Part of being a responsible pet owner is taking the time to learn the signs of potential health problems in our pets.

Infectious tracheobronchitis, commonly known as kennel cough, is a very contagious canine respiratory infection caused by various agents, most commonly Bordetella bronchiseptica and canine parainfluenza virus. These pathogens cause inflammation of the upper airway, leading to irritation and causing a dry, hacking cough.The term “kennel cough” came about because it can quickly spread through a kennel and infect every dog. The infection is airborne or transmitted through direct contact with an infected animal, or by sharing objects.In very mild cases, no medications are given since the disease is self-limiting and will run its course, much like a human cold. Humidifiers and using a harness instead of a collar (to avoid irritating the trachea and throat) can also help. More serious cases are treated with oral antibiotics and often cough suppressants. Most cases resolve themselves within seven to14 days.

Heartworm disease is caused by foot-long worms that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels of affected pets, causing severe lung disease, heart failure and damage to other organs. The dog is a natural host for heartworms, which means heartworms that live inside the dog mature into adults, mate and produce offspring. If untreated, their numbers can increase.Mosquitoes are vectors of heartworms. Adult female heartworms living in an infected animal produce microscopic baby worms called microfilaria that circulate in the bloodstream. When a mosquito bites an infected animal, it picks up these baby worms, which develop and mature into “infective stage” larvae. Then, when the infected mosquito bites another animal, the infective larvae are deposited onto the surface of the animal’s skin and enter the new host through the mosquito’s bite wound.