Feline Kennel Cough  (Bordetella infection)

Kennel cough in dogs in animal shelters is readily transmissible, reduces adoption rates, and commonly leads to the euthanasia of affected dogs. In cats, tracheobronchitis, conjunctivitis, and pneumonia have been associated with Bordetella bronchiseptica infection, but most cases of upper-respiratory infection (URI) probably are caused by herpesvirus and calicivirus, and many B. bronchiseptica culture-positive cats are clinically normal.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that some cases of kennel cough in Australian cats has developed as a result of inadvertent contamination of vaccines or spread of the bacteria to the cat population from dogs.

Symptoms in cats

Acute coughing, pneumonia, listlessness, depression.

Treatment

Broad spectrum antibiotics such as Clavulox or Orbax