What is Kennel cough?
'''[[Kennel]] cough''' or '''tracheobronchitis''' is a very easily caught [[dog]] [[illness]]. The dogs have [[inflammation|swelling and pain]] of the upper [[respiratory system|breathing passages]]. It can be caused by [[Virus|viral]] [[infection]]s such as [[canine distemper]], canine [[adenovirus]], canine [[parainfluenza virus]], or [[canine coronavirus|canine respiratory coronavirus]], or [[bacteria]]l infections such as ''[[Bordetella|Bordetella bronchiseptica]]''.<ref name=Ettinger_1995>{{cite book|author=Ettinger, Stephen J.|author2=Feldman, Edward C.|title=Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine|edition=4th|publisher=W.B. Saunders Company|year=1995|isbn=0-7216-6795-3}}</ref>{{page needed}} It is called kennel cough because the infection can spread very quickly among dogs, who live together as in a kennel or an animal shelter. ==Infection== Both [[virus|viral]] and [[bacteria]]l causes of kennel cough are spread through the air by infected dogs sneezing and coughing. It can also be spread through contact with things that have the bacteria or virus on them. It can still be spread days or weeks after symptoms disappear. Symptoms usually begin about 3 to 5 days after the dog is around the infected animal or object.<ref name=Ettinger_1995/> The [[disease]] can turn into [[pneumonia]]. ==Symptoms== [[Symptom]]s can include a [[wikt:|harsh]], dry coughing, [[retching]], [[sneezing]], [[snort]]ing (noise made with the nose), [[gag]]ging or [[vomit]]ing in response to light pressing of the [[Vertebrate trachea|trachea]] or after excitement or exercise. The symptoms are caused by the inflammation of the airways. It can increase after excitement or exercise because of the quick breathing that takes place which causes the [[nerve]]s of airway to become more [[stimulation|stimulated]]. A [[fever]] is not always present. The disease can last 10–20 days and can come back when the dog is put into a [[Stress (medicine)|stressful]] [[wikt:situation|situation]] which puts stress on the dog's [[immune system]