severity of an infection but will not stop the shedding of the agent(s) to other dogs. It is critical to keep your dog away from other dogs when it gets a cough for at least 21 days and ideally 28 days for Canine Flu. Note also that clinically healthy dogs can shed organisms as well! Dog parks, dog daycare centres, groomers and kennels are likely sites for infection. Veterinary clinics typically request you don’t bring your coughing dog into the hospital to prevent exposure to other dogs.
Don’t assume that antibiotics are needed. They are ineffective for viruses and should only be used in rare cases when the cough progresses. Antibiotics can have negative effects such as diarrhea, and contribute to the global incidence of antibiotic resistance that is affecting pets!
What about testing for Kennel Cough? Testing is not generally recommended for individual cases as there are so many agents to test for and the treatment is typically the same. Testing becomes important in an outbreak cluster situation e.g., the current outbreak of Canine Flu Virus (H3N2) affecting dogs in Southern California. It was last detected in Canada in 2018 but may return with a dog that travels from Asia or California. A vaccine is available in Canada but is not currently routinely administered.
Always check with your vet for advice if you think your dog has CIRDC.