Understanding Canine Cough & Canine Influenza Virus
By Outstanding Pet Care Learning Center
Canine Infectious Respiratory Diseases have been in the forefront of the news for pet parents in the last few months. Severe outbreaks of a new strain of the Canine Influenza Virus, H3N2, appeared in the mid-west and has now spread to many other states. It is believed that this form was brought into the country by infected dogs from Asia. This most recent outbreak should raise many important questions for pet care facilities. Some of these questions can best be answered by having a better understanding of canine respiratory disease causes, how they are transmitted, and identifying symptoms as quickly as possible.
“Canine Cough,” “Infectious Tracheobronchitis” (ITB), or “Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex” (CIRDC) are the preferred terms for the condition that used to be called “Kennel Cough.” Our industry prefers the term “Canine Cough” because it describes the syndrome—coughing dogs—and does not imply that the disease is caused by a pet care facility. Canine Influenza is one of the highly contagious viral causes of Canine Cough. Dogs can become infected anywhere: at the dog park, taking a walk through the neighborhood, or even in their own backyards.
Canine cough and Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) are diseases that every pet care facility employee should be made aware of in order to maintain the healthiest environment for all the guests in your care. Not only may employees encounter dogs infected with canine cough or CIV, but they will also need to be able to educate clients about these diseases and communicate knowledgeably with veterinarians. To do this, your team needs to fully understand your facility’s vaccination requirements and effectively implement your facility’s disinfection protocols.
Causes
Many pet parents think canine cough is only caused by Bordetella, and assume that if their pet has a current Bordetella vaccine it will be protected. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Many different infectious organisms, only some of which can be prevented by immunization, can cause canine cough. In addition, vaccines are not 100% protective and even a vaccinated dog can contract a mild form of the disease. Finally, coughing can be due to many non-contagious conditions such as chronic bronchitis, heart disease, collapsing trachea, heartworm disease, etc.
Bordetella bronchiseptica is a bacteria which can infect dogs, cats, pigs, horses, rabbits and rodents. Although rare, it can infect immunocompromised humans (such as people with HIV, receiving chemotherapy, or after splenectomy surgery). It is closely related to Bordetella pertussis, the bacteria which cause whooping cough in people. In dogs, Bordetella bronchiseptica most commonly causes tracheobronchitis—inflammation of the trachea (windpipe) and bronchi (airways). Bordetella infection in dogs has an incubation period of 3-10 days, meaning symptoms won’t show up until 3-10 days after the dog was exposed to the bacteria. Canine cough can also be caused by parainfluenza, adenovirus (Type-2), corona virus and mycoplasma.
Canine influenza virus (CIV) is one of the family of influenza viruses that includes human, avian and swine influenza. These viruses are notorious for mutating and changing (that’s why the human flu vaccine changes every year). Canine influenza mutated from equine influenza and was first seen in dogs in 2004 in an outbreak at a racing greyhound track in Florida. CIV is now considered endemic (meaning it is firmly established in the local dog population) in urban areas of Florida, New York, Colorado and Pennsylvania. Although over a third of dogs died in that first outbreak in Florida, the average mortality rate is much lower, only 1 to 5 percent. CIV has an incubation period (time from infection until symptoms develop) of 2-5 days. In 2015 a new strain of CIV, H3N2, first appeared in the Chicago area and as of this writing has spread to neighboring states, Texas, California and the East Coast.
Transmission
All of the organisms causing upper respiratory diseases in dogs are highly contagious. They are spread through secretions from the eyes, nose and mouth. They can be spread by aerosol (tiny water droplets sneezed or coughed from an infected dog), which means they can spread through the ventilation system of the pet care facility, or from dogs in one backyard to another. Respiratory infections can also be spread by direct contact (e.g., dogs touching noses and mouths), employees (hands, shoes, clothing) and by “fomites.” Fomites is a term for inanimate objects that can transfer disease, like water and food bowls, toys, beds, grooming tools, etc. An important factor to be aware of with influenza is that viral shedding can actually occur up to 3 days before the dog shows any symptoms.
Symptoms
In general, symptoms of all canine infectious respiratory diseases can be broken into mild or severe symptoms. Although we call it “canine cough,” there may not always be a cough in canine infectious respiratory disease complex. Not all symptoms will be seen in every dog. Symptoms include:
Mild cases
- Dry, hacking cough
(“like he has a bone stuck in his throat”) which may persist for up to a month even with treatment - Gagging, retching
- Soft, moist cough
- Normal or slight decrease in activity level
- Cough, particularly caused by excitation, exercise, or pulling on the collar
- Possibly nasal discharge (watery to mucous)
- Normal temperature or low fever (102-103 degrees Fahrenheit)
Severe cases
- High fever (104-106 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Lethargy, listlessness
- Anorexia (not eating)
- Difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
- Rapid respiratory rate (tachypnea)
- Pus-like nasal discharge
- Deep cough, possibly bringing up mucus
- Pneumonia (lung infection Note: the fatal hemorrhagic (bleeding) pneumonia that was seen with influenza outbreaks at Greyhound tracks has not been seen in other breeds and locations.
It’s important to remember that the causative organism(s) cannot be diagnosed based on symptoms. Also, mild symptoms do not necessarily mean the organism is innocuous. For example, a dog with just a minor runny nose might be shedding CIV, which could be very serious for another dog. Any dog that is coughing or showing other signs of illness should be seen by a veterinarian.
Canine Cough and Canine Influenza Virus, while easily spread and scary, are manageable with the proper education for pet parents and employees. Staying up to date on disease outbreaks and cases in your area can help a facility be proactive in taking the correct precautions. Communicating in advance to employees and pet parents, even if there is not an outbreak in your area, can help them feel more secure and knowledgeable about what to look for in their pets.
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