What Is Bordetella Vaccine
The Bordetella vaccine is a non-core vaccine that is administered to both dogs and cats that are frequently exposed to other pets. The most common facilities include the following:
- Doggie daycare centers
- Training classes
- Professional groomers
This is because Bordetella bronchiseptica is the most common bacteria responsible for kennel cough in dogs.
Bordetella bronchiseptica is a disease caused by bacteria that is also known as canine parainfluenza virus. This illness causes inflammation in a dog or cats upper respiratory tract.
The most common symptoms include coughing, sneezing, a runny nose and sometimes even a mild or low-grade feversimilar to human flu-like symptoms.
When a dog is infected with Bordetella bronchiseptica, he or she is also at risk for other infections.
Although it sounds scary, Bordetella bronchiseptica or kennel cough are treatable. In fact, Bordetella bronchiseptica is one of the many vaccine-preventable diseases. Furthermore, canine parainfluenza virus is typically treated with a vaccine, such as Duramune max.
Caring For A Dog With Kennel Cough
- Rest and TLC – exercise can make a cough much worse keep your dog warm, comfortable and allow them to rest as much as they need.
- A steamy room – some dogs with kennel cough can benefit from sitting in a steamy room . Never leave your dog alone in a steamy room or force them to stay in it if they arent relaxed.
- Keep your dog away from others – remember your dog will be very contagious whilst they are poorly and can continue to spread kennel cough for 2-3 weeks after their symptoms have cleared. During this time, keep them away from other dogs and public spaces.
What Causes Kennel Cough
Its not surprising that kennel cough has a few other names. It can stem from several infections coming together at the same time. Depending on your dogs symptoms, your vet may use one name more than another.
The main cause of kennel cough is a weakened immune system. When your dogs natural defenses are down, his body is more prone to infection. Kennel cough can often happen when two or more bacteria or viruses attack your dogs immune system at once.
Theres a lot of research to try and pinpoint the causes of infection. The more studies they do the more viruses and bacteria they find in kennel cough infections.
The most frequent culprit in dogs with kennel cough is Bordetella bronchiseptica. But theres a long list of other sidekicks that also cause this mixed infection, including
- Canine parainfluenza virus
- )
- Canine pneumovirus
So you can see that its tough to know just what bacteria or virus sick dogs are sharing. But it doesnt really matter because you can spot the symptoms early to help control kennel cough before it spreads.
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How Do I Treat My Dog’s Kennel Cough
There are several things you can do to ease your pet’s symptoms:
- Use a harness instead of a collar, which can trigger coughing by putting pressure on the trachea
- Humidify the air in your home– a steam shower may be effective
- Support your dog’s immune system with supplements such as echinacea and vitamin C and provide a high protein diet
- Honey may help reduce coughing
Chat with a vet to prescribe an oral cough suppressant, anti-inflammatory, or antibiotic for your dog to help with infections and symptoms.
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Bordetella Vaccine: How Often Should It Be Given
According to the American Animal Hospital Association, here are some guidelines on how often the Bordetella vaccine or kennel cough vaccine should be given to your dog:
- Puppies can be given the intranasal Bordetella vaccine as early as three weeks old a second follow-up dose should be given up to four weeks later
- Puppies can be given the injectable Bordetella vaccine starting at six to eight weeks of age, and a booster at ten to twelve weeks
- Kittens can be given the vaccine as early as eight weeks old
- Dogs or puppies at least 16 weeks old can receive the intranasal vaccine once and the injectable vaccine twice
- Cats or kittens at least 16 weeks old can be given a single dose of the intranasal vaccine with annual boosters
- Dogs should receive the Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccine every six months up to a year, depending on the level of exposure
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Should I Vaccinate My Dog Against Kennel Cough
Some of the infections that can cause kennel cough are included in the basic vaccinations dogs need to have as a puppy, and subsequent boosters. These are canine adenovirus type two, canine parainfluenza virus, canine distemper, and canine influenza.
But the most common bacteria present in kennel cough is Bordetella bronchiseptica, which can be given as a separate vaccine through nasal drops or infection. However, as there are many strains of the infection, it cannot guarantee protection but at the very least should lessen symptoms. Vaccination is not useful in dogs already incubating kennel cough.
The nasal vaccine for Bordetella bronchiseptica can be given when your dog is as young as three weeks, with it providing protection for about 12 months. It takes four days for it to become effective, and is considered the fastest method of providing immunity.
Although protection is not guaranteed, many boarding kennels require dogs staying with them to have the Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccine.
Page last updated 19/10/2021
Is There A Kennel Cough Vaccine
Protection against some of the viruses that can cause kennel cough is included in puppy and booster vaccinations. These viruses include canine influenza, canine distemper, canine parainfluenza virus and canine adenovirus type two.
Your vet can also provide a vaccination against the main bacterial cause, Bordetella this can be a nasal spray or an injection. Many boarding kennels and doggy day-cares require dogs to have the vaccination before their stay.
However, because kennel cough has a wide range of causes and strains, this vaccine cannot guarantee protection for your dog.
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How Could My Dog Catch Kennel Cough
Kennel cough can be spread by direct dog to dog contact, usually through nasal secretions or coughing. So just meeting one other dog for a bit of a sniff and a play could infect your pet. It can also be spread via fomites , like sharing bowls and toys. So even if your dog doesnt directly interact with other dogs it could still pick up the illness this way.
Kennel cough is more rapidly spread in locations where there is a high number of animals interacting in one space. This includes boarding kennels , dog shows and public parks.
Symptoms Of Kennel Cough
Symptoms of kennel cough usually take 3-14 days to develop and then last for 1-3 weeks. Most dogs develop a hacking cough and stay otherwise quite well, but puppies, older dogs, and poorly dogs can develop more serious symptoms such as:
Kennel cough is highly contagious and can spread in the air. Click to enlarge.
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Bordetella Vaccine Side Effects
It is mandatory for the patient’s immune system to function properly in order to respond appropriately to a vaccine challenge. If the patient has a disease, the immune system will be so occupied fighting the disease that it will respond poorly to the vaccine.
Dogs with a history of a mild, acute post-vaccination reaction are commonly treated with medications prior to vaccination.
Like with all vaccinations, the Bordetella shot may lead to temporary risks and side effects that all dog owners should be aware of. The first Bordetella side effect often noticed is a low-grade fever shortly after vaccines . This is a completely normal vaccine reaction and considered a common side effect of the vaccination. You may see your dog experience a change in behavior, such as lack of energy and loss of appetite.
While kennel cough often is a mild disease, the cough may be chronic, lasting for several weeks in some cases. The Bordetella vaccine is a very safe vaccine and widely recommended to protect pups at risk for this widely contagious illness.
How Is It Kennel Cough Treated
Many dogs that contract Kennel Cough will display only minor signs of coughing that may last seven to ten days and will not require any medication at all. The majority of dogs with the disease continue to eat, sleep, play and act normally — except for that annoying, dry, non-productive coughing that seems so persistent.
It is, however, always a good idea to have any dog examined if coughing is noticed because some very serious respiratory diseases such as Blastomycosis, Valley Fever, Heartworms and even cardiac disease might display similar sounding coughing. Your veterinarian, through a careful physical exam and questioning regarding the dog’s recent environment, will be able to establish if the dog’s respiratory signs are from kennel Cough or some other respiratory insult.
Treatment is generally limited to symptomatic relief of the coughing with non-prescription, and occasionally prescription, cough suppressants. If the dog is running a fever or there seems to be a persistent and severe cough, antibiotics are occasionally utilized to assist the dog in recovering from Kennel Cough. It can happen that secondary bacterial invaders will complicate a case of Kennel Cough and prolong the recovery and severely affect the upper airway. Therefore, the use of antibiotics is determined on an individual basis.
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How Is Kennel Cough Spread
Kennel cough is highly contagious and can easily be spread from one dog to another. When dogs cough, the bacteria and viruses become airborne and can quickly spread to other animals. It can also be transmitted via touching noses and by sharing dog toys, food bowls or other communal objects.
If you think your dog has the illness, keep them away from other animals to limit the spread.
How To Give Remedies For Kennel Cough Support
- Use a 30C potency or whatever potency you have on hand.
- Choose the remedy that best matches your dogs current symptoms.
- Try not to touch the pellets with your hands it can negate the remedy.
- For any size dog, place 3 pellets in a glass of filtered or spring water .
- Stir vigorously with a spoon.
- Place a few drops on your dogs gums using a dropper or teaspoon.
- Give the remedy about 20 minutes away from food if you can.
- The remedy will keep for a few days on the counter. Dont refrigerate it.
- Stir vigorously again before each dose.
- Give 2 or 3 doses in the first hour.
- If you see any improvement after giving the remedy, the remedy is working. Should your dog continues to improve, then theres no need to re-dose.
- If you see improvement but then symptoms return, dose again once.
- If theres no change within a few hours, then try the next best-fitting remedy.
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How To Prevent Kennel Cough
Vaccination is the best way to prevent kennel cough, and is especially necessary if your dog spends lots of time with other dogs or goes into kennels.
- Kennel cough vaccine lasts 12 months – so should be repeated every year.
- Like any vaccine, the kennel cough vaccine doesnt give 100%, guaranteed protection, however, it does significantly reduce the chance that your dog will catch kennel cough and reduces symptoms if they do catch it.
- Most reputable kennels and doggy day care centres will request that every dog has the kennel cough vaccination two to three weeks before staying with them.
- Speak to your vet about adding kennel cough into your dogs vaccine schedule.
How Is Kennel Cough Prevented
Many dogs, exposed to all sorts and numbers of other dogs, will never experience the effects of Canine Cough. Some dog owners, though, prefer to take advantage of the current vaccines available that are quite effective in preventing the disease. Usually these dog owners will have to board, show, field trial, or otherwise expose their dog to populations of other canines.
Since the chances of exposure and subsequent infection rise as the dog comes in close proximity with other dogs, the decision to vaccinate or not to vaccinate varies with each individual circumstance. Generally, if your dog is not boarded or going to field trials or dog shows, you may not have a high level of need for vaccinating your dog against Kennel Cough.
Conversely, if you plan to board your dog, or protect it from exposure, remember to vaccinate a few weeks prior to potential exposure to allow full protective immunity to build up.
If your dog happens to acquire Kennel Cough, it will then have some immunity to subsequent exposures. The length of time these natural exposures and the vaccinations will produce protective immunity will vary greatly. How often to vaccinate seems to have a subjective and elusive answer.
The intra-nasal Bordetella vaccine may produce immunity slightly faster than the injectable vaccine if the dog has never been previously vaccinated for Kennel Cough.
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Is Kennel Cough So Dangerous That We Need To Vaccinate
You now know that its the dog equivalent of a cold. It poses some extra risk to immune-compromised dogs. But its not life threatening if you support your dogs immune system. There are ways to prevent and treat kennel cough naturally. So its a good idea to say no to the vaccine.
Heres a more natural, safer approach to preventing kennel cough.
How Can Dogs Catch Kennel Cough
Kennel cough is airborne and highly contagious, which is why it can spread through kennels quickly. It is also transmitted with bacteria on toys, food bowls or other shared objects.
A dogs respiratory system is designed to protect against the invasion of infection, but certain situations and environments leave them more vulnerable to illness. These include stress caused by crowded environments, exposure to heavy dust or cigarette smoke, cold temperatures and poor ventilation. Kennel cough has an incubation period of two to 14 days, and some dogs can be carriers of the infection for months without developing symptoms.
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Dosing For Herbal Immune Blend & Garlic
- Small dogs under 30 lbs: feed 1/4 a freshly minced garlic clove + 3/4 tsp of the herb blend twice a day
- Medium sized dogs 30 to 50 lbs: feed 1/2 a freshly minced garlic clove + ½ Tbsp of the herbal blend twice per day day
- For large and giant dogs 50 lbs+: feed 1 freshly minced garlic clove and 1 tbsp of the herb blend twice a day
Or, for an even greater benefit, you can infuse the herbs to make a tea. Simply pour hot water over your dogs dose and let it steep for about 10 minutes. Then add the whole mixture to your dogs meal. This will give your dog a nice warm meal as well.
Kennel Cough Vs Whooping Cough: Is It The Same Bordetella Pertussis Vaccine
So, what is the difference between kennel cough and whooping cough?
Kennel cough is clearly identified with the sound of a horrible cough coming from your canine friend. However, kennel cough is only transmitted from canine to canine.
Humans can suffer from a whooping cough , which also involves a harsh cough caused by the pertussis toxin. This disease is often treated with acellular vaccines or a whole-cell pertussis vaccine, such as a TDap vaccine.
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Will The Vaccination Always Cover My Dog Against Kennel Cough
With kennel cough, a large number of agents can be involved in the specific disease. The vaccine protects against those agents that are considered to be the most important, but it doesnt work against all of them.
If your puppy has had the vaccination they can still therefore develop the disease if they come into contact with those different agents against which the vaccine has no effect.
Change Of Administration Route
When administering an intranasal vaccine, veterinarians may encounter sufficient resistance in some dogs to warrant switching to a parenteral or oral vaccine.
Switching from Intranasal to Parenteral. Intranasal vaccination may not consistently result in significant levels of serum IgG. Therefore, administration of 2 parenteral doses, 2 to 4 weeks apart, is recommended, regardless of the dogs age when the dosing route is changed. The dog may be revaccinated annually thereafter.
Switching from Intranasal to Oral. If switching from intranasal to oral vaccination, a single oral dose is indicated to effectively protect against B bronchiseptica infection.
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The Importance Of Dog Dental Care
Periodontal disease and tooth decay are as problematic for dogs as they are for people. That’s why caring for your dog’s teeth is an important element of caring for your dog’s overall health. Today our Davidson County vets share some tips on how to clean a dog’s mouth and keep your pup’s teeth clean and healthy.
How Do I Prevent My Dog From Getting Kennel Cough
Vaccinating your dog with the Bordetella vaccine will help reduce the risk. However, your dog can still contract kennel cough even if he or she has been vaccinated. There are many strains and mutations of the virus. The Bordetella vaccine is similar to the flu shot for people each year, a vaccine is developed based on which strains are suspected to be most prevalent. Simply put, when your dog has a Bordetella vaccination, it doesnt guarantee he or she will not get kennel cough. A strong immune system is the best defense against infection. This is why puppies, elderly dogs, and dogs with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to contracting kennel cough.
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