How to Tell If Your Dog Has Kennel Cough or Something Else
Dogs cough for many reasons, some minor and others more serious. Determining whether your pet has kennel cough or another condition is crucial to ensuring timely and effective care. Here's a comprehensive guide to understanding the different causes of coughing in dogs and how to differentiate kennel cough from other health issues.
What Is Kennel Cough?
Kennel cough is a highly contagious canine respiratory infection caused by bacteria and viruses, often seen in environments like dog parks, boarding kennels, and shelters. The hallmark symptom is a dry, honking cough that typically worsens with excitement or activity.
Other symptoms include:
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Mild fever
- Lethargy
Types of Dog Coughs and What They May Indicate
Paying attention to the sound and pattern of the cough can help in differentiating between conditions.
- Deep, dry, hacking cough: Kennel cough, bronchitis
- Honking sound: Collapsed trachea
- Wet, phlegmy cough: Pneumonia, dog flu, or heart failure
- High-pitched, gagging cough: Sore throat or airway obstruction
- Coughing at night or when lying down: Often a sign of heart disease
Other Common Causes of Coughing in Dogs
- Respiratory Infections: Bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic infections can cause coughing, fever, and labored breathing.
- Allergies: Environmental irritants like smoke or pollen may lead to sneezing, wheezing, and coughing.
- Heart Disease: Continuous soft cough often worse at night, with signs such as reduced energy and abdominal swelling.
- Collapsed Trachea: Common in small breeds, this causes a honking cough and difficulty during exercise.
- Chronic Bronchitis: Persistent coughing requiring long-term treatment.
- Foreign Body: Sudden coughing, gagging, or retching when inhaling an object.
- Pneumonia: Wet cough, fever, nasal discharge, and rapid breathing.
- Obesity: Adds pressure on airways and worsens respiratory conditions.
- Pulmonary Hypertension: Leads to coughing due to reduced oxygen flow.
- Distemper: Viral illness marked by cough, fever, neurological signs, and potentially fatal outcomes.
- Heartworm Disease: Cough, fatigue, and heart failure from mosquito-borne parasites.
- Lungworm: Parasite infection from slugs/snails, leading to respiratory distress.
- Cancer: May present as coughing up blood, breathing issues, and weight loss.
- Allergic Bronchitis: Ongoing exposure to irritants like smoke causes chronic cough.
- Reverse Sneezing: Benign episodes sounding like gagging but not actual coughing.
When to See a Veterinarian
Seek veterinary care if your dog shows:
- Persistent or worsening cough
- Blue or pale gums
- Coughing with appetite loss, fever, or weight loss
- Labored breathing or collapse
- Coughing up blood or mucus
Diagnosis: How Vets Determine the Cause
The veterinarian may perform:
- Comprehensive physical exam
- Blood tests and heartworm test
- Chest X-rays or ultrasound
- Urinalysis and fecal exams
- Bronchoscopy or endoscopy
Treatment Options
Treatment depends on the diagnosis:
- Medications: Antibiotics, cough suppressants, steroids, bronchodilators
- Parasite control: Dewormers for heartworm or lungworm
- Cardiac care: Specific drugs for heart disease
- Oxygen therapy: For severe cases
- Surgery: If tumors or foreign objects are present
Home Care Tips
- Keep your dog rested in a humid environment
- Use humidifiers or steam from a shower
- Avoid smoke, aerosols, and allergens
- Ensure proper hydration
- Use a harness instead of a collar
Important: Never give human cough medications to dogs unless instructed by a vet.
Prevention
- Keep vaccinations updated for kennel cough, distemper, and flu
- Use year-round heartworm and parasite prevention
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Limit exposure to airborne irritants
- Supervise dogs in new or crowded environments
Understanding how to recognize kennel cough versus other causes helps pet owners take fast, informed action to protect their dog’s health.
