It has recently come to the attention of the SEADOG’s Board that several dogs who regularly visit the beach have come down with kennel cough. Kennel cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness that is much like the human cold and can cause severe coughing in our canine family members.
Most of the dogs who have become ill are up to date on their vaccines, including bordetella (the standard kennel cough vaccine). Unfortunately, as some of you may be aware, the bordetella vaccine covers a majority, but not 100%, of the causes of kennel cough. Kennel cough is highly contagious and spreads by close contact and the sharing of toys and water/food bowls.
Common symptoms of kennel cough include; a strong cough (often with a “honking” sound), a runny nose, sneezing, lethargy, loss of appetite, and a low fever. The SEADOG’s Board of Directors wants to pass this information along in order to try to stop the spread.
Dogs experiencing any of the above symptoms should be isolated from other dogs. If your dog does show any of the above symptoms, we would recommend that you contact your veterinarian and follow their advice. We hope that this will help limit the number of pets that become ill. Thank you.
-Submitted by Martha Goldstein for The SEADOG’s Board of Directors