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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #34: Canine Kennel Cough

Dog veterinary case - Easy - April 6, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A young adult dog is brought in for harsh upper-airway episodes that started a few days after staying in shared boarding.
  2. The owner says the dog remains bright, active, and interested in food despite the noisy spells.
  3. Episodes are most obvious with excitement, pulling on the lead, or first thing in the morning.
  4. Gentle palpation of the cervical trachea reliably triggers another harsh episode.
  5. Thoracic auscultation is otherwise unremarkable and there is no evidence of lower airway compromise.
  6. A contagious irritation of the canine upper respiratory tract commonly causes this dry paroxysmal presentation.

Diagnosis

Canine Kennel Cough

This case is most consistent with Canine Kennel Cough because the dog developed a classic harsh honking cough after recent kennel exposure while remaining otherwise bright. The most important clues are the boarding history, easily triggered cough, and lack of lower respiratory signs, which strongly support infectious tracheobronchitis.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this dog case supports the provided diagnosis, Canine Kennel Cough, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A young adult dog is brought in for harsh upper-airway episodes that started a few days after staying in shared boarding.
  2. Clue 2: The owner says the dog remains bright, active, and interested in food despite the noisy spells.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: Episodes are most obvious with excitement, pulling on the lead, or first thing in the morning.
  2. Clue 4: Gentle palpation of the cervical trachea reliably triggers another harsh episode.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Thoracic auscultation is otherwise unremarkable and there is no evidence of lower airway compromise.
  2. Clue 6: A contagious irritation of the canine upper respiratory tract commonly causes this dry paroxysmal presentation.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this dog case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Canine Kennel Cough?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Canine Kennel Cough?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.