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Lets Discuss Kennel Cough

We want to discuss with you, what most facilities will not mention. This virus 
 
is 

around, there is no way to totally prevent it and the better educated you are , the
 
healthier 

your dog will be.
 
 
                                     Please watch the video at the end of our discussion,,,
 
                                                                  it is quite informative
 
 

Note : Although a canine cold is generally not life threatening we take it very seriously.  We routinely disinfect and make every effort to minimize any bacteria or viruses spreading throughout the day.  Unfortunately, we cannot control what dogs bring in from the outside world and it is very difficult to pick up any signs as dogs are more contagious right before showing symptoms. 

 

With many respiratory infections, dogs have the same level of energy and appetite.  If we suspect your dog may have a respiratory infection we will quarantine your dog and call you to pick him or her up immediately.

 

If you suspect your dog may be sick please err on the side of caution and do not bring your dog to the Resort for the safety of all our guests. If your dog has a cough we have policies in place for their return to the facility.

We certainly understand that this can be very frustrating for clients that are gone on vacation for 2 weeks or longer or even for a few days.  That is why it is imperative that you leave us with an emergency contact that will be able to come and pick up your dog if for any reason we feel they need to. 


 

VACCINATION AND PREVENTION

Of course the only way to prevent your dog from ever getting kennel cough or other infectious diseases is to not expose him or her to other dogs at all, anywhere at anytime. That means never taking them out of the house for walks, not letting them in your yard, because the virus is airborne, so it can be delivered into your yard once an infected dog nearby coughs or sneezes.  Never taking them to a groomer, or to a pet store, dog training classes, agility or even your Vet.  Someone in the waiting room could have a dog in the incubation stage and not even know it, but the dog has the potential of passing this virus along to yours just by allowing your dog to nose to this dog. 
 
 

Preventing respiratory infections in dogs is not 100% possible. However, vaccines do reduce the severity of the disease. That’s why we require you have your dog vaccinated.

 

Canadian Veterinary Medical Association:

Bordetellosis:


A vaccine for Bordetella (a bacterial cause of kennel cough syndrome) is available. These bacteria cause respiratory signs such as coughing, nasal discharge, and fever. Serious infections can lead to pneumonia. Dogs in close contact with other dogs such as in dog parks, shelters, boarding and grooming facilities, dog shows, training classes and other high risk environments will benefit from vaccination for this disease. While Bordetella is a major cause of kennel cough, it is important to note that a number of other infectious organisms can cause similar symptoms. Vaccination for Bordetella may not prevent infection, but should reduce the severity and duration of clinical signs.

Guelph University

Kennel cough vaccination and boarding
BY SCOTT WEESE ON MARCH 2, 2011
POSTED IN DOGS
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:

Reducing the risk that a dog will bring kennel cough into the facility and spread it to other dogs.

Reducing the likelihood that a dog will acquire kennel cough if someone else brought it in.

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.

Why isn’t it 100% effective?

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.

Requiring vaccination before boarding makes sense, but it’s important to remember that:

It’s not 100% effective.
It doesn’t negate the need for a good infection control program.
It needs to be given at an appropriate time to be effective.