kennel cough vaccine?

Question

I am curious-- on these question boards I see so many people saying their dogs were vaccinated against kennel cough. Vets in this area do not vaccinate against kennel cough. I have only seen 1 dog with the disease ever come into the clinics, and it had come from a large kennel in another area.

I admit that I live in a Mayberryish type place, so big cities might have more of a crowding problem with dogs? Our vets here have always said if the dogs are cared for well and kept clean the disease won't attack them. Is kennel cough a major problem in some specific areas of the nation? It just isn't here. And none of them vaccinate for it unless someone specifically requests it.

Answer 1

The kennel cough vaccine is unnecessary and ineffective. Your vet is both wise and ethical for not recommending it.

Kennel cough is not life threatening. Your dog will sound like they have a cold for a while, and they will recover just fine.

All vaccines carry risk. When the virus isn't even life threatening, it's a no-brainer. The best thing you can do for your dog is support a healthy immune system by feeding a healthy biologically appropriate diet and avoiding as many drugs as you can.

Answer 2

What area do you come from? I don't know of any where kennel cough is not endemic.

Keeping dogs 'well cared for and clean' will certainly not save them from kennel cough if the causative bacteria or virus is present in the area. It's not a disease of dirty dogs, it's just a disease of dogs, like fleas

I come from England, where most if not all kennels require dogs to be vaccinated against both causes of kennel cough before they will admit the animals. Otherwise people tend not to do it, but they should because kennel cough is spread by any dog-to-dog contact, not just in kennels.

Chalice

EDIT: Hm, from the answers on here it seems that different vaccines are available in different areas. Where I am, the basic vaccination given for dogs includes cover for the viral form of kennel cough, which some kennels will accept, but the main cause of kennel cough, bordatella bronciseptica is vaccinated for via intra-nasal drops. Whether you consider it necessary or not, most kennels will not allow dogs in without proof of this vaccination so the decision is made for most people.

Answer 3

It's not a "given" around here at the vet clinics. It is a practice at my current vet to give this is the dog is going to be in the hospital for a while, but it isn't something that's pushed otherwise. I did get a kitten from Animal Control a few months ago and she developed kennel cough. Got extremely sick very quickly, but responded well to standard kc treatment. A week later my Pug was very sick. As they shared body fluids regularly,it was felt she also had kc and was treated for it with 100% success. She had been given the vaccine before her spay procedure, so she got a mild version. She was very ill with this mild version.... I was told kc was a factor where there's a lot of animals in one place for a period of time, it can be difficult to cure and can return over time. But it isn't really necessary for all dogs to be vaccinated, especially those in the conditions you describe. I don't think you need to be worried.

Answer 4

Kennel cough isn't really a desease, more like a virus. It's highly contagious to other dogs as well as cats. I suppose in smaller areas it wouldn't be as big of a problem. I'd say it isn't an absolute "must have" unless you plan on boarding your dog/cat somewhere (this is generally how it gets past around). I have never heard that it had to do with the cleanliness of the pet, more like exposure to other dogs. I live in a bigger city and while it's not an epidemic by any means, I definatly vaccinate my pups throughout their life. It's not very expensive.

Answer 5

Although vets around here do give the shot for "kennel cough" (actually, only one kind of kennel cough - bortadella), I don't give it to my dogs because I feel the negatives outweigh the positives on this one. However, if you have to board your dogs many kennels will insist that you give the vaccination beforehand.

Answer 6

"Kennel Cough" is a general term for any number of canine upper respiratory infections (i.e. colds) -- there is a vaccine for only one of these, Bordatella (I suppose it's the most common).

Just like any other infection, the infection is more common in areas where dogs gather or are kenneled together (which is why boarding kennels require the vaccine). If you live in a rural, spread out area, it doesn't surprise me that Kennel Cough is not a big issue.

Answer 7

it can be and i work at a kennel and we dont allow dogs to stay unless they have proof of the boradetella vaccination..

i give both of my dogs it and have never seen a negative side-effect with any of the dogs that i work with

Answer 8

IMO it is a useless vaccine that only protects for a couple of strains out of many and the vaccine does nothing accept put the dog at risk for adverse reactions. A healthy dog can over come KC easily as to where the effects of a vaccine can be life long and life threatening. The more crap we put into our dogs in the name of so called prevention... the weaker we make them. This is one vaccine of MANY that I do not allow my puppy owners to get.
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm

Answer 9

I agree with Basset on this one too. I must have my dogs get the shots because I do bring them to nursing homes and they must have this shot before they will allow me to bring my dogs into the homes. I do not kennel my dogs but if I want to keep up with the nuring home visits then I must have them vaccinated for the Kennel cough.

Answer 10

http://www.crvetcenter.com/kennelcough.htm