Kennel cough is highly infectious, because each time your dog coughs, it releases aerosol particles that can spread the illness. If you believe your dog has kennel cough, it is important to isolate it from other dogs immediately.

• A dog with kennel cough should not be taken on walks.
• Other dogs in the same household are potentially at risk. However, by the time the symptoms develop they have already been exposed, so keeping them separated from the sick dog at this stage provides no benefit

It is best to get any dog with a cough checked out by your vet as soon as possible.
The vet will be able to verify that the cough is because of infection, rather than another cause such as heart disease. Your vet will also be able to tell you if the dog needs treatment or not.

• The vet will perform a thorough physical examination, including taking the dog's temperature, feeling the size of the lymph nodes in its throat, checking its mouth for a foreign object, and listening to its heart and lungs with a stethoscope.
• In the absence of a heart murmur, and if the veterinarian has a strong suspicion of kennel cough, he or she may suggest "diagnosis by treatment" rather than blood work and other expensive tests. If the dog then fails to respond to treatment as expected, further investigation may be needed.
• When you call to make the appointment, tell the receptionist you suspect your dog has kennel cough. He or she may ask you to wait outside until the vet calls you in. This is to reduce the risk to other canine patients in the waiting room who might be exposed to infection.

Your veterinarian may or may not prescribe antibiotics for your dog. If they are prescribed, administer as directed.

• Antibiotics are not appropriate in every case. This is because the infection may be viral, in which case antibiotics will not help, because it is the dog's immune system that needs to fight and kill the infection. There is no way of differentiating bacterial from viral infections on the basis of a physical exam alone.
• On the other hand, if your dog is not able to fight off the infection on its own, or if veterinarian finds the dog has a fever or hears signs of congestion in the dog's chest, these can suggest the dog has a secondary bacterial infection as a result of the primary infection (which may be viral or bacterial). Under such conditions, an antibiotic may be prescribed.

Run the shower on hot for a few minutes with the window and door closed. Sit with the dog in the steamy atmosphere for five to ten minutes, taking care to keep the dog away from the hot water.

• This helps to loosen any mucus in the dog's chest, which can ease the cough. The process can be repeated as often as necessary throughout the day.
• Never leave your dog unattended in the bathroom with hot water running, as it may scald itself.