kennel cough

Tiffy, from the information I got from my vet when Kobi contracted KC - the answer is YES. I was actually told that the virus can remain in an area for quite some time and I should avoid the park for a while.

Yes - it's airborne and can go anywhere-- that means that dog coughs, and the spittle falls on the grass - your dog sniffs it's way thru the grass and picks up the virus and ingests it.
 
That's the easy way to get it outside -- or a dog coughs on another dog, etc etc etc ... it's VERY like flu -- in fact it IS dog flu.  The best thing you can do is boost your own dog's immune system -- time for some sardines and mackerel, and you can even give echinacea for a week or so (pretty much the adult human dose of echinacea/goldenseal will help anything like that) -- twice a day.  Leave it IN the caps tho -- echinacea is majorly bitter so just fold the cap in some braunschweiger or something.  Echinacea is a good immune 'jump start' and goldenseal is good for the respiratory system.  Not a 'cure' -- simply will help the immune system fight back.

You can do a test to see if your dog has kennel cough. My vet showed me how. You have to pulpitate (sp) his neck, around his adam's apple, and if he has kennel cough, he'll cough and cough and cough. It's pretty awful but at least you'll know for sure.

When I brought Princess home from the shelter, I didn't know she had kennel couch because it took a few days to actually show up. The first strange signs were snorting, then later progressed to throwing up. Soon after came the bad couch for two weeks. Every furry creature in your house can get it, so be prepared.