Puppies should receive the injectable version of the bordetella vaccine between the ages of six to eight weeks. They should then receive a second injectable booster four weeks later, or between the ages of 10 to 12 weeks. If you have purchased a puppy who has not yet had these injections, or you are unsure, they will need to have two rounds of boosters to give them complete full protection.
If your dog primarily stays at home, only going for an occassional walk, their risk for catching kennel cough is low. As such, they should only have the booster given once every 12 months. However, it is still important to give the booster even if your dog’s risk is low. Kennel cough can be caught through fence lines or while your dog is on a walk around your neighborhood if another dog was infected.
In addition to this, it is also strongly recommended that you give your dog a bordetella booster every six months if you take your dog to places where other dogs frequently mingle, including dog parks, outdoor shopping centers that allow dogs or restaurants that allow dogs. Having your dog near other dogs increases their risk for catching kennel cough, so giving the vaccine frequently helps to ward it off.
The bordetella vaccine is given to both puppies and adult dogs. This vaccine helps to ward off a frequent illness that is known as kennel cough. Kennel cough is easily spread from one dog to another and is highly contagious. In healthy adult dogs, the condition is typically not life threatening. However, it can give your dog a bad cough and a runny nose and cause them to feel bad. However, in puppies, older dogs and unhealthy dogs, this condition can be life-threatening. The vaccine can be given as injection under the dog’s skin or through the nose, based on the behavior of their dogs and what they can tolerate. If you are a new dog owner, you may wonder how frequently this vaccine needs to be given. Here is some information you should know.
If your dog is in need of a bordetella injection, let Cornerstone Animal Hospital in Joplin, MO help. We are a local veternarian clinic who specializes in helping dogs, cats, small mammals, reptiles and birds. Call us today to schedule an appointment for all of your pet car needs, including vaccines and injections.
What Does the Bordetella Vaccine Do?
The Bordetella vaccine helps protect a dog against kennel cough — specifically, against the Bordetella bronchiseptica bacterium.
Some versions of the vaccine also protect against other diseases, such as canine parainfluenza virus or canine adenovirus type 2. These versions are known as bivalent or trivalent (protect against two or three diseases, respectively). Your vet may have a preferred version based on risk factors in your area.
Unfortunately, it is possible for some vaccinated dogs to become infected with kennel cough. However, similar to the way the flu vaccine works in human beings, vaccinated dogs are more likely to have a mild illness rather than experiencing severe symptoms.
Clubs Offering:
Going to the veterinarian can be almost as overwhelming at times as going to your own doctor. By the time your veterinarian finishes going over the list of vaccines your dog needs, your dog’s overall physical condition — perhaps reminding you to cut back on the scraps, and has answered your questions about your dog’s newest behavioral quirk, it is easy to forget what she said about the Bordetella vaccine.
Here is what you need to know about Bordetella and kennel cough to make sure your dog is up-to-date with his shots when he needs it most.
The Bordetella vaccine is a noncore vaccine that is given to dogs that are frequently exposed to other dogs in boarding or social settings. Canine facilities, such as dog daycare centers, boarding kennels, shows, dog parks, and training classes often require dogs to have the vaccine. This is because Bordetella bronchiseptica is the most common bacterial agent responsible for kennel cough in dogs.
Bordetella bronchiseptica causes inflammation of your dog’s upper respiratory system. This inflammation leads to coughing and illness and can expose your dog to secondary infections. However, you probably won’t hear anybody telling you that your dog has Bordetella bronchiseptica. Instead, most veterinarians and canine professionals call the disease kennel cough, which can lead to some confusion about what the Bordetella vaccine is for.
Kennel cough is an all-encompassing term used to depict a multitude of highly contagious respiratory illness. It is usually spread in areas where large numbers of dogs are confined, like kennels, which is how the disease got its name. Kennel cough itself is not fatal, but the disease can lead to fatal bronchopneumonia in puppies and chronic bronchitis in senior or immunocompromised dogs, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, which is why it is important to assess whether or not your dog is at risk of catching the disease when deciding to vaccinate.
Kennel cough, scientifically known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis, is easily spread from dog to dog through aerosol droplets, direct contact, or contact with contaminated surfaces like food and water bowls, toys, or kennel runs — a bit like how the common cold is spread in grade schools. Your dog is most likely to pick it up in an area where lots of dogs congregate, but he can also pick it up from any contaminated environment, and you can bring it home to him if you spend a lot of time around dogs at work or during volunteer opportunities.
The most distinctive symptom of kennel cough is the loud, unmistakable honking cough that dogs develop with the disease. Other symptoms of kennel cough in dogs include a runny nose, sneezing, loss of appetite, lethargy, and a low fever. These symptoms are also similar to those dogs infected with canine distemper and the canine influenza virus, which are much more serious than kennel cough, so make sure you call your veterinarian and explain your dog’s symptoms. Calling ahead will also help your veterinarian prevent the spread of kennel cough in her office, so make sure you follow her instructions when you bring your dog in for a visit.
The good news is that despite kennel cough’s contagious nature, the disease is usually very treatable. Your veterinarian may prescribe a few weeks of rest for your dog, along with cough medicine and possibly antibiotics to prevent any secondary infections from causing complications. Keep in mind that your veterinarian may prescribe more aggressive treatment procedures if your dog is a puppy, a senior, or an immunocompromised dog. Talk to your veterinarian about preventing the spread of kennel cough from an infected dog to other dogs in the house or neighborhood.
Kennel cough is highly contagious. If your dog goes to dog parks, boarding facilities, dog daycare, or attends training classes or dog shows, then he is at risk for contracting kennel cough. Many of these facilities require dogs to come with proof of the Bordetella vaccination before they are allowed on the premises, so it is in your dog’s best interest for his health and extracurricular activities to get the vaccine. If your dog stays in the house and is rarely around other dogs, talk to your veterinarian about whether or not she believes your dog is at risk of contracting kennel cough.
Should Your Dog Get a Bordetella Vaccine?
It’s very common for kennels to require dogs be vaccinated against “kennel cough” before they are allowed in. There are two main reasons for this:
Overall, it’s a sound policy, but it’s far from 100% effective and it needs to be part of an overall kennel infection control program to work. Relying solely on vaccination to prevent kennel cough is a weak approach that can ultimately fail, particularly if other infection control practices are poor or if vaccination protocols are illogical.
1) Kennel cough is a syndrome, not a specific disease. It can be caused by many different viruses and bacteria, often in combination. Kennel cough vaccines are typically targeted against Bordetella bronchiseptica +/- canine parainfluenza, two important causes of kennel cough, but not the only causes.
2) No vaccine is 100% effective. Vaccines help reduce the risk of illness, but they don’t completely eliminate it. Some vaccines are better than others, and some animals respond better to vaccines than others.
3) Timing is another issue. One of the weak points of many kennel protocols is the requirement that the dog be vaccinated “before entry,” or within a certain number of weeks or months. The problem with this is vaccines are not immediately effective. What often happens is people decide to board their animal at the last minute or realize the night before that they need their dog vaccinated, so the vaccine gets given a day (or less) before kenneling. The intranasal kennel cough vaccine (squirted up the nose) takes a few (3-5) days to be effective, and the injectable vaccine takes even longer (a week or more). Vaccination very soon before boarding, particularly for a dog that has never been vaccinated against kennel cough before, is unlikely to result in protection from infection by the time of boarding.