Kennel cough is usually caused by a bacteria, Bordetella bronchiseptica, and the parainfluenza virus. In animals with a healthy immune system, kennel cough is usually short lived (5-7 days). In young animals, it may last much longer.
In some cases, the condition can worsen into pneumonia and then requires intensive and prolonged treatment.
Can first signs of parvo be diagnosed as kennel cough?
Parvo’s most common clinical signs are vomiting and diarrhea. There should be no cough with parvo.
Kennel cough produces a deep, hacking cough. This can make the pet gag at the end and they may bring up white, foamy saliva.
This saliva may be mistaken for vomiting, and thus wrongly diagnosed as parvo. In some cases, dogs with parvo feel very lethargic and dogs with kennel cough usually are still energetic.
