Canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC), still widely called kennel cough, is a contagious tracheobronchitis caused by one or more viruses and bacteria that spread wherever dogs share air: shelters, boarding kennels, daycare, shows and veterinary clinics. Most dogs cough for a week or two and recover on their own, but some, especially puppies and dogs infected with canine influenza or Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus, develop pneumonia. The NAVLE expects you to know the agents, to treat the uncomplicated cough without reflex antibiotics, and to manage vaccination and isolation.
Key facts
Infectious respiratory disease complex (including influenza infection) at a glance- Species and system: dog; upper and lower respiratory tract. Canine influenza H3N2 can also infect cats.
- Cause: classically Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV) and canine adenovirus 2 (CAV-2); also canine influenza virus (H3N8, H3N2), canine respiratory coronavirus, canine distemper virus, canine herpesvirus 1, Mycoplasma cynos, S. zooepidemicus and others. Co-infection is common.
- Classic presentation: a bright, eating dog with a harsh "goose-honk" cough, often ending in a retch, that starts 5 to 10 days after contact with other dogs.
- Treatment: supportive care; antimicrobials only with systemic signs, pneumonia or failure to improve; doxycycline is first line.
- Zoonotic and reportable: not reportable. B. bronchiseptica and S. zooepidemicus occasionally infect people, mainly the immunocompromised; there is no evidence that canine influenza infects people.
What's inside
13 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Canine influenza
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.