​There are other health issues that can claim coughing as a symptom - heart disease, collapsed trachea are a just a couple.  There are mentions of home remedies on the internet to treat the symptoms - we recommend checking with your Vet before trying these or if you have concerns.

Would you like to read up on more information?

Upper Respiratory Viruses or Infections (URIs)

This page is under construction

There are several things that you can do to help with the spread of the virus and help your own dog if they should be showing symptoms:


- PLEASE, do not assume we know that a virus has made it out to us.  Let us know if your dog starts coughing.  Because dogs can carry it without showing symptoms and/or they may leave while still in the incubation period and not start coughing here, it could take a couple of weeks or longer before we witness anything here.  The sooner we know, the sooner we can let other pet parents know and begin our quarantine process.

- Keep your dog at home and in their own yard after exposure (whether they show symptoms or not).  As mentioned above, it can be easily spread, so taking your dog out in your neighborhood, a dog park, doggie daycare, grooming, etc. is not recommended.

- If you need to have your dog on a leash, consider using a harness instead of a collar.  Pressure on the front of the trachea can trigger coughing making symptoms worse.

Information on Viruses, Parasites and More

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)

Veterinary Information Network (VIN)

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What can YOU do?

The most common concern we deal with when it comes to what gets spread between dogs is Upper Respiratory Viruses (Bordetella bronchiseptica, Corona Respiratory Virus (not Covid) - these are often referred to as "Kennel or Canine Cough").  


Just like people, wherever dogs congregate there is opportunity for them to share and spread viruses.  This can include boarding kennels, grooming shops, doggie daycare, Veterinary clinics, dog parks - even your own neighborhood where dogs meet at fences, or take their daily walks.


Here are some general things to know:

  • - There is no vaccine that covers all the different strains of URIs.  Much like our own flu
    • shot, efficacy is not 100%
  • - URIs are spread both by contact (direct & indirect) and by air
  • - Incubation time is typically 3-10 days
  • - Not all dogs will contract or show symptoms when exposed - even in the same household.
  • - Most healthy dogs will weather the symptoms without issues within a week or so - it may be annoying to everyone to hear the coughing, but the cough will expel the phlegm
  • - Typical symptoms may include:
    • ​- Coughing/hacking/honking (may even throw up some white foam)
    • - Sneezing
    • - Producing snot/phlegm
  • ​- A spike in symptoms will occur then wane as the virus runs its course (much like our colds), with most dogs handling the virus/symptoms without issue
  • - Contact your Veterinarian is symptoms become severe/debilitating, and/or your pet is having difficulty breathing, is running a  fever, is lethargic, not eating, etc. Your Vet may prescribe a cough suppressant to help with symptoms and possibly a course of antibiotics to help ward off any potential secondary infections 


Because of the nature of how these viruses are spread, we cannot control or predict when one may find its way to our facility.  A dog can be carrying the virus and not be showing any symptoms, and therefore, unbeknownst to the owners or us, spread that to others.  But we would like to share some things that we do and what you can do to help prevent spreading.

What do WE do?

Once we are made aware that a dog that has been here has started coughing, we do several things:


- We continue our comprehensive cleaning protocols

- We circulate as much fresh air in the buildings as possible

- We do not move dogs between the buildings or their exercise yards

- New dogs checking in do not go into building(s) with dogs we assume have been exposed

- We do not cross over our employees from one building to another


These steps keep the potential for cross-contamination as low as is possible.  Please understand that while having multiple buildings affords the ability to quarantine dogs during outbreaks in the area, it is still possible that someone else could bring the virus out.  

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The information provided below is for educational purposes only.  It is not meant as a diagnosis of any medical condition or recommendation for treatment.  If you have concerns about your pet's health, please reach out to your regular Veterinarian.

A couple of last notes: