Kennel cough or canine cough is a general term for a highly contagious condition causing upper respiratory disease due to either viral or bacterial infections. It can easily be spread whenever dogs congregate such as parks, shows, obedience classes and boarding kennels. Affected dogs have a dry hacking cough that can persist for several weeks. As part of our vaccination protocol, we vaccinate for two causes of kennel cough, Bordetella and parainfluenza.