Kennel cough is a type of cough condition that occurs mostly in dogs. Symptoms of kennel cough have been seen in cats which leads to speculations that kennel cough could occur in cats. In this article, you will find out if cats can get kennel cough from dogs, its symptoms and treatment.
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Content:
- Can Cats Get Kennel Cough From Dogs
- Symptoms of Kennel Cough in Cats
- How to Get Rid of Kennel Cough in Cats
- Conclusion
Can Cats Get Kennel Cough From Dogs
According to research, dogs are at high risk of infection to cats, especially with Bordetella bronchiseptica which is a leading cause of Kennel cough in both dogs and cats. There have also been instances of humans infected with kennel cough gotten from dogs.
Cats staying near infected dogs are highly prone to Kennel cough, showing similar symptoms to that of a Kennel cough in dogs. Although these symptoms are mild compared to dogs but could lead to further health complications if not managed.
A friend of mine once complained that her cat was having symptoms of kennel cough fews days after her dog was diagnosed with the same condition. With the Petcube Camera, it is easy to identify these symptoms when placed in a strategic position in your home or attached to the cats. This way you can report to the Vet in time if the symptoms of Kennel cough are noticed.
“It is possible for cats and humans to get at least one form of kennel cough from dogs”, - Reddit User
Symptoms of Kennel Cough in Cats
Symptoms of kennel could vary depending on the etiology, type and its severity. The symptoms of kennel cough in cats are similar to other types of cough in cats and would include the following:
- Running nose
- Hacking sound
- Sneezing
- Inappetance
- Ocular discharge
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Phlegm production
Object obstruction like a hairball would cause retching and gagging in cats and may not necessarily be due to kennel cough. Depending on the type of cough, an unproductive cough could lead to blockage with symptoms of respiratory distress that could further deteriorate the cat’s health.
Cough conditions in cats could be ‘Wet’ or ‘Dry’, wet coughs result in phlegm production while dry coughs do not. Phlegm is a mucus-like substance produced from the mouth when cats have a wet cough. Wet coughs result from any form of respiratory tract infections while dry coughs may occur due to asthma or a tumor condition.
“Infrequent coughing is usually nothing to worry about, it’s only severe when it occurs with other symptoms”, - Dr. Jennifer Coates
How to Get Rid of Kennel Cough in Cats
Cats do experience cough due to different reasons, knowing the actual cause of a cough condition will guide to knowing how to resolve it. Most cough conditions in cats are temporary and may not require any medical attention.
Different factors could lead to coughing in cats, factors such as; hairball obstruction, allergy, respiratory tract infection, asthma or even cancer. These factors lead to different types of cough in various degrees. Only a medical examination done by a Veterinarian would ascertain if a cat has a kennel cough or not.
An examination done on cats revealed that B. bronchiseptica was isolated in 39.1% of pharyngeal samples and 15.78% of nasal samples collected from cats which indicated that not all cough conditions are kennel cough. In cases of kennel cough, the following list of remedies can be applied:
- Cough expectorants
- Antibiotics
- Enough rest
- Increased ventilation
- Immune boosters
- Increased fluids
Choosing the right treatment regimen for kennel cough depends on its severity and the Veterinarian’s recommendation. Sometimes, kennel cough may lead to emergencies when not managed properly. In emergency cases, you can use the Petcube Emergency Fund which offsets your vet fees up to $3000. To get a 27% discount, sign up through the exclusive link.
Control measures should be adopted for households with more than one pet, these may include isolation of infected cats and vaccinating the healthy ones since kennel cough is highly contagious and could easily spread among household pets. With the right treatment and control measures, cats with kennel cough have a good prognosis and would recover in no time.
Conclusion
Any cat could get a cough but not all cough conditions are Kennel cough. Kennel cough is a type of cough condition often seen in dogs and sometimes cats or even humans. Its symptoms are similar to that of a normal cough which may vary from retching to running nose. To reduce the chances of your pets getting kennel cough, vaccination, isolation and treatment of infected pets should be done.