Kennel cough can be caused by multiple bacterial and/or viral agents. It is very contagious and can lead to pneumonia. Recently, there has been a strain of kennel cough that can quickly lead to pneumonia and can be much more dangerous. It is not showing up on any of our current tests, and it is thought to be a novel virus.
The general recommendations at this point are to keep any dog that goes to dog parks, doggy daycare or kennels up to date on the Bordetella vaccine and Influenza vaccine to prevent a compound infection with multiple agents. If possible, avoid areas where a lot of dogs will be.
Below are links to 3 recent articles on the subject. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Mulnix Animal Clinic. We are here to help you keep your furry family happy and healthy. We will keep our website up to date as we learn more.