06/09/2026
🐾 KENNEL COUGH & BOARDING KENNELS — WHAT PET OWNERS SHOULD KNOW 🐾
We often get asked why a dog can develop kennel cough after staying at a boarding kennel, so we wanted to explain a little about this very common respiratory illness.
Kennel cough is unfortunately a recognised risk associated with dogs mixing in boarding, daycare, grooming, dog parks and other environments where multiple dogs come together.
Even when a kennel has strict cleaning protocols, good ventilation, vaccination requirements and responsible infection-control procedures, it is not possible to completely eliminate the risk of a dog developing kennel cough.
Kennel cough is a bit like the canine equivalent of a human catching a cold. It can be caused by a number of different viruses and bacteria, and dogs can sometimes be carrying or incubating an infection before they show any symptoms.
Importantly, the kennel cough vaccination does not guarantee that a dog cannot catch kennel cough. Vaccination helps reduce the risk and, in many cases, can reduce the severity and duration of illness, but it does not provide complete protection against every organism that can cause the condition.
There is also an incubation period, meaning a dog may appear completely healthy when they arrive, and only begin coughing several days later — sometimes even after they have gone home.
🏠 Why is it more common in busy periods?
During holidays and peak boarding periods, there are naturally more dogs coming through the facility and therefore more opportunities for respiratory infections to circulate. This is true of boarding kennels generally, not just one particular facility.
We take the health and wellbeing of every dog in our care extremely seriously. We have procedures in place to minimise the risk of illness, but no boarding facility can honestly guarantee that a dog will never become unwell during or following a stay.
If your dog develops a cough after boarding, please don’t panic. Most uncomplicated cases are mild and self-limiting, but you should contact your veterinarian for advice, particularly if your dog is elderly, very young, has an underlying health condition, is lethargic, isn’t eating, or is having difficulty breathing.
❤️ Our responsibility is to minimise risk, recognise illness, act appropriately and care for the dogs in our facility — but some risks associated with social interaction between dogs simply cannot be completely removed.
Thank you to all our wonderful clients for understanding that boarding your dog, just like taking them to daycare, the dog park or a grooming salon, carries a small inherent risk of exposure to contagious illnesses.
🐶 We will always do everything reasonably possible to keep the dogs in our care happy, healthy and safe.
