How Long Does Kennel Cough Last

Kennel cough is one the most common type of disease occurs mostly in dogs. If your dog is continuously feeling low and keep on coughing and spitting the bits of phlegm then he is suffering from kennel cough. It is same as a human flu and can be spread to other animals like cats, birds and bunnies. Similar to human flu this is caused to dogs due to attack of different bacteria and viruses. Small dogs and puppies have sensitive respiratory system which cannot bear sudden attack of bacteria and viruses. So, there is a high probability that puppies suffer from kennel cough more often than the large dogs. Before going into the detail of kennel cough in dogs let’s see what can be the symptoms and what are the causes of kennel cough and how long does kennel cough last in dogs.

The major symptoms of kennel cough are fever, congestive cough, thick nasal discharge, weakness, loss of appetite, heavy breathing and fatigue. Biologically kennel cough is described as viral and bacterial infection which affects bronchi, larynx and trachea of dogs. Though this can occur at any stage of dog’s life, but mostly small dogs and puppies are open to this type of disease.

Before discussing how long does kennel cough last let’s discuss the factors that affect the longevity of kennel cough. These factors are discussed in detail.
Health of the dog

If your dog is strong and healthy, he can recover from the kennel cough very easily and in a shorter span of time. Dogs that have weak immune system are open to this type of disease and take more time to recover. They are also open to other secondary diseases.

Age of dog
If your dog is very small he might face some problem to fight with this disease as he is too young to take care of himself, puppies also have weaker respiratory and immune system. If your dog is young and energetic he can overcome this disease very quickly and easily cope up with others.

Type of infection
The longevity of kennel cough depends heavily on the type of infection. Some bacterial infection is too strong which cannot be treated immediately. In this case, the owner as well as dog keeps on worrying about how long does kennel cough last.

Now let’s see how long does kennel cough last, in the normal case it last for 3 to 4 cases depending upon the above factors. In some cases, it can’t be treated within 3 to 4 days as every dog does not respond accordingly. Sometimes 10 to 15 days are needed to treat the dog. The longevity of the disease depends upon the discussed factors.

Even after your dog recover from the kennel cough you should allow him to take rest for some more time and reduce his daily work exercises. Same as humans, dogs also needs some time to get back to normal as their body becomes weak from the kennel cough and other secondary diseases.

These were the detailed information about kennel cough in dogs which will give you the answer of every question about this disease including what are the symptoms and signs of kennel cough, how long does kennel cough last and how it can be treated.