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If Rover sounds like he has a hairball stuck in his throat, it may be something he can’t cough up as usual.

He may have kennel cough. It’s a common canine aliment that is a type of bronchitis characterized by a harsh, hacking cough, says Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon, a veterinarian at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

“Kennel cough can be compared to a chest cold in humans and is generally not serious except in special cases,” she says.

Kennel cough (also called bordetella) occurs when damage is done to the “mucociliary escalator,” which is part of the respiratory tract and consists of tiny hair-like structures called “cilia” and the mucus that covers them. Debris and infectious agents get trapped in this sticky mucus and the cilia work to move the mucus up through the throat where it is generally coughed up or swallowed.

Kennel cough is a collection of infections that bind directly to the cilia, rendering them immobile within a few hours of infection and causing them to secrete substances that disable the immune cells that consume and destroy bacteria.

“Dogs are most often infected when confined with poor air circulation and lots of warm air that is sometimes found in boarding kennels, vaccination clinics, obedience classes, animal shelters or grooming parlors,” Blue-McLendon adds.

The incubation period for kennel cough is 2 to 14 days and the disorder can be found in rabbits, guinea pigs, pigs and other dogs. It can be fairly contagious depending on stress level, vaccination status and exposure to minor viruses.

Very young kittens and puppies, especially those housed in pet stores, are often prone to severe cases of kennel cough that may progress into pneumonia, she notes.

“Most cases of kennel cough resolve themselves after time, but recovery can be hastened with antibiotics. Cough suppressants prescribed by your veterinarian can be used to provide comfort during recovery,” says Blue-McLendon.

Bordetella vaccinations should be given if animals will be boarded, groomed, shown or housed with other dogs of unknown status on a frequent basis, she explains. Vaccination is not useful in a dog already incubating kennel cough.

Blue-McLendon says your veterinarian can vaccinate against kennel cough in two ways: by injection or through the nose (intranasal).

“An injectable vaccination is a good choice for an aggressive dog and it will provide good systemic immunity when two doses are given after the age of four months,” she adds.

“However, this method may sometimes lead to a less severe infection and provide incomplete protection. An intranasal vaccination may be given as early as two weeks of age and it will provide immunity for 10 to 12 months with annual booster shots. The advantage of the intranasal vaccination is that an animal’s immunity is stimulated at the nose, the site where natural infection would begin.”

Before you start searching for hairballs, consult your veterinarian, Blue-McLendon says. Rover’s problem might be resolved with a simple shot.

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Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the Web at http://tamunews.tamu.edu/.