Recent News: Kennel cough has affected several of our patients that have boarded either here or at local kennels. Here are some of the commonly asked questions:

1. What is kennel cough? Kennel cough is one or more of the following infectious agents: adenovirus 2, parainfluenza virus, or bordatella.
   
   
2. Isn't this part of my vaccine schedule? Both adenovirus and parainfluenza are included in our annual distemper combination vaccine. Bordatella is optional here for our clients but required for boarding both here and at most kennels. These vaccines do not prevent infection but aim to decrease clinical signs if infection occurs.
   
   
3. What signs should I look for? A dry non-productive cough within two weeks of boarding and mild lethargy.
   
   
4. How did my dog get kennel cough? This disease is transmitted by nasal and salivary secretions and can be airborne. Proper sanitation of the kennels, hand-washing between handling dogs, avoidance of face to face dog contact, and excellent air filtration are a few of the procedures implemented here to reduce kennel cough outbreaks.
   
   
5. How do I treat this disease? Our treatment consists of three parts. Kennel cough has both viral and sometimes secondary bacterial components. We prescribe antibiotics for the bacterial component but are unable to treat the viral cause. Therefore, this disease does usually take about 2 weeks to resolve. Secondly, we also may prescribe cough suppressants to decrease the irritation of the airways. Lastly, we recommend rest (avoiding exercise and excitement) for at least 7 days.

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