Understanding Kennel Cough Blood and Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease

Kennel cough can be a serious concern for pet owners, but it's essential to understand what's going on when your dog starts coughing up blood. Kennel cough, also known as canine infectious respiratory disease, is a contagious illness that affects dogs of all ages and breeds.

The most common cause of kennel cough is the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica, which can lead to a secondary bacterial infection. This can cause symptoms such as a persistent cough, runny nose, and even vomiting.

Blood in your dog's cough is a sign of a more severe infection, which can be caused by a variety of factors, including Bordetella bronchiseptica. In some cases, the infection can progress to pneumonia, which can be life-threatening if left untreated.

If you suspect your dog has kennel cough, it's crucial to seek veterinary attention immediately to prevent complications and ensure proper treatment.

Recommended read: Dog Upper Respiratory Infection vs Kennel Cough

Kennel cough is a common issue that can arise in dogs, especially in kennels or shelters where the environment is moist and warm with poor ventilation.

The causes of kennel cough are numerous, but some of the most common culprits include Bordetella, parainfluenza, canine distemper virus, and canine influenza.

A dog can be infected with kennel cough through exposure to one of these pathogens, and repeated exposure in a kennel or shelter setting makes transmission even more likely.

In fact, a simple exposure during a quick meeting at a dog park can be enough to transmit the infection.

Kennels and shelters often have to quarantine a whole section once an infectious cough breaks out because it spreads so easily and quickly.

The bacteria Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, along with Bordetella, are also common causes of kennel cough.

For your interest: Bordetella Vaccine vs Kennel Cough

Upper respiratory tract infections in dogs can be caused by a variety of pathogens, including bacteria and viruses.

Canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus type 2, and canine influenza are just a few of the viruses that can cause an infectious cough in dogs.

A unique perspective: Canine Influenza vs Kennel Cough

Any dog exposed to one of these pathogens can be infected, but it's much more likely to happen in a moist, warm environment with poor ventilation, such as a kennel or shelter.

Even a simple exposure at a dog park can be enough to transmit the infection.

Most veterinarians can diagnose canine infectious respiratory disease based on clinical signs alone.

However, they might take chest X-rays to make sure that pneumonia is not present, as this would change the treatment.

A culture can be taken of the dog's upper airway to figure out what the underlying cause is, but this typically requires sedation and only covers bacteria.

Recently, it has become more customary to do a swab of the dog's nose and deep throat and send out for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to look for genetic material of the underlying cause.

These tests can test for everything, don't require sedation, and are relatively affordable compared to doing other tests for each individual organism.

It's often not necessary to figure out what the underlying cause is, unless the dog doesn't respond to initial therapy, if there are signs of more aggressive disease, or if multiple dogs are coming down with the same signs at the same time.