Canine infectious diseases are rife in Bali, partly due to the huge ‘reservoir’ of infection that is the stray dog population and partly due to low levels of vaccination and preventative vet care among pet owners comparative to Western countries.
One of the most common infectious diseases we see at Sunset Vet is Kennel Cough (also known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis). Kennel Cough is an umbrella term for upper respiratory infection and can have multiple causes, the most common being the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica (found in around 80% cases), followed by canine parainfluenza virus (around 40% cases), and to a lesser degree canine coronavirus (10% cases). Kennel Cough is highly contagious, but once a dog has had it immunity develops quickly to that strain although the dog remains susceptible to other strains.
Like many respiratory viruses, infection is spread through inhalation of airborne droplets produced by sneezing or coughing, and through contact with contaminated surfaces. Symptoms begin after an incubation period of a few days, and in most cases will clear up on their own. However, in young puppies or dogs with weak immune systems, mixed or secondary infections can progress to lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia.
How can I tell if my dog has kennel cough?
Your dog will develop a dry, hacking cough that almost sounds like he/she is retching (trying to be sick). Sometimes a cough can cause the dog to vomit, which can cause diagnostic confusion if the owner then brings the dog to their vet and reports ‘my dog is vomiting’. Another common phrase reported by owners is ‘I think my dog has something stuck in his/her throat’.
But how did my dog catch it?
Usually by close contact with another dog who is coughing – just like the flu in humans. Kennel Cough has an incubation period of 5–7 days (but with a range of 3–10). Sniffing another dog with kennel cough at the beach can be enough to transmit the disease, but often it is caught from contact with other dogs in boarding kennels or vet clinics.
My dog caught kennel cough while at the vet clinic – why should I have to pay for treatment when my dog caught it at the clinic?
This is a common question delivered to many vets around the world! Kennel Cough is airborne and highly contagious. So even with the best hygiene and cleanliness possible, transmission is sometimes unavoidable. A useful metaphor to consider is as follows: imagine you were flying from Singapore to New York with Virgin Atlantic and someone in the adjacent row on the plane was coughing. The following day you get a sore throat, which then progresses to full on flu. Do you angrily email Virgin Atlantic customer service and demand that they pay for your flu medicine, because you got sick on their plane?
Unfortunately bringing people or animals into an enclosed space in close proximity to one another will lead to respiratory bacteria/viruses being spread, whether it’s an airplane, vet clinic or farm shed.
What is the treatment for kennel cough?
At Sunset Vet we prescribe a course of the antibiotic doxycycline for 10-14 days depending on the severity of the cough. In a particularly bad case (e.g. if the dog has a poor immune system so recovery takes longer, or the kennel cough progresses to a full pneumonia) the antibiotics will be extended for longer or indeed a second type of antibiotic added. We also usually give a single subcutaneous injection of an anti-inflammatory drug such as carprofen to soother the inflamed mucosa of the trachea.
What happens if I don’t bring to the vet or give any treatment?
The majority of cases will recover fine in time with no treatment. However, the dog will take much longer to recover compared to a dog given treatment, and therefore during that time is likely to infect more dogs that it comes into contact with. A minority of cases could progress to lower respiratory disease such as pneumonia.
For how long is my dog contagious once he/she stops coughing?
This depends on whether the kennel cough is bacterial or viral. Viral infections such as canine parainfluenza or canine coronavirus are only shed for around 1 week following recovery. However, respiratory infections involving the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica can be transmissible for several weeks longer. A dog only completely stops shedding the bacteria around 6 weeks after first exposure – usually long after it has stopped coughing.
Can my dog be vaccinated against Kennel Cough?
Yes, there is a kennel cough vaccine and this is available from Sunset Vet. In fact, some boarding kennels in Bali (and most in Western countries) now insist on seeing evidence of kennel cough vaccination before they will accept a dog for boarding. This is understandable as one coughing dog can infect an entire boarding kennel and the cough can spread like wildfire.
There are typically 2 vaccines available, one given by subcutaneous injection, the other by intranasal administration. Usually the intranasal one is more difficult to give, as most dogs are not comfortable allowing a vet to squirt a vaccine into their nostril with their head raised! It does however provide rapid mucosal immunity, within a matter of days, so is popular with dogs that need to go into kennels urgently.
Immunity from the Kennel Cough vaccine only lasts for a year so the vaccine needs to be repeated annually to maintain protection. It is also important to point out that the kennel cough vaccine is NOT included in the multi-vaccine that your pet is given each year (which protects against other more fatal diseases such as parvo and distemper), it is also separate to the rabies vaccine which is given every 1,2 or 3 years depending on brand.
Are there any adverse effects from the vaccine?
Some dogs can have a mild nasal discharge after the kennel cough vaccination. Also around 5% can get a very mild form of kennel cough from the vaccine itself, though this is usually barely noticeable and disappears within a few days.
Sunset Vet offers veterinary services via their Kuta (24hr) and Ubud (8am-7pm) clinics. For further information or to make an appointment call them on 03619348915 (Kuta) or 0361975296 (Ubud), or visit www.sunsetvetbali.com or www.facebook.com/sunsetvetbali
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