Vaccinate For Kennel Cough?

[NeylasMom]

So the person who is supposed to watch Skye for me while I'm at Grapehounds found out a couple of days ago that his foster picked up kennel cough in the kennel over the holiday weekend. She's on ABs now and will be finishing her 10 day course right after I'd drop Skye off. There is another dog in the house, who did not stay in that kennel and who is so far asymptomatic. I'm wondering what I should do. Options are to not worry about it, vaccinate her asap, or take her with me.

 

Here's the timeline:

7/5-7/7: Molly (foster dog) picks up kennel cough in kennel

7/7: Molly returns home with her "brother" Tyler (resident dog)

7/15: Dave (foster parent) realizes she has kennel cough, starts her on ABs

7/23: When I would drop Skye off

7/24: Last day of ABs for Molly

 

My vet said that as long as the dog isn't actively symptomatic (ie. coughing) when I drop Skye off, it's unlikely she would get it, but still a slight possibility. Obviously if Tyler starts coughing at some point between now and then we have a whole new scenario.

 

Vet also said vaccine does take a bit to kick in, but wouldn't give me a specific timeline. I am reading online 5 days, which means if I take her today it will be just in time.

 

What would you do? I'm definitely not a fan of giving vaccines unnecessarily, but I do also have to consider that if she contracts it, she will bring it home and expose 2 more dogs (Zuri and Violet). I had thought about taking Skye with me on the trip, but at this point that's my last choice and I don't have another sitter for her.

 

[KF_in_Georgia]

I do the bordatella vaccine roughly every 6 months on Silver. I can't risk having her bring something home to Sam, who's a lot more fragile. (She's the meet and greet dog.)

 

And I think the bordatella vaccine (squirted up the nose) has a low reaction rate.

 

I'd do the vaccine (but I would do it anyway, so that may not help). But make sure asymptomatic Tyler is current on his bordatella vaccination if Skye's going to share the house with him.

 

 

Supposedly, bordatella isn't a serious illness--unless the dog has another health issue going on. But I wouldn't want an unvaccinated dog in the house with a kennel-cough dog: that goes for now, putting Skye with Molly, and could apply later--putting Skye with Zuri and Violet.

[galgomum]

Take her with you!
Been wanting to meet your little girl

[GreytHoundPoet]

I'd take her with me.

Just an FYI: they can still get kennel cough even if vaccinated. Just like the flu, there are various strains. I've known dogs who were vaccinated pick it up at shows. I had a foster break here with kennel cough and the only one who got it was my puppy, who was vaccinated. Older dogs, puppies, and dogs with compromised immune systems are more likely to catch it, according to the 3 vets that I use and the vet tech and a vet I am friends with (I called them all when the foster broke with it since I had a puppy and seniors here).

Edited July 17, 2013 by GreytHoundPoet

[a_daerr]

The intranasal bordatella vaccine works immediately and has a real low reaction rate. The downside is that kennel cough is like the equivalent of the human flu virus. The vaccine only protects against the most common strains. I'd probably still get the vaccine, though. My guys go to training classes, dog parks, and the doggie pool, so we get one every six months. Neither of my guys has ever had kennel cough.

Edited July 17, 2013 by a_daerr

[NeylasMom]

Take her with you!

Been wanting to meet your little girl

I meant to say ahead of time no saying bring her with me just because you want to meet her.

 

Honestly, I've gone back and forth and back and forth with it, but it will just make my life so much more difficult to bring her with me, especially considering that I'm not sure her crate will fit in the car with all of our other junk.

[inugrey]

I would get the nasal deal today. I prefer preventative vaccination when you know you are going into a house with some sort of exposure. Why take the risk of your dog getting sick?

[Wonder]

How does it spread?

 

There was a dog at the vet on Sat with it. I think I had a look of horror on my face when I was told to wait a minute before entering so the sick dog could get into a room.

[MerlinsMum]

I'd get her vaccinated with the intranasal. Seems like that's going to be the safest and easiest solution for you, for her and for Zuri and Violet. Good luck whatever you decide.

[Batmom]

I'd just get her vaccinated. Really not something to agonize over.

[JAJ2010]

If it were my dog, I wouldn't worry too much and just trust their healthy immune system. But I have two really healthy pups who travel often. I'm going that means they are exposed to lots of cooties. LOL

If it were my dog, I wouldn't worry too much and just trust their healthy immune system. But I have two really healthy pups who travel often. I'm going that means they are exposed to lots of cooties. LOL

[NeylasMom]

How does it spread?

 

There was a dog at the vet on Sat with it. I think I had a look of horror on my face when I was told to wait a minute before entering so the sick dog could get into a room.

It's airborne, but my vet felt that if Molly weren't actively coughing it were unlikely she would get it.

 

I'd just get her vaccinated. Really not something to agonize over.

Ha. Have you not "met" me? I agonize over everything, especially when it comes to my dogs.

 

I actually decided on the vaccine, made the appt for tomorrow evening (earliest I could get in) then had a moment where it dawned on me that the intranasal vaccine is probably a live vaccine (confirmed it is) so now I'm back to wanting to skip it. We'll see how I feel in the morning.

[Guest greytkidsmom]

I'd agree with vaccination as well.

We don't usually do our dogs every year as they aren't boarded.

However, I work in human medicine and most unusually had a patient with a sputum that grew out the kennel cough variety of bordatella.

My vet recommended having them all come in for boosters.

She said that she had a personal experience in which she brought it back to one of her dogs while in vet school - an admittedly rare event.

 

Since Lucas' recent event and daily vet/hospital visits I'm kind of glad we did it. The vaccine carries a relatively low risk and you can never predict the future...

[inugrey]

OMG should I call you Jenny McCarthy? Just do it.

[Batmom]

You'd start getting a fair bit of immunity from the shot by the time of your visit. Forget how long full immunity takes on average but you could probably look it up. I prefer the shot.

 

I know you agonize over these things . I just figure in this case, more immunity is better than less, and bad reactions are really rare. Plus I've lived through kennel cough more than once. Won't willingly do it again .

[kamsmom]

Yep, get the shot. Kennel Cough is not fun. I brought home a shelter dog to foster once and it spread through my dogs like wildfire. It was awful and expensive.

[NeylasMom]

Okay, so basically are guys are saying that choosing to do the shot, rather than the nasal is a reasonable (better than doing nothing) choice? I am more comfortable with the shot since it's a dead vaccine personally. Whether it's rational or not, I would rather not expose Skye to a live vaccine days before she goes into a home where she will be exposed to the actual bacteria. I also have personal experience via friends where they did experience their dogs getting sick from the live vaccine, which adds to me hesitating.

 

Here's the other big question though - vaccinating her doesn't mean she can't be a carrier to bring it back here, right? I mean, obviously if she actually contracts it and starts coughing, she'll be more contagious, but it doesn't guarantee she won't bring it back even if I do vaccinate, yes?

[kamsmom]

It's cheap, why not go ahead and vaccinate everyone? I do because of traveling.

 

I have no idea about the carrier thing.

[krissn333]

I would think that yes, she could still act as a carrier, unfortunately

[NeylasMom]

It's cheap, why not go ahead and vaccinate everyone? I do because of traveling.

 

I have no idea about the carrier thing.

It's not really cheap here. The price ranged from $60 at my own vet to $38 at the place where Molly was seen where I convinced them to do the vaccine without charging is any vet or tech fee, but I don't know if they'd do that for all of my dogs. If I just took them all to my vet it would in theory cost me about $180.

 

But more importantly I don't want to vaccinate any of my dogs unnecessarily. I've chosen not to vaccinate them for this intentionally and I don't want to start now if I don't have to.

[Guest elliemae421]

Working as a groomer in pet styling salon,we usually recommend it but don't make it mandatory.

There are so many strains of it I get it for my dogs. You can walk anywhere and transfer it to your dog.

I know someone it happened to that way and they were being cautious.

There was a kennel/pet styling salon about 6 miles away had to shut down for 2 weeks due to that.

If I would get one thing out of all vaccinations it would be Bordatella.

It spreads very easily and quickly.

[Guest JessieRahl]

Yeah, I do the Bordatella on Claire as well. Going on walks and passing other dogs, going to the dog park, visiting my mom and their dogs... it's just not worth the risk to me. Especially since I take her to the dog park; you can't trust that people do the right thing with their dogs there, but I'm not going to deny Claire a chance to run around in open space off lead over it.

[Burpdog]

It's one of the few vaccines I get for my guys when I travel I can't believe the prices up east!

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

I never vaccinated for kennel cough, never have.

[kamsmom]

Wow! It's only $10 here. Maybe you and the dogs need to take a trip to Texas .

 

I don't do a lot of the "routine" vaccinations but this is one that I do.