How to Recognize Kennel Cough in Dogs
Listen to your dog’s cough., Monitor the cough., Look for vomiting linked to coughing., Check your dog for fever., Check to see if your dog’s lymph nodes are swollen., See what happens when your dog goes outside., Understand that some dogs may...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Listen to your dog’s cough.
The first and most obvious symptom of this condition is a cough.
This cough starts suddenly, often overnight, and is a harsh, barking, hacking cough.
Many owners phone a vet clinic and describe their pet as having "something stuck in his throat" because of the harsh, hacking, retching sound the dog makes.This is no quiet cough, but a whole body movement where the dog extends his neck to straighten his airway and coughs so forcefully that his whole body shudders. -
Step 2: Monitor the cough.
Often a trigger starts the dog coughing, such as inhaling cold air which tickles the sensitized windpipe, or the dog pulls on his collar which pinches his windpipe and starts an episode of coughing.
Once they start coughing, some dogs find it difficult to stop and can cough anywhere from a few minutes to hours. , When the whole body is involved in a cough, muscular contractions of the abdomen sometimes make a dog vomit, but this in not because of a stomach disorder; it is a secondary effect of the physical act of harsh coughing.
Some owners mistakenly believe the dog has a vomiting/gastrointestinal problem, rather than a cough that is so severe as to cause vomiting.
A veterinarian, after examining the dog, will swiftly clear up this confusion. , Some dogs may be feverish, and running a temperature can put them off their food.
A feverish dog may radiate heat and his nose, ears, and paws may feel warmer than your own body temperature.
A dog's temperature should be below 39 C, above this is considered high, and above
39.5 C is feverish.The gold standard is to take the dog's temperature with a rectal thermometer.
To do this a digital thermometer (a regular human thermometer is fine—just don't reuse it on a person) is gently inserted into the anus, keeping the thermometer parallel to the line of the backbone.
Never apply pressure, if the thermometer does not slip into the rectum with gentle forward movement then stop and try again.
This is not a painful procedure and how cooperative the dog is depends on his temperament.
If your dog resents having his temperature taken, it is best to stop and let the professional deal with it! , Sometimes the lymph nodes in the throat (the "glands" in the throat) swell as the body mounts a fight back against infection.
These glands are located on the left and right hand side of the neck, in the angle of the jaw.
They are normally difficult for the untrained person to feel.
Enlargement makes them easier to locate.
In a Labrador sized dog you may feel a firm, smooth swelling (about the size of a walnut) in the angle where the jawbone meets the throat.
Anything above walnut-sized would be considered abnormal in a dog of this size. , Another symptom of this condition is a very sensitive windpipe.
The infectious agents cause inflammation in the lining of the windpipe, which has the effect of sensitizing it and making it more "ticklish".
Thus, the temperature change going from a warm house out into cold air can trigger a coughing episode.
A simple test many veterinarians use when diagnosing kennel cough is to gently pinch the wind pipe.
If the dog has kennel cough this precipitates a harsh cough (this is not the case if the dog has heart disease or another cause of a cough).
You may notice this effect when your dog pulls on the collar and he coughs. , Some dogs may have other signs of an upper respiratory infection such as a sticky yellow-green discharge from the eyes, or clear nasal discharge.
However, unlike in people with a heavy cold or flu, these are not typical symptoms of kennel cough and the absence of these signs is common. , Kennel cough lasts for 7 to 21 days and your dog should be considered infectious to other canines while he is still coughing.
Once the cough stops, he is no longer infectious. -
Step 3: Look for vomiting linked to coughing.
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Step 4: Check your dog for fever.
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Step 5: Check to see if your dog’s lymph nodes are swollen.
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Step 6: See what happens when your dog goes outside.
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Step 7: Understand that some dogs may present with extra symptoms.
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Step 8: Know how long this condition will last.
Detailed Guide
The first and most obvious symptom of this condition is a cough.
This cough starts suddenly, often overnight, and is a harsh, barking, hacking cough.
Many owners phone a vet clinic and describe their pet as having "something stuck in his throat" because of the harsh, hacking, retching sound the dog makes.This is no quiet cough, but a whole body movement where the dog extends his neck to straighten his airway and coughs so forcefully that his whole body shudders.
Often a trigger starts the dog coughing, such as inhaling cold air which tickles the sensitized windpipe, or the dog pulls on his collar which pinches his windpipe and starts an episode of coughing.
Once they start coughing, some dogs find it difficult to stop and can cough anywhere from a few minutes to hours. , When the whole body is involved in a cough, muscular contractions of the abdomen sometimes make a dog vomit, but this in not because of a stomach disorder; it is a secondary effect of the physical act of harsh coughing.
Some owners mistakenly believe the dog has a vomiting/gastrointestinal problem, rather than a cough that is so severe as to cause vomiting.
A veterinarian, after examining the dog, will swiftly clear up this confusion. , Some dogs may be feverish, and running a temperature can put them off their food.
A feverish dog may radiate heat and his nose, ears, and paws may feel warmer than your own body temperature.
A dog's temperature should be below 39 C, above this is considered high, and above
39.5 C is feverish.The gold standard is to take the dog's temperature with a rectal thermometer.
To do this a digital thermometer (a regular human thermometer is fine—just don't reuse it on a person) is gently inserted into the anus, keeping the thermometer parallel to the line of the backbone.
Never apply pressure, if the thermometer does not slip into the rectum with gentle forward movement then stop and try again.
This is not a painful procedure and how cooperative the dog is depends on his temperament.
If your dog resents having his temperature taken, it is best to stop and let the professional deal with it! , Sometimes the lymph nodes in the throat (the "glands" in the throat) swell as the body mounts a fight back against infection.
These glands are located on the left and right hand side of the neck, in the angle of the jaw.
They are normally difficult for the untrained person to feel.
Enlargement makes them easier to locate.
In a Labrador sized dog you may feel a firm, smooth swelling (about the size of a walnut) in the angle where the jawbone meets the throat.
Anything above walnut-sized would be considered abnormal in a dog of this size. , Another symptom of this condition is a very sensitive windpipe.
The infectious agents cause inflammation in the lining of the windpipe, which has the effect of sensitizing it and making it more "ticklish".
Thus, the temperature change going from a warm house out into cold air can trigger a coughing episode.
A simple test many veterinarians use when diagnosing kennel cough is to gently pinch the wind pipe.
If the dog has kennel cough this precipitates a harsh cough (this is not the case if the dog has heart disease or another cause of a cough).
You may notice this effect when your dog pulls on the collar and he coughs. , Some dogs may have other signs of an upper respiratory infection such as a sticky yellow-green discharge from the eyes, or clear nasal discharge.
However, unlike in people with a heavy cold or flu, these are not typical symptoms of kennel cough and the absence of these signs is common. , Kennel cough lasts for 7 to 21 days and your dog should be considered infectious to other canines while he is still coughing.
Once the cough stops, he is no longer infectious.
About the Author
Pamela Jackson
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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