Download Kennel Cough - Greyhound Racing NSW

VETERINARY ALERT - KENNEL COUGH
Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) would like
to alert industry participants to two cases of
kennel cough in racing greyhounds that have
been reported over the past week. The cases
were associated with the central coast and
northwest
region
of
Sydney.
Kennel cough is an infectious bronchitis
caused by various combinations of viral
organisms (e.g. canine parainfluenza) and a
bacteria (Bordatella bronchiseptica). An
infected dog sheds these organisms via its
respiratory secretions into the air and onto
objects, where they can be inhaled by a
healthy dog. Common sense dictates that
dogs living in a kennel environment and/or
mixing with dogs from other kennels will be
particularly susceptible to disease that is
spread
in
this
manner.
The normal respiratory tract of the dog is
protected to some degree by tiny hair-like
structures and mucus, which act to move
infectious agents back out of the body so that
they can be coughed up or swallowed
harmlessly. This defence mechanism can be
impaired, however, in dogs that are exposed
to transport stress, crowding stress, heavy
dust, poor ventilation, cigarette smoke and
cold
temperatures.
Individual resistance to kennel cough can be
maximised by maintaining a regular program
of C5 vaccinations in all dogs, from the time of
their puppy booster injection at ten weeks of
age. Even so, the C5 vaccination does not
guarantee against infection, but minimises
the severity of symptoms in most cases.
Veterinary Alert: Kennel Cough
Dr. Elizabeth Arnott
9 November 2015
Prevention is, therefore, largely reliant on
management factors within the kennel itself,
the most important being space and
ventilation, biosecurity and quarantine
protocols. If your greyhound appears unwell
for any reason, isolate it and do not travel
with it to other properties or race tracks.
Most cases of kennel cough will resolve on
their own within one to two weeks. However,
dogs infected with Bordatella can shed the
organism for a further two to three months. It
is recommended that a dog with kennel
cough receives veterinary attention so that, if
necessary, the appropriate medications can
be prescribed. Failure to improve at least
partially within a week of treatment warrants
a revisit to the veterinarian. The greyhound
breed, in particular, is at risk of a complication
of kennel cough, a respiratory infection called
Canine Haemorrhagic Pneumonia. This
disease resembles kennel cough in its early
stages, but progresses to be far more serious
and one of the pathogens involved can be
extremely
contagious.
While kennel cough is usually self-limiting and
inconsequential, it is highly contagious. As
such, it is imperative that any dog displaying
respiratory symptoms should be isolated on
the property, and GRNSW should be notified
as soon as possible to aid in tracking and
control. Suspected and confirmed cases of
kennel cough can be reported to Disease
Surveillance Manager Dr Anne Louise Knox
via phone on (02) 8767 0500 or email at
[email protected].