p.s. i will be taking the cat to the vets i just need to know what i'm dealing with as that way i can help to get it right when she goes to the vet thanks

Yes, cats can get kennel cough. Just google "cats with kennel cough" and you'll get plenty of hits. Here's a good one...

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.fanciers.com/other-faqs/bordetella.html

I agree with Moonie. We brought home our male cat at ten weeks of age and he had kennel cough from the SPCA. Antibiotics cleared it up, so check with your vet. OTOH, the female (also ten weeks, coming home at the same time) had worse, a terrible URI that nearly killed her. Abx took care of that, too, but it was a battle.

I was under the impression (may be wrong impression) that canine kennel cough could not be transmitted to a feline or human. I can remember asking the vet whenever any pet had something wrong a. can my DD get it; b. can the cats/dogs contract it? The answer was always not canine to feline and not to human. The things a canine can transmit to a human are: rabies and leptosporosis. If this has changed, I would love to know. Perhaps Megan will post.

That said, are you sure your dog has kennel cough? My dog was diagnosed with kennel cough for years. I just went along with what the vet said (younger and less assertive), gave the antibiotic treatment, etc. The dog had never been to a kennel, never been to group dog gatherings, no grooming, nada. No possible exposure. Now after 6 or 7 years of bouts with "kennel cough" it was discovered that my dog never had kennel cough, he had a problem called laryngeal paralysis, which if I had known earlier, there would have been a much better outcome for my dog. He was 10 years old when he had the surgery for the problem and passed a few months later.

Be sure about the kennel cough and if it happens too often, please question it. I didn't and I am so pi$$ed at myself for just doing what the vet said. A vet can make a mistake too, they put their pants on the same way we do, and despite the best education, can overlook or "pigeonhole" syptoms.

I was fortunate to change vets to someone who looked a bit further, unfortuantely, it was a little too late. I will say that I learned a valuable lesson.

Best of luck.

I don't think cats and dogs can get the same airborne viruses.

Cats can certainly get it, but I do not know if it can be transmitted across species. My Jasper had it for about two weeks after I got him from the SPCA. He was making the cutest little sneezes, but I ws worried. They sold me an anti-biotic and a food supplement and it went away... he did transmit it to my then roomates cat, but his two dogs didn't get anything. I was wiping their noses every 5 minutes! Good luck!

I could be waaay wrong here but I think "kennel cough" is a blanket term for a number of things that can cause what seems like a cold. Sort of like if a dog has "gastroenteritis"... it can be caused by a number of things not just a specific virus, parasite or bacteria. I'm inclined to guess it's a coincidence but since it isn't just one thing that causes it I'd say it's possible. But I'm eager to find out the correct answer by someone who has studied this for years.

I take my boys in for bordetella (sp?) vaccinations every 6 months as this is a cause of KC that I'm aware of. I think it's tracheobronchitis (sp?) is another term for KC.

You might do a search to see if cats can get bordatella or however it's spelled.

Here is just one small quote from the above link. Of course, just because it's written doesn't -necessarily- make it so.

"More significantly, Bordetella has been isolated in numerous other mammalian species, such as pigs, horses, sheep, goats, monkeys and humans. It has not, however, been previously recognized in cats, and an otherwise unenlightened veterinarian will look at you oddly if you request a Bordetella culture."

Here's another from a different site....

"Epidemiologica evidence shows that the isolation of Bordetella bronchiseptica (Bb) from cats is frequently associated with the presence, in the same household, of dogs with recent respiratory tract disease. Bb infection in cats has been reported following outbreaks of kennel cough in dogs within the same households."

From http://www.fabcats.org/catflu2.html

"Bordetella bronchiseptica This bacterial infection has become recognised as a problem in cats only recently. Although well known in other species, until 10 years ago it was not really reported in the general cat population. In breeding colonies, in combination with FHV and/or FCV, it can cause fatal pneumonia, with death of entire litters within hours or days. On its own (in experimental studies) this bacterium usually causes a mild nasal discharge and perhaps a slight cough. In experimental studies there also appears to be a carrier state, and queens have been shown to shed bordetella in the post-kittening period. The role of bordetella in cat flu is still being investigated and several studies on this bacterium are in progress. It is now possible for researchers to 'type' different strains and what makes some strains cause disease is an area under active study. Using this strain typing system, it has also been shown that this bacterium has, in a small number of cases, been transmitted from dogs (in which it causes kennel cough) to cats".

Labmomma - Actually there are a good number of zoonotic illnesses that can be transmitted from dogs to humans, not just rabies and lepto. Worms, ringworm, scabies, lyme disease. The first link below reports that Bordetella is also something that can be spread to humans. Rare events but possible.

A couple of websites describing the diseases that people can catch from their pets

http://www.cfc-efc.ca/docs/canps/10001_en.htm

http://www.2ndchance.info/zoonoses.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/animals/dogs.htm

Yup...pretty common, actually. Also, the bordatella virus is similar to our common flu...many new strains each year...constantly morphing.

cjhwillis - are you actually telling me that my dog can transmit lyme disease to me? I don't think so. It is my understanding that I personally would have to be bitten by a lyme tick. Two of my dogs have had lyme's and I have asked and been told no canine to human communicability. Same as another human can't "catch" lyme disease from me if I am infected.

Ringworm maybe, I will ask my vet next visit, scabies anyone can get its not an airborne illness, its a bug you can get into on a golf course.

I want to learn more about the bordatella. Last I was updated was when my dogs started vaccinations for lepto a few years ago. At that time, about 3 yrs. ago it was only rabies and lepto.

Thanks for the sites.

thank you for all the info so far it is really appreciated. cat not doing to badly but we have another one down with it now.

labmomma, that's horrible your dog was misdiagnosed which ended in his death! Is this laryngeal paralysis something uncommon? I need to google this.

iluv_my_cats, sorry you've got another one sick. Are they being treated with antibiotics?