It's that time of year...kennel cough is doing the rounds again

Once more kennel cough is doing the rounds of North London parks causing suffering to both dogs and their owners. But how serious is it and how best to treat it? 


Well the good news is that kennel cough is rarely serious and never fatal. Usually it is what vets call 'self limiting'  - this means that it goes away all by itself without the need for any veterinary treatment. In this way kennel cough (KC) is much like a human cold, and like human colds no two strains are the same. KC tends to be caused by a combination of a virus and bacteria and while there are strains which are more common these change all the time.


For most owners the first sign that their dog is unwell is the classic cough. Typically this sounds like your dog has something stuck in his throat and is often accompanied by retching and the dog bringing up a little phlegm. Depending upon the severity of the strain your dog may appear completely well except for the cough or he may seem a little listless. Unless your dog is very young, old or suffering from other health problems a trip to the vet is probably not necessary. Instead if you want to ease the symptoms you can offer your dog a small amount of cough linctus with glycerol/honey a few times a day. This will help soothe his throat and hopefully minimise coughing. Beyond this you should keep your dog warm and quiet at home until the symptoms disappear. 


Kennel cough is very contagious so it is a good idea not to exercise your dog in public until his symptoms have gone. Bear in mind however that by the time your dog exhibits symptoms he will have been carrying the bug for a few days and so could have inadvertently infected his friends.


While this may sound worrying there is little that can be done after the fact except warning your friends to keep an eye on their dog's health. Again, much like the human cold KC can spread rapidly and, while irritating, it is not usually a cause for concern.


Some vets offer a nasal spray which helps protect against KC. Much like the flu jab in humans this can be beneficial for the young, old and infirm but will not protect against every bout of KC doing the rounds. Instead it aims to reduce your dog's susceptibility to picking up KC when your dog is exposed to it and ultimately limit the severity of the episode should your dog still catch kennel cough.


Usually your dog should shake off KC within about 10 days. However if it lasts much longer a trip to the vets is recommended.