BORDETELOSE
The bacterium Bordetella bronchiséptica is the primary cause of the canine infectious tracheobronchitis (coughs of the kennels). Although the cough of the kennels is the manifestation clinic more common of the bordetelose, a fatal bronchopneumonia can happen as a result of primary and secondary infections. The mixed infections in the cough of the kennels are common, they possess synergistic effect with to B. bronchiséptica and they can have as agents the virus of Canine Parainfluenza (VPIC), canine adenovírus of the types 1 and 2 (AVC-1 and AVC-2), herpes canine virus, canine reovírus of the types 1, 2 and 3, micoplasmas and ureaplasmas. Individually those agents cause a very soft disease or they are housed in the aerial roads of asymptomatic bearers.
The infectious tracheobronchitis is highly contagious and the transmission happens for aerosols, in other words, drops eliminated in the cough and sneeze of polluted animals. Like this healthy animals in contact with sick animals can develop the disease. It is then that the denomination appears coughs of the kennels, because the disease becomes common where dogs are confined together as kennels, stores of animals etc.
Nestlings recently weaned, imuno-depressed animals for several reasons (exposed the cold, chemical products, allergic to acarids, anemic, badly fed, stressed etc) they are more predisposed her develop the disease.
The largest occurrence of the disease happens in the winter, in spite of there being cases in any time of the year.
SYMPTOMS
In the softest form of the disease the most common and evident symptom is the short and repeated cough of dry tone. Frequently accompanied of engasgos or movements of vomit effort that can be confused with vomit or asphyxiation. That cough becomes more frequent during the exercise, excitement or pressure on the windpipe. The dog usually eats, assets stays, it alerts and it doesn't present fever. The clinical course is usually from 7 to 12 days.
The most serious form of the disease results in mixed infections in pups no vaccinated coming of stores, shelter of animals, etc. The secondary bacterial bronchopneumonia seems to be the determinant of the severity of the disease. The cough becomes productive due to added tracheobronchitis of bronchopneumonia. The dog, in that case, it can present anorexia, depression, fever, discharge nasocular (rinite and conjunctivitis serosas or mucopurulentas. That severe form is difficult to distinguish of the cinomose and it can sometimes be fatal.
DIAGNOSTIC
The diagnosis of the disease is made through the observation of the clinical symptomatology and of the report of some exhibition antecedent the other sick dogs. The blood counts and the cytologies reveal found inespecíficos. The culture of the bacterium is not relevant, because to B. bronchiséptica can be present in the aerial roads of animals that are asymptomatic bearers of the disease. The thoracic x-ray is important in the case in the most serious way of the disease that can develop for a secondary bronchopneumonia.
TREATMENT
In the case in the softest way of the disease, this is solemnity-limitante in 7 to 14 days, and dogs with soft signs don't demand specific therapy. In more serious cases with the involvement of the inferior breathing treatment the treatment is made through the administration of antibiotics directly in the breathing treatment, be for nebulização, be for injection intratraqueal for elimination of B. bronchiséptica of the tracheobronchial area. In those cases gentamicina and canamicina they are the choice antibiotics for treatment for aerosol or intratraqueal of the bordetelose. The treatment for aerosol or injection intratraqueal should be made to intervals of 12 hours in the first day, and once daily for 5 to 7 days. Antibiotics administered by road parenteral can be effective in the treatment of the pneumonia caused by B. bronchiséptica, since you dose high they are used by a period from 10 to 14 days, or more. When the symptoms indicate pneumonia and systemic illness, the antibioticoterapia should be initiate through antibiotics of wide spectrum, and altered according to the need, when results of the isolation of the microorganism and of the sensibiladade tests they are available. The choice antibiotics against B. Bronchiséptica are: gentamicina, canamicina, cloranfenicol or tetracycline, or also a trimetropim-sufadiazina association (the treatment should Have continuity of at least 14 days for us not to happen recurrences).
Dogs with irritating coughs, droughts, intermittent and that you/they don't disappear inside from 7 to 10 days, they can need evaluations and additional treatments.
Besides the antibioticoterapia, treatments can be necessary for suppression of the inflammation and maintenance of the clearance of the brônquis. Corticosteroids can be used in the reduction of the inflammation of the breathing treatment, that it can be promoted by the persistent cough. Those corticosteroids can be administered by aerosols or injection concomitant intratraqueal with antibiotics.
Drugs broncodilatadoras can be necessary for the relief of the broncoespasmos, and expectorants can be beneficial for us to help to facilitate the elimination of the secretions of the inferior breathing treatment, through a climber functional mucociliar.
The therapy antitussígena should be used as reservation, and restricted to periods of intense exacervações, because the complete elimination of the cough can propitiate the retention and I accumulate of bronchial mucus and of the exudatos, with larger favorecimento of the problem.
PREVENTION
The best way to prevent the disease is through the vaccination. The immunization of nestlings is made starting from 2 months of age with use of vaccines intranasais that they protect the nasal mucous membrane of the animals, and with annual revacinação. There is also the immunization done with injectable vaccines that you/they don't protect the nasal mucous membrane and they don't protect against adenovírus type 2. That vaccine is applied in 2 doses with interval of 15 days.
In the winter, it is important to avoid frequent baths, mainly in senior animals. And not to leave the exposed dogs to the cold, mainly the one of races of for the short that you/they sit down very cold. To maintain distances of infected dogs is also important.
The disinfection can be made with hipoclorito of diluted sodium, for clorexidina or for benzalcônio chloride, in the polluted facilities.
In the case of kennel, assure appropriate ventilation of at least 12 changes of air per hour.
Source: Dra. Renata Moris Domenico