Kennel Cough Outbreak Management Protocol
A Comprehensive Guide for Dog Walkers, Pet Owners, and Pet Care Professionals
Created by: James Cottam, Hiking Hounds
Based on: Real outbreak experience (August 2025)
This protocol was developed during an active kennel cough outbreak affecting 2 confirmed, connected cases with 8-10 additional dogs under monitoring. As a professional dog walker with over a year of business operation, this was my first encounter with kennel cough in a professional capacity, making it a steep learning curve that required immediate, decisive action.
This guide represents the approach I'm taking to help contain the situation during an active outbreak. Since we're still in the early stages of managing this outbreak, it's too soon to know definitively whether all these measures will prove successful. It's a learning curve overall - documenting decisions and protocols as they're being implemented and tested in real-time.
Who This Is For: While developed from a dog walking business perspective, the principles apply to anyone dealing with kennel cough - individual dog owners, families, kennels, daycare facilities, and other pet care providers. The systematic approach to outbreak identification, contact tracing, and situation management is adaptable across different scenarios.
Evidence-Based Support: This protocol is strengthened by findings from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) telemedicine study, which validates remote monitoring approaches for respiratory conditions, and official manufacturer confirmation (August 2025) that our primary disinfectant choice, Leucillin, is effective against all major kennel cough pathogens including Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine parainfluenza virus, and canine adenovirus.
Complete Communication Templates: Email templates for notifying customers and networking peers are attached at the bottom of this protocol and are free to use and adapt for your own outbreak management needs.
Important Note: This protocol may not be perfectly suited to your specific situation, business model, or circumstances. However, you can extract elements and approaches that will help you control a similar situation should it arise. This is a situation I'm happy to share for you to adapt in whatever way you possibly can to help and benefit you.
🔬 SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING & KEY DEFINITIONS
Kennel Cough Timeline - Two Distinct Phases:
Phase 1: Incubation Stage
-
Duration: Days 2-14 from initial exposure
-
Definition: Period when symptoms can appear - dog may or may not show signs
-
Transmission risk: HIGHEST - dogs are most contagious during this phase while appearing healthy
-
Monitoring: Watch for early warning signs and characteristic symptoms
Phase 2: Recovery Stage
-
Starts: When symptoms first appear (any time during days 2-14)
-
Duration: 10 days from symptom onset
-
Recovery criteria: Must be symptom-free by day 10
-
If still symptomatic after 10 days: Continue isolation until 2 consecutive symptom-free days are achieved, then solo assessment walk
-
Extended symptoms: If symptoms persist longer than 2 weeks total, seek veterinary advice as medication may be needed
Timeline Example:
-
Days 2-14: Incubation stage - symptoms can appear any time
-
Day 14: Symptoms appear → Recovery stage begins
-
Days 14-24: 10-day recovery period
-
Days 23-24: Symptom-free (within the 10 days) → Ready for solo assessment
-
Day 25: Solo assessment walk
Extended Recovery Guidance:
If your dog still displays symptoms after the 10-day recovery period and hasn't had 2 full days symptom-free, continue isolation until those 2 full days are completed, then proceed with solo assessment walk. If symptoms persist longer than 2 weeks total, seek veterinary advice as medication may be needed.
Environmental Survival Times:
-
Clothing/fabric: Up to 48 hours
-
Hard surfaces: 48 hours to 5 days (vehicles, equipment, toys, bowls)
-
Open air: Approximately 30 minutes only
-
Respiratory secretions: Few hours
-
Soil: Up to 45 days (Bordetella bronchiseptica)
-
Water conditions: Up to 24 weeks in laboratory settings
High-Risk Exposure Definition:
-
Dogs with direct contact during the infectious period (days 2-14 of infected dog's incubation), including:
-
Same vehicle transport or walk group
-
Shared confined spaces or direct interaction
-
Exposure during peak transmission window
Professional Standards:
RCVS research supports that most kennel cough cases resolve naturally without medication, with remote monitoring being professionally acceptable for ongoing health management.
🦠 TRANSMISSION METHODS
Primary Routes:
-
Airborne droplets - coughing, sneezing, barking (most common)
-
Direct contact - nose-to-nose, shared play, grooming
-
Environmental contamination - surfaces retain pathogens for days (see survival times above)
-
Asymptomatic transmission - silent spreaders during incubation period
High-Risk Environments:
-
Confined spaces (vehicles, crates)
-
Shared equipment (leads, bowls, toys)
-
Human transmission via clothing and hands
👁️ SYMPTOM RECOGNITION
Early Warning Signs:
-
Unusual lethargy - dog seems more tired than usual
-
Excitement-triggered coughing - consistent coughing when excited, if this is unusual for that particular dog, could be an early sign
-
Appetite changes - reduced interest in food/treats
-
Behavioral pattern changes - any deviation from normal energy/activity patterns
-
Characteristic Symptoms:"Honking" cough - distinctive dry, harsh sound (hallmark symptom), triggered by excitement or exercise
-
Retching/gagging after coughing fits
-
Nasal discharge - clear initially, may become coloured
🚨 RED FLAGS (Immediate Veterinary Care):
-
Difficulty breathing or labored respiration
-
Loss of appetite >24 hours
-
Significant lethargy or depression
-
Thick, colored discharge (green/yellow)
-
High fever (>39°C/102°F)
-
Vomiting or blue gums/tongue
High-Risk Dogs:
Puppies <6 months, seniors >8 years, immunocompromised, brachycephalic breeds (pugs, bulldogs, French bulldogs - short-nosed breeds), existing respiratory conditions.
🚨 IMMEDIATE RESPONSE PROTOCOL
Upon Diagnosis (Within 2 Hours):
-
Document: Date, dog details, service dates, all contacts during infectious period
-
Isolate: Suspend walks, offer pop-ins/garden access only
-
Contact trace: Map transmission chains using service records
-
Communicate: Phone high-risk exposures immediately, email others within 12 hours
Communication Strategy:
-
Direct exposure/potential exposure: Accepted phone call + detailed email + daily monitoring
-
General clients: Transparency update with education
🔍 MONITORING & ASSESSMENT
Daily Checklist:
-
Energy levels vs. normal behaviour
-
Breathing patterns during/after exercise
-
Cough frequency and triggers
-
Appetite and treat acceptance
-
Nasal discharge changes
-
Overall demeanour
Documentation Requirements:
-
Symptom onset date and progression
-
Triggers and frequency
-
Client communication timeline
-
Veterinary consultation status
Owner Guidance:
Monitor cough progression, eating/drinking, sleep disruption, exercise tolerance, and social behaviour. Provide home care through steamy sessions, humidifiers, honey (if not diabetic), elevated feeding, and indoor stimulation while avoiding public walks.
🏠 SERVICE ADAPTATION
Risk-Stratified Model:
-
Clean dogs: Resume normal group walks with enhanced hygiene
-
Monitoring dogs: Home-based solo walks at group rates, no vehicle transport
-
Symptomatic dogs: Complete isolation, pop-ins only
Home-Based Protocol:
-
Walker travels to dog's location for normal duration walks
-
Prioritize clients working outside home
-
Disinfect before returning to vehicle (as per hygiene protocols below)
-
Continue until 14-day monitoring complete
🧼 HYGIENE PROTOCOLS
Vehicle Decontamination:
Product I primarily use: Leucillin (veterinary-grade hypochlorous acid) - multifunctional product that can be used to kill germs on surfaces, clothing, hands, dogs (including wounds), and equipment like leads - safe for everyone and everything
Manufacturer-Confirmed Efficacy (August 2025):
-
✅ Bordetella bronchiseptica (primary kennel cough bacteria) - confirmed effective
-
✅ Canine parainfluenza virus - confirmed effective against this kennel cough virus
-
✅ Canine adenovirus (CAV-1 & CAV-2) - confirmed effective against both types
-
✅ Broad spectrum effectiveness against respiratory pathogens
-
✅ Safety confirmed for use around dogs during application
-
✅ No rinse required - dogs can immediately contact treated surfaces
-
✅ 5-minute contact time optimal for pathogen kill
Alternatives: Virkon S, F10SC, Anigene HLD4V, Trigene Advance - check with the provider that these are ready-use and safe when pets are around
Protocol:
-
Frequency: Daily during outbreak (based on pathogen survival times above)
-
Areas: All surfaces, crates, equipment, handles
-
Method: Spray and air dry per manufacturer instructions
-
Timing: Immediate decontamination after any exposure
Walker Protocol:
After each monitoring dog visit: spray hands, clothing, shoes; disinfect equipment; use hand sanitizer before vehicle contact.
Professional Note: All efficacy claims for Leucillin are backed by official manufacturer confirmation (August 2025) and technical documentation available upon request.
🔄 RETURN-TO-SERVICE
Criteria:
-
2 consecutive days symptom-free (as defined in Scientific Understanding)
-
Veterinary clearance if required (RCVS standards support home monitoring)
-
Owner comfort with return
Assessment Process:
-
Solo walk at group price to evaluate fitness
-
Walker assessment of energy, breathing, condition
-
Gradual reintegration to group walks only after successful solo assessment
📞 PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
Client Notification Triggers:
-
First symptom appearance
-
Any behavioural changes
-
Coughing episodes with frequency/triggers
-
Appetite changes or concerning developments
Reporting Standards:
Provide specific observations, timing, triggers, general condition, and veterinary recommendations while maintaining professional transparency essential for trust-based services.
📚 REFERENCES & EVIDENCE BASE
Professional Standards & Research:
-
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) - UK veterinary regulatory body
-
Telemedicine study supporting remote monitoring approaches for respiratory conditions
-
Professional standards for veterinary practice and animal health management
-
Website: www.rcvs.org.uk
-
Environmental Survival Data Sources:
-
Peer-reviewed veterinary research on pathogen survival times
-
Laboratory studies on Bordetella bronchiseptica environmental persistence
-
Veterinary microbiology publications on surface contamination duration
Manufacturer Validation & Product Information:
-
Leucillin Ltd. - Official Technical Response (August 2025)
-
Pathogen efficacy confirmed: Effective against Bordetella bronchiseptica (kennel cough bacteria), canine parainfluenza virus, and canine adenovirus (CAV-1 & CAV-2)
-
Safety verification: Safe for use on vehicle interiors, dog equipment, clothing, hands, and directly on dogs
-
Application confirmation: Safe around dogs during application, no rinse required, immediate surface contact safe
-
Contact time: 5-minute optimal contact time for pathogen kill
-
Technical documentation: Safety data sheets available from manufacturer
-
Professional statement validation: Manufacturer confirms protocol claims are accurate
-
Professional Development:
-
Real-world outbreak management experience - August 2025
-
Professional dog walking industry standards and best practices
-
Veterinary consultation and guidance integration
Disclaimer:
This protocol is based on available research, professional standards, manufacturer specifications, and real-world experience. It is intended as guidance only and should be adapted to individual circumstances. Always consult with qualified veterinary professionals for specific medical advice. The author accepts no liability for outcomes resulting from the use of this protocol.
Copyright & Usage:
This protocol may be freely shared and adapted for educational and professional use. Please credit: "Kennel Cough Outbreak Management Protocol - James Cottam, Hiking Hounds (2025)"