With summer well on its way, you’re sure to find yourself going for longer walks with your dog. It’s great news for the exercise routine and meeting dog-walking friends but the last thing you want is your dog to play with his mates, and a few days later find he is suffering from a harsh, dry whooping type cough – a sure sign of kennel cough.

Unfortunately Canine Infectious Tracheobronchitis, commonly known as kennel cough, is highly contagious, can last for weeks and possibly develop into more serious complications such as pneumonia, which can prove fatal in old, weak or very young dogs. Kennel cough results from inflammation of the upper airways, and is easily passed from dog-to-dog by airbourne droplets (coughing and sneezing) or direct nose-to-nose contact – a common occurrence on dog walks!

Dogs are at risk whenever they group together, whether in popular dog walking parks, at boarding kennels, shows or training classes. Prevention is better than cure; treatment of infectious tracheobronchitis can be a long and lengthy process, which involves isolation and antibiotic therapy. In fact, so serious is the condition that most reputable boarding kennels will insist on dogs being vaccinated prior to admission. The common name kennel cough, actually results from its prevalence in boarding kennels