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Can dogs catch colds?
No, not in the human sense of the word, however dogs can catch something called Kennel Cough that is highly contagious to other dogs and often occurs where numbers of dogs congregate, for example, in boarding kennels, dog rescue centres and urban parks where there is a large dog population that socialise with each other.An early symptom is an intermittent dry cough that is often brought on after exercise or excitement. The cough may sometimes be followed by retching. In some cases a dog may develop a nasal discharge, go off his food and become feverish.
There are a number of known causes both bacterial and viral, but the most common is the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica .
Should your dog develop a dry cough it is important to contact your vet, but do tell the nurse/receptionist about the symptom as the practice may want to take the precaution of isolating your dog from other patients. It is possible that coughing could be a symptom of other diseases too.
Most dogs suffering from Kennel Cough recover within 1 to 3 weeks with minimum distress however older dogs, young puppies and those with a compromised immune system are more vulnerable to developing further complications.
If your dog does develop Kennel Cough it is important to keep him away from other dogs and to practice good hygiene to prevent cross infection.
Many boarding kennels require vaccination against this disease prior to taking your dog. The vaccine is given intranasally (through the nose) and immunity takes at least 5 days to develop after vaccination. Booster vaccines are required between 6-10 months.
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