There is a common misconception that only kenneled dogs can get the disease termed “kennel cough.”

There is a common hotel motel property for sale misconception that only kenneled dogs can get the disease termed "kennel cough."  It's easy to understand, given the name, why many dog owners believe this to be true. However, recently Kevin found out that this is not necessarily the case when his dog Tosha was suspected to have contracted "kennel cough" from contact with another dog as they cruised the fence line together.
"Kennel cough" is actually a complex disease. While it is more common in kennel situations because of environmental hotel motel property for sale conditions such as close conditions (i.e. many dogs housed in a small space), the fact that ventilation may be less than ideal in some of these situations, and the stress that many dogs encounter when kenneled, there is also a contagious component of the disease.
Bacterial diseases such as Bordetella and viral diseases such as canine influenza can contribute hotel motel property for sale to the development of the symptoms seen with "kennel cough." Some kennels require vaccinations against one or both of these diseases before admitting a dog to the kennel. Many people actually refer to the vaccination hotel motel property for sale against Bordetella as the "kennel cough vaccine" although in truth this is a bit of a misnomer.
Both Bordetella and canine influenza can be contagious diseases and can be passed from dog to dog even outside of a kennel situation. In many communities, canine influenza is a completely new disease. In these communities, most dogs will have no natural immunity to the disease and are thus susceptible to the disease. Even when vaccinated, exposed dogs can still become infected, though hotel motel property for sale often symptoms are less severe. hotel motel property for sale Fortunately, even for unvaccinated dogs, symptoms are typically mild and self-limiting for most dogs.
Symptoms of "kennel cough" can vary depending on the individual case and the exact cause. The most common hotel motel property for sale symptom seen is, as the name suggests, a cough. Usually, it is a deep-throated cough that sounds as if your dog is choking. Other symptoms that may be seen include runny eyes or a runny nose. Your dog may lose his appetite and become less active than normal. In rare cases, pneumonia may result and may become serious and even life-threatening. Symptoms are similar for all causes of "kennel cough" and often an exact cause (i.e. Bordetella vs canine influenza vs other potential causes) is never actually identified. The disease is simply classified as a case of "kennel cough."
While vaccination against Bordetella and/or canine influenza does afford some protection hotel motel property for sale against the most serious of the "kennel cough" symptoms, vaccination does not guarantee freedom from illness. Because "kennel cough" so often has a multi-factorial cause (i.e. crowded conditions coupled with poor ventilation, stress, and/or exposure to respiratory bacteria or viruses), there is no one vaccine that is capable of producing complete protection. In addition, dog owners hotel motel property for sale need to realize that these vaccines are not considered core (essential) vaccines but are recommended based on an analysis of the risk of exposure against the risk of vaccination side effects.
Treatment of "kennel cough" depends on the individual hotel motel property for sale case as well. In some cases, no treatment is necessary and the symptoms resolve hotel motel property for sale without veterinary intervention. Other dogs may require antibiotics, cough suppressants or other medications. Dogs with serious complications hotel motel property for sale like pneumonia may require hospitalization and life-saving measures.
We ve gotten bordetella vaccines for our dog, and for every dog we ve fostered (except the most recent foster who hasn t had it yet). I figure that even if you re not *planning* on having your dog in situations where they re likely to be exposed, you never know. When we first got our dog, our yard wasn t fenced, and walks were her main exercise, so our vet didn t consider it a huge priority. We got it anyway because we figured we might have to board her if we were traveling, and the last thing we d want would be to have her get sick.
We knew that none of our dog would likely ever be kenneled so we decided hotel motel property for sale not to vaccinate. I never really considered that a cruise by along my fence line by another dog could result in one of my dogs contracting it.