Lubbock Dog Owners Beware of This Highly Contagious Canine Illness

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If you own a dog and they suddenly start coughing, retching, or sneezing, they lose their appetite, act more fatigued than normal, or you start seeing abnormal discharge around their eyes or nose, they might have a respiratory infection.

This condition, which you might know as ‘kennel cough’, is highly contagious and is common for your dog to catch at dog parks or other pet-friendly places.

There are ways to safeguard your dog from this, like the Bordetella vaccine, but it isn’t always guaranteed to protect your animal because there are other bacteria and viruses that can cause upper respiratory infections. However, it is a great place to start, especially if your dog is regularly around other dogs or often kept in boarding situations.

I had a kennel cough scare with my own puppy just last night. She suddenly started having coughing fits that my partner and I had never heard before, so we were immediately concerned. We initially thought it was a case of reverse sneezing, but that typically comes and goes quickly and these fits were sticking around. We kept her up for a while to make sure she didn’t need to go to the emergency vet, and the coughing calmed down, allowing her to fall asleep.

We took her to the vet first thing this morning to be safe. They didn’t diagnose her with kennel cough because she does have her Bordetella vaccine and wasn’t showing too severe of symptoms, but we did leave with cough syrup and some anti-inflammatory medicine. We’ll be keeping a close eye on her to make sure things don’t get any worse.

Apparently, kennel cough is going around in Lubbock right now, so be sure to keep your pet safe and take them to the vet if you notice any problems. They might come out fine, but it is better to be safe than sorry.