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KENNEL
COUGH
The term
"kennel cough" refers to a combination of
extremely contagious clinical symptoms occurring in the
upper respiratory tract in dogs and the pathogens causing
the problem have a tendency to multiply. In the main, it
affects young dogs and, although from a medical point of
view it is not usually a serious illness, it can result in
considerable economic losses for breeders.
One must
bear in mind that the risks are increased if the dog
participates in shows or competitions and in the days
immediately following the event, they may suffer from
frequent coughing fits. The risk is even higher if the
participants are a bitch and her pups.
In
breeding grounds, this illness is more common during the
winter due to the severe fluctuations in temperature and
humidity and the fact that it is very difficult to control
the ambient temperature of kennels. However, in
industrialised countries there is an increasing tendency
for owners to put their dogs in kennels during the summer
months, thus increasing the likelihood of cases.
SYMPTOMS
-
Bouts
of dry coughing, sometimes producing vomiting,
appearing mainly in pups.
-
Persistent
symptoms throughout the course of several weeks.
-
The
cough will be provoked by exercise or
by any small irritation of the larynx or trachea.
In
complicated cases the following may occur:
CONTRIBUTING
FACTORS:
Similar to the respiratory ¡llnesses suffered by
pigs and cats, this illness mainly affects the groups of
animáis who are confined to highly populated áreas or
places where there is a high rate of exchange of animáis
(municipal dog pounds, boarding kennels etc).
Pups are
more likely to suffer from serious forms of the illness
than adults, given that the protective
antibodies that they receive from their mother only last
for four to five weeks. Adult dogs however build up a
certain level of active ¡mmunity owing to repeated
contact with the natural infectious agent.
Different
studies have shown that the principal cause of this
respiratory ¡llness is the bacteria Bordetella
bronchiseptica. The symptoms could also be provoked by
certain viruses: the Canine Parainfluenza Virus (CPiV),
the type 2 Canine Adenovirus (CAV-2) and the Canine
Distemper Virus (CDV). Furthermore, such germs may be
associated with other pathogenic agents where certain
bacteria can be found (Pasteurellosis, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa and Mycoplasma sp) or certain viruses (Canine
Herpes Virus CHV and Canine Reovirus).
B.
bronchiseptica is the only known pathogenic germ that is
capable of producing just the clinical signs of the
illness. All the other associated infectious agents cause
relatively benign
disorders that are short-lived except in the case of the
Canine Distemper Virus which is responsible for
respiratory upsets constituting the clinical symptoms of
this illness (and at times it produces neurological
symptoms).
DIFFERENTIAL
DIAGNOSIS:
-
Severe
cough
-
Cough
with cardiac origins
-
Laryngeal
foreign bodies
-
Allergies
-
Tracheal
collapse
-
Pulmonary
migration of parasites in pups
-
Infected
tracheal bronchitis
PREVENTION:
Vaccination.
An inactive bivalent vaccine (B. bronchiseptica y CPiV)
with adjuvant administered under the skin ¡n adult dogs
and pups from four weeks oíd will protect against kennel
cough. The initial vaccination consists of two doses given
three to four weeks apart. After that, annual booster ¡njections
are recommended. This vaccine will protect against the
clinical symptoms of kennel cough.
Vaccination
of adults should take place preferably before the highest
risk period: ie before winter, a spell in boarding kennels
or a dog show or hunt etc.
Vaccinations
of litters should be carried out at any time of year, but
mainly during the winter; in Europe from October to March.
Recently
we have had an outbreak of kennel cough in the Moraira to
Teulada área and ¡n some cases (mainly in pups) the
symptoms were very severe. We recommend vaccination before
winter to prevent any future re-infection.
This article was
extracted from the publications of Victoria C. Calcagno in
the free monthly newspaper VIVA!.
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