09/03/2025
Hello everyone, Justin here from Carlson Canine Camp.
We wanted to take a moment to address a concern that’s been brought to our attention, unfortunately kennel cough is currently circulating in the community.
At this time, we have not seen any symptoms of kennel cough among the dogs in our care. However, a local veterinary office did contact us regarding a mutual client whose dog was showing symptoms. In addition, another thoughtful client informed us that their dog was experiencing mild symptoms and, out of an abundance of caution, chose to keep their pup home. We truly appreciate that level of responsibility.
At Carlson Canine Camp, the health and safety of your dogs is always our top priority. In light of this, we want to assure you that we are:
Taking all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of illness
Increasing our cleaning protocols, going above and beyond our already high standards
Staying informed by consulting with trusted veterinary professionals
In fact, I’ve reached out to one of our most trusted vets to get professional insight and guidance on how best to respond to this situation. I’ve asked some key questions and will be sharing that information with you below—our goal is to keep you informed and your dogs safe.
Thank you all for your continued trust and support. If you have any questions or notice any symptoms in your pup, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
— Justin 815-275-9898
Carlson Canine Camp
Here are the questions i asked Dr. Haylee Knutti, DVM
1. What is kennel cough?
Kennel cough is a common respiratory illness caused by a bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica. It is the most commonly referred to part of the canine
infectious respiratory disease complex or CIRDC.
2. How does kennel cough affect my dogs every day life?
It can affect your dog’s everyday life if they become infected as it is common and highly contagious. It can cause illness and your
dog can spread it if infected. Public places are all possible locations for your dog to contract kennel cough, as
well as incidents like your dog interacting with a new puppy or neighbor’s dog.
3. If my dog has the kennel cough vaccine, why did they still get “kennel cough”?
Just like when humans get vaccinated for viruses like the flu, vaccines don’t always prevent illness
100% of the time, but they often significantly reduce the severity and duration of illness.
Vaccinations also take time to work. These are important notes to remember. Getting your dog
vaccinated against kennel cough at least 2 weeks before their boarding stay, grooming
appointment or training classes.
4. For MOST dogs, what is the recovery time like?
Most dogs with mild symptoms, such as a
cough for 7 to 14 days.
5. How is kennel cough spread?
Kennel cough is spread in a few ways: direct contact from an
infected dog, through droplets like from a cough or sneeze and indirectly from contaminated
items like bowls or leashes. The incubation period for kennel cough is 2 to 10 days, meaning it
can take that long from exposure for symptoms to appear, but they are still contagious during
that time.
6. If a dog gets on certain antibiotics or medications, are they still contagious?
If left untreated, will it just go away? Even with treatment, dogs are still contagious. On average,
dogs are contagious for up to 28 days after recovery.
7. What are the symptoms of kennel cough?
Affected dogs often have a loud honking cough. They can have eye or nasal discharge. Sometimes they might even be lethargic, run a fever or
not want to eat. Symptoms are often more severe for very young puppies and geriatric dogs or
dogs that develop pneumonia.
8. What do you suggest if someone’s dog shows symptoms of kennel cough? I suggest
people that have dogs with signs of kennel cough keep their pets home. Isolate them from their
other dogs if able and be very conscious of spread. Don’t allow contact with other pets. Pets are
contagious for about 28 days after recovery. If their dog displays more severe signs, such a
fever, decreased appetite or lethargy-they should be seen by their regular veterinarian.
9. Have you seen kennel cough going around the area as of lately?
It seems there are
almost always a handful of cases of upper respiratory illnesses in dogs in the area. Whether or
not they are truly from kennel cough is difficult to say as veterinarians aren’t often sending
samples to labs for true concrete diagnosis.
10. How would you compare kennel cough to a human virus or common cold? Is there any relatability?
Kennel cough is a little similar to the common cold in humans in that it is
contagious and easily spread. Kennel cough is part of a respiratory complex in dogs, only one of
which is caused by a bacteria, the other components of this complex are viral, similar to how
there are both respiratory viruses and sinus infections in people.
11. If my dog gets kennel cough, will they get it again? Or will they be immune to it? A dog with a previous history of kennel cough infection can most definitely get infected again if
exposed. Usually after natural infection, similar to a vaccinated dog, their symptoms may be less
severe and recovery faster.
12. If my dog is affected by kennel cough, what are some things that I can do to as a pet
owner, to make life easier for them? Things that may help a dog with kennel cough are using
a harness rather than a collar to decrease pressure on their trachea, raising their food bowl to
aid swallowing if their throat seems sore, getting an appointment with their veterinarian if they
are coughing so severely that medication may be required.
13. What do you suggest Carlson Canine Camp do, to help keep their facility clean and to be as pro active as possible?
Requiring bordetella vaccination at least 2 weeks prior to a
dog’s visit and every 6 months is a great way to help minimize the risk of infection and spread at
the Camp. If a dog is exhibiting signs of kennel cough upon arrival, they should not be admitted
to stay for boarding, training or grooming. If another dog in their household is ill, they should not
be in contact with other dogs either. I also recommend disinfection of the kennel and bowls
between pets and no nose to nose contact. Keep kenneled dogs spread out if able.
I hope these questions and answers helped you understand "kennel cough" a little better, at the end of the day we are asking everyone to just use common sense, if your dog is showing symptoms, keep them home. If you have questions please call my cell phone directly and if i can't answer the questions i can direct you to a professional who can.
Most of the things that were suggested to do, we already do on a regular basis, we even require dogs do 6 month bordetella unlike most vet clinics who only require it once a year. If you're
interested in a vaccine please let our office know and you can give it to your pup 2 weeks before they come for boarding, if staying for an extended amount of time.
Thank you all!
Justin Kehl 815-275-9898
