“but my dog is vaccinated for it, that means he can’t get it”
Much like the flu shot, those who receive the flu shot doesn’t mean you won’t get the flu. There are so many strains of the flu and cold, just like kennel cough. Just because a dog is vaccinated for it does not mean they are immune from it, it can just dull down the severity. This is very common.

Dogs “catch” kennel cough when they inhale bacteria or virus particles into their respiratory tract. This tract is normally lined with a coating of mucus that traps infectious particles, but there are a number of factors that can weaken this protection and make dogs prone to kennel cough infection, which results in inflammation of the larynx (voice box) and trachea (windpipe).

These factors include:

• Exposure to crowded and/or poorly ventilated conditions, such as are found in many kennels, shelters, vet office, dog parks or grooming facilities
• Cold temperatures
• Exposure to dust or cigarette smoke
• Travel-induced stress

SYMPTOMS:

Dogs with kennel cough are usually bright and alert and usually eat well; however, they have a dry, hacking cough or bouts of deep, harsh coughing often followed by gagging motions. The gagging sometimes produces foamy mucus. Most dogs with kennel cough do not have a fever.

SOME FACTS:

• Kennel cough (infectious tracheobronchitis) is a contagious
• It is transmitted by an airborne virus and often complicated by secondary bacterial infection.
• Kennel cough occurs more commonly in puppies and young adult dogs.
  It is often caught at kennels or shelters where dogs are exposed to many other dogs.
• Because the virus is airborne, normal cleaning and disinfecting of kennel surfaces cannot eliminate it.

HOW CAN DOGS GET KENNEL COUGH?

Kennel cough is VERY contagious. It is named kennel cough because it can quickly spread through a kennel and infect every dog. Kennel cough can be transmitted by aerosols released when a sick animal coughs, by direct contact with an infected animal, or by the sharing of contaminated objects. But it can also spread if a dog greets an infected dog during a walk or drinks from a contaminated water bowl at the dog park, groomers or the vet!

IF YOU THINK YOUR DOG HAS KENNEL COUGH, PLEASE KEEP THEM AWAY FROM OTHER DOGS. IF SEVERE COUGHING, BRING THEM TO YOUR LOCAL VET