Kennel Cough in Puppies: Signs, Complications and When It's Urgent

A coughing puppy is easy to brush off. It sounds like a tickle in the throat, and your puppy still wants to play. In an adult dog that's often fine. In a puppy, the same cough deserves a closer look.

The difference is how much room for error there is. A puppy's airways are small, its immune system is still learning, and its vaccines may not be finished. This page covers what's different in young dogs. For the standard picture of the illness, read our main guide to kennel cough symptoms.

Why puppies need more care

Kennel cough is the everyday name for a group of airway infections. Several bacteria and viruses can be involved at once. Cornell describes it as the most common cause of canine upper respiratory tract disease. It spreads through droplets, direct contact and shared surfaces.

In most healthy adults, it's a nuisance. In puppies, the risk is that the infection travels lower into the lungs.

Pneumonia is the main worry

The AKC notes that puppies, senior dogs and dogs with weakened immune systems may develop more serious illness. Cornell warns the condition can develop into pneumonia, which needs hospital care with IV antibiotics and oxygen. VCA says the same for puppies: labored breathing or a wet cough means contacting a vet immediately.

Picture a garden hose. A small kink in a wide hose barely changes the flow. The same kink in a thin hose cuts it off. A puppy's airways are the thin hose.

Vaccines may not be finished

Most puppies get their core shots in a series, so a young puppy may be only partly protected. Cornell says the Bordetella vaccine is available for dogs at least 12 weeks old. VCA adds that the vaccine reduces severity rather than guaranteeing protection, and that it doesn't cover every germ involved. So a vaccinated puppy can still catch kennel cough, and a very young puppy may have no cover at all.

Where puppies pick it up

Puppy classes, groomers, daycare, boarding and dog parks are the usual sources. VCA lists boarding facilities, daycares, dog parks and grooming facilities as higher risk. Signs typically appear within a few days of exposure. The AKC gives an incubation period of anywhere between 2 and 14 days.

Signs of kennel cough in puppies

The classic picture matches the adult version. VCA describes a dry cough, often followed by gagging, along with sneezing, eye or nasal discharge and sometimes a reduced appetite. Cornell calls it a distinctive honking cough that's dry, harsh and non-productive.

What matters in a puppy is how your puppy looks between coughing fits.

For the breathing side of this, our guide on why a dog is breathing fast explains how to count breaths at rest.

Small and flat-faced breeds

Toy breeds such as Chihuahuas and Yorkies have tiny airways and little reserve. Flat-faced puppies such as Pugs, Bulldogs and French Bulldogs already work harder to breathe. Any added swelling or mucus is felt sooner in these dogs. If your puppy is one of these breeds, call your vet earlier than you would for a Labrador or Golden Retriever puppy of the same age. A cough that seems minor on a 25 pound puppy can be a bigger deal on a 4 pound one.

Is it kennel cough or something worse?

A worried owner shouldn't assume. Two serious puppy illnesses can look like kennel cough at the start, and both are far more dangerous in unvaccinated dogs.

Canine distemper

The AKC lists canine distemper virus among the serious conditions a cough can signal. Distemper is a viral illness, and a cough can be one of its early signs. Your puppy's vaccine history matters here. A puppy with a cough, runny nose and weepy eyes that hasn't had its vaccines needs a vet quickly, so mention vaccines first when you call.

Parvovirus

Parvo isn't a cough illness, but it's the other serious puppy infection to rule out when a young puppy seems unwell. VCA says puppies under one year are most vulnerable, and those under five months usually get the most severe disease. The main signs are severe vomiting and diarrhea, often foul-smelling and sometimes bloody, with loss of appetite, lethargy and fever. VCA calls it a medical emergency. If your coughing puppy also has stomach signs, read about blood in dog stool and go to a vet.

Other causes of a cough

Not every puppy cough is infectious. A puppy can inhale a bit of food or water, or chew something that lodges in the throat. Our guide to a dog coughing and gagging covers those causes. If your puppy is choking, that's an emergency in its own right.

How vets handle it

Your vet will listen to the chest, take a temperature, check gum color and ask about vaccines and where your puppy has been. Chest X-rays may be used if pneumonia is a worry.

Do puppies need antibiotics?

Often not, but it depends. Cornell says most cases are viral, so antibiotics aren't necessary. VCA says an antibiotic, usually doxycycline, may be prescribed if a secondary bacterial infection is suspected. The AKC says vets may prescribe antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial infection or cough suppressants to ease discomfort.

Don't use leftover antibiotics, and don't give human cold or cough medicine. Some contain ingredients that are dangerous to dogs. In a tiny body, a wrong dose is a bigger problem.

Pneumonia treatment

If pneumonia develops, expect hospital care. VCA lists antibiotics, IV fluids and oxygen support. Puppies tend to get worse faster than adults, which is why vets would rather see a cough early than late.

Caring for a puppy at home

If your vet says home care is fine, a few simple steps help.

1. Keep your puppy apart from other dogs. No classes, daycare, parks or groomers until your vet says so.
2. Use a harness. A collar presses on the windpipe and can set off coughing fits.
3. Keep things calm. Excitement and hard play trigger coughing.
4. Offer water and soft food. Moisten kibble if your puppy has a sore throat.
5. Avoid smoke and sprays. Cigarette smoke and aerosols irritate the airway.
6. Watch the clock. Note the time the cough started and check your puppy's breathing every few hours.

Phone the clinic before you come in. Kennel cough spreads easily in waiting rooms, and many clinics will let you wait in the car.

Protecting your puppy

You can't remove every risk, but you can lower it.

• Finish the vaccine series on time and ask your vet about the Bordetella vaccine.
• Keep your puppy away from crowded dog spaces until its shots are complete.
• Don't share water bowls or toys with unknown dogs.
• Keep a sick dog at home and tell friends if your puppy has been coughing.

The AKC says boosters depend on lifestyle and are typically given every 6 to 12 months. Your vet can tailor that to your puppy. For other cough and breathing guides, see our breathing and cough section.

When to see a vet

For a puppy, lean toward calling. A phone call costs little, and puppies can change fast.

Go to a vet the same day, or straight to an emergency clinic, if your puppy:

• breathes fast, hard or with a heaving belly, even at rest
• has a wet, bubbly cough or thick yellow-green nose discharge
• is lethargic, feverish or refusing food
• has vomiting or diarrhea along with the cough
• has blue, grey or very pale gums
• is younger than 16 weeks or hasn't finished its vaccines
• seems to be getting worse instead of better

Even a mild honking cough in a bright puppy is worth a call to your vet the same day. Ask whether your puppy should be seen, and mention vaccines, recent contact with other dogs and any stomach signs. That one call is the safest way to catch pneumonia, distemper or parvo early.