COMSTOCK PARK, Michigan — A few months after Nikki Abbott Finnegan’s dog became a puppy, she began to behave differently, Nikki Abbott became worried.
“When a puppy coughs, your heart stops, you feel terrible and you think, ‘Oh, I don’t want this to happen,’” she said. “So I’m very concerned.”
Abbott and Finnegan aren’t the only mom-dog/pet duo to survive this year. As the weather improves and restrictions are lifted, people are gathering at dog parks, which veterinarians say has led to an increase in cases of bordetella, also known as “kennel cough.”
“It’s very similar to the common cold in humans,” says Dr. Lynn Happel, a veterinarian at Easton Veterinary Clinic. “We see some seasonality in this as people are more active and interact more with dogs.”
In fact, Dr. Happel said the number of cases increased more this year than in previous years. Although kennel cough or similar illnesses can be caused by a variety of viruses and bacteria, the good news is that doctors can vaccinate against three of them.
“We can vaccinate against Bordetella, we can vaccinate against canine flu, we can vaccinate against canine parainfluenza,” Dr. Happel said.
Dr Happel said pet owners should vaccinate their animals as soon as possible and look for signs that they are not vaccinated.
“Loss of appetite, decreased activity levels, lethargy, refusal to eat,” she said in addition to the obvious heavy breathing. “It’s not just shortness of breath, it’s actually, you know, it’s an abdominal component of breathing.”
Dogs can get kennel cough multiple times and only about 5-10% of cases become severe, but other treatments such as vaccines and cough suppressants are quite effective in treating cases.
”Most of these dogs had a mild cough that had no effect on their overall health and cleared up on their own in about two weeks,” Dr. Happel said. “For most dogs, this is not a serious illness.”
So it was with Finnegan. Abbott immediately called her veterinarian, who vaccinated the dog and advised them to keep Finnegan away from other dogs for two weeks.
“Eventually our vet just vaccinated him,” she said, “and gave him supplements. We added something to his water for his health.”
Post time: Jun-30-2023
