Kennel Cough and the KC vaccination

Kennel cough or Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease, is a hot topic of discussion, the bane of boarding facility owner's lives and certainly the cause of many a sleepless night for me since setting up Happy Dogs Aigle. It is a nasty, highly contagious illness most similar to a cold and/or bronchitis in humans but it is important to know that most dogs recover within 2 weeks without serious side effects.

​According to the AKC: "dogs commonly contract kennel cough at places where large amounts of canines congregate, such as boarding and daycare facilities, dog parks, training groups, and dog shows. Dogs can spread it to one another through airborne droplets, direct contact (e.g., touching noses), or contaminated surfaces (including water/food bowls). It’s highly treatable in most dogs but can be more severe in puppies younger than six months of age and immunocompromised dogs."

The particular challenge with kennel cough is that there are dozens of bacterial and viral agents which cause the infection. And according to WSAVA, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, kennel cough is NOT an illness that lends itself to prevention by vaccination. In fact, the vaccination only covers a few of the agents that cause kennel cough so it's efficacy is limited, which probably explains why it is not part of the routine vaccinations issued by vets. And, very importantly, dogs can easily catch kennel cough from recently vaccinated dogs, something we have experienced first hand at our boarding facility which has led us to recently amend our vaccination guidelines.

Our approach to kennel cough and to the kennel cough vaccine here at Happy Dogs Aigle is to try and maintain a balance between science, holistic health and the protection of the large numbers of dogs we look after. We do NOT mandate the vaccine, preferring to have a more individualistic approach to the matter. Here is our guidance taken from the vaccination section of our website: 

1. With regard to the Kennel Cough nasal vaccination, we recommend calling Happy Dogs Aigle to discuss and certainly advise you also discuss it with your Vet. We do not mandate the KC vaccine. Some dogs; particularly those with underlying medical issues, those that are older or younger, get stressed away from home or those not used to mixing with other dogs, are more at risk to develop the Kennel Cough illness in boarding facilities where they are in close proximity with lots of other dogs. Vaccinated dogs tend to get a milder bout and recover quicker, but it is important to know that the vaccine is not always effective because there are so many strains of the virus. ​
2. If you decide to vaccinate your dog against Kennel Cough (as many owners do), please be aware of the following: the kennel cough virus is highly contagious and the bortedella part of the nasal vaccine is live for some days or even weeks after administration so we absolutely CANNOT accept dogs who have had the kennel cough vaccination administered within 1 month before arrival. This rule is to protect all the dogs we look after. 

As you can see, not a black and white response because Kennel Cough is not a black and white issue unfortunately. For further reading on the symptoms, causes, prevention and treatment of Kennel Cough, here are two highly informative sources which I trust. The first here is from friend and colleague Dr. Conor Brady at Dogs First and the second is from the always informative Dogs Naturally website here.

Finally, please take note of the extended waiting time between administration of the Kennel Cough vaccination and coming to Happy Dogs Aigle. Previously the guidance was 7-10 days between vaccination and boarding/daycare to avoid exposing dogs here to the live vaccine. This has been extended to one month in an effort to further minimise the risk of exposure & possible infection for other dogs. Please be sure to contact me with any comments or questions!