Canine infectious pericarditis or kennel cough is the more accurate and scientific term for kennel cough. The technical term pericarditis refers to the affected area of the respiratory system, such as the trachea and the bronchial tubes. Common symptoms of kennel cough include: persistent coughing with mucus-like substance, and wheezing. Other symptoms may also occur, but these are the most common.
Kennel cough, like the name sounds, is caused by infectious pericarditis. What’s interesting about this condition is that both the cough and the accompanying inflammation are caused by the same bacteria. It’s actually a group of bacteria known as Molliculcus rubrum. We have vaccines for all three diseases that are known to infect humans. For now, however, there is no vaccine for kennel cough or any of the other infections caused by this group of bacteria. This may change in the future.
The exact cause of kennel cough is not known. It is often seen in dogs that have been recently exposed to a virus such as a virus, bacteria or even fungi. If your dog has had any contact with one of these organisms within the last ten days or so, it is important to let your vet know. He or she can test your dog for any viral infections and provide an appropriate treatment. The important thing is that he or she does not have an existing infection.
Once the vet determines that your dog does indeed have an infection, he or she will ask you whether or not you want to administer an antibiotic. There is little argument over this point. The reason that an antibiotic is necessary is because of the nature of an infection like this. Unlike the common cold or some other respiratory infection, a kennel cough infection is caused by a virus. Once the virus invades the lungs, the symptoms become very serious.
Although your dog is infected with bacteria or virus, most of the symptoms of kennel cough will occur in conjunction with other ailments. This is why it is so important to treat all infections that appear along with this infection. If you do not, the combination of the bacterial infection and parainfluenza virus can potentially lead to life threatening parainfluenza. Even if your dog is only suffering from mild or moderate parainfluenza, the effects on the dog’s immune system could be severe.
Since the question is do we have a vaccine for kennel cough, it is important to know that there are different types of vaccines available. You can choose a do-it-yourself nasal spray or an injectable form of the tetanus and distemper combo vaccines. Your veterinarian may also recommend one of these. If he or she does not, then your best option will be to get one of the injectable forms of these.
While these do-it-yourself vaccines can be purchased at your local pet store, some veterinarians will only accept them at their clinic. It is vital that you contact your veterinarian and discuss the options with him or her so that you have a choice regarding which vaccinations to receive. It is also important to understand that the type of treatment will vary between dogs. Some veterinarians will use the same medications that their canine patients receive while others will prefer to give their patients a separate treatment option.
It is also possible for dogs to be infected with a canine disease by means of a bacterium that causes a mild upper respiratory infection, known as bordetella. This bacterium causes about twenty-five percent of all middle ear infections in dogs. This vaccine is called Combiventrix and works very well in dogs that contract bordetella. The bordetella vaccine is a lot less expensive and is given twice a year. Because it is so simple to administer, this is one of the easiest vaccinations to administer.
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