KennelCough.

Anna Westhoff Each week, Ben Westhoff shares the ups and downs of owning Pippi, the dalmatian mix he and his wife Anna adopted as a puppy in late 2009, and the first dog Ben's ever had. Anna and I recently flew to Kansas City to visit my sister Julia, her husband Jay, and their newborn daughter Olivia for a weekend. Taking this trip meant we had to board Pippi, something that's always emotionally difficult for us. Even more upsetting was that after we were back home with Pippi, we received an e-mail saying that there had been an outbreak of kennel cough while she was boarding. As a precaution, it continued, daycare dogs exhibiting the symptoms were sent home. Sick boarders were being ...

Flickr/hodge We've all heard about the dreaded kennel cough, but what exactly is this mysterious ailment? Paw Nation had a chat with veterinarian Jill A. Richardson, an expert in pet safety, the Vice President of My Dog Walks, a consultant for the Veterinary Information Network and an instructor for the Penn Foster Vet Tech Program to get to the bottom of kennel cough and other things that make your dog sound all raspy. Why is my dog coughing? Many things can cause your dog to cough. Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex, CIRDC, is a new term to describe various pathogens that can cause coughing and other respiratory signs in dogs. Viruses and bacteria that can cause your dog to ...