Can Ferrets Get Kennel Cough? (7 Important Facts)

Kennel cough is one of the most infectious respiratory diseases. But can ferrets get it? And if yes, what are its symptoms in ferrets? How do ferrets get it? And what care do ferrets with it require? This article has the answers.

Can ferrets get kennel cough? Yes, ferrets can get kennel coughs, especially if they are boarded in kennels previously inhabited by affected dogs. The kennel cough usually causes the ferrets to cough persistently, perhaps with some nose and eye discharge as well as sneezing.

Kennel cough can cause lots of discomfort to ferrets. It can also lead to other secondary infections.

What Is Kennel Cough?

Kennel cough is an upper respiratory infection, which causes infected animals to cough persistently and in a rather forceful manner.

Animals that have kennel cough may also tend to sneeze badly, while also having eye discharges and runny noses. All that is besides the forceful, persistent cough (almost like choking) which is the hallmark of this disease.

Can Ferrets Get Kennel Cough?

To answer this question, we first need to ask ourselves, can ferrets cough? Or do ferrets cough? And the answer turns out to be ‘yes’. Ferrets can cough. They can cough just as well (or really just as badly) as any other animals.

Having found out that, we next need to ask ourselves whether ferrets can get kennel cough. And the answer is ‘yes’, ferrets can get kennel cough.

Cases of ferrets catching kennel cough abound. Therefore it is something that happens.

Going through any comprehensive list of respiratory diseases in ferrets, you will tend to find kennel cough included. More specifically, it tends to be in the section on respiratory infections in ferrets.

Thus asking whether ferrets can catch kennel cough is not as outrageous as asking, can a baby catch kennel cough? The ferret’s circumstances are different, and it often has interactions with other animals from whom it can get kennel cough.

Thus the more pertinent questions to ask are: can ferrets get kennel cough from dogs? And can kennel cough be passed from ferrets to other animals?

We may broaden the first of those two questions and ask ourselves, can ferrets get respiratory infections from dogs? And the answer turns out to be ‘yes’ – at least with regard to kennel cough. It is something they can get from dogs.

As for the second question, the answer is still ‘yes’ – ferrets can pass kennel cough to other animals.

What Are The Kennel Cough Symptoms In Ferrets?

The main symptoms of kennel cough in ferrets are intense coughing and sneezing. More often than not, this gets the ferret owner wondering, why is my ferret coughing and sneezing so heavily.

Sometimes, the ferret with kennel cough may cough so badly that he sounds as if he is choking. And this gets the owner asking, why does my ferret sound like he’s choking? Or simply, why is my ferret coughing so much?

Then investigations reveal that the whole range of symptoms is due to kennel cough.

Besides sneezing and coughing, having a runny nose and eyes that are watery are the other signs of kennel cough. So that is how kennel cough manifests in ferrets.

How Do Ferrets Get Kennel Cough?

In most cases, ferrets get kennel cough when boarded in the kennels that were previously inhabited by affected dogs.

This may happen – of all places – at veterinary clinics. So due to lack of accommodation there, the ferrets end up being boarded in dog kennels. And from there, they pick the kennel cough.

How Should Ferrets With Kennel Cough Be Treated?

With regard to the aspect of how to treat kennel cough in ferrets, it normally entails the use of antibiotics.  Anti-inflammatory medications can also be helpful in some cases.

There are cases in which kennel cough may go away by itself. In such cases, focus is on how to care for ferrets with kennel cough, so that their immune systems eventually ward it off.

It is important to note that kennel cough can open a ferret up to other secondary infections. Thus it is best to have a ferret with the kennel cough seen by a vet, to minimize chances for secondary infections.

Final Verdict – Can Ferrets Get Kennel Cough

Ferrets can get kennel cough.

In many cases, ferrets get kennel cough when they are boarded in kennels that belong to (or have been inhabited by) infected dogs.

In ferrets, kennel cough causes a persistent and rather forceful (almost choking) cough and sneezing. It may also cause eye and nose discharges.

Sometimes, kennel cough in ferrets may resolve by itself. But it can also at times cause other secondary infections.

Vets typically treat ferret kennel cough using antibiotics, and perhaps anti-inflammatory medications.

Most ferrets with kennel cough eventually get to recover fully.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet ferret a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️