Kennel cough is a complex disease that is caused by a number of infectious agents including canine parainfluenza virus, canine adenovirus 2, canine distemper virus, and a bacterium called Bordetella bronchiseptica. Other viruses and bacteria may also be involved, although their roles are less well understood. These viruses and bacteria can act alone or together to cause kennel cough.
Kennel Cough is a misleading name for this illness as dogs can be infected anywhere, not just in kennels. Usually, kennel cough is not serious, but some dogs can become seriously ill from kennel cough infection (especially very young, very old, or immunocompromised dogs). In any case, whenever a dog is coughing, a vet visit is highly recommended to sort out possible diagnoses and treatment options.

Signs of Kennel Cough (Common)

1. Cough, usually a dry hacking cough (sometimes described as a goose honk cough). The severity and type of cough can be variable however.
2. Retching and gagging (as if something stuck in throat) and expulsion of white foamy fluid.

Signs of Kennel Cough (More Serious)
 Nasal discharge
 Lethargy
 Loss of appetite
While a coughing dog should see a vet for evaluation, if lethargy or loss of appetite accompanies the cough, see your vet immediately as this may indicate serious complications such as pneumonia. The symptoms usu-ally appear about 5-10 days after exposure to an in-fected dog, and can last for up to 3 weeks, though symptoms may improve considerably within a few days. It is thought that dogs can remain contagious for sever-al weeks after symptoms clear up.