New vaccine is more effective treatment for kennel cough
ENNEL cough is a debilitating condition and is highly contagious... so much so that most dogs who catch kennel couch do so, not while in the kennels but while out for a walk or even in their own garden as kennel cough can be spread by airborne droplets and infection has been known to happen over a reasonable distance.
It is precisely for the reason that so many dogs catching kennel cough have not been in kennels that it is now suggested that we call the condition “infectious bronchitis”. While this does make lots of sense, it doesn’t seem to roll off the tongue as easily!
Infectious bronchitis is caused by several different infections – some are bacterial and some are viral.
Dogs with infectious bronchitis have a debilitating cough and can be lethargic, reluctant to eat and can run a temperature. Infectious bronchitis can be highly contagious so it makes sense to seek veterinary attention if you think your dog might have kennel cough but I would always ask owners not to bring their dog into the surgery until they are known not to be contagious. We are always happy to come and examine a suspected dog in the car park.
Unfortunately, many causes of kennel cough cannot be prevented, however, for some years, one of the most prevalent forms of kennel cough could be protected against by vaccination.
Bordetella Bronchiseptica, a bacterial form of infectious bronchitis could be prevented using a vaccination. However, the vaccination was in liquid form and had to be administered up the nose. While some dogs are very accepting of veterinary attention, it is a real test of a dog’s character (and a vet’s bravery!) to approach a dog with a syringe of liquid and squirt it up the nose.
The other problem with the old vaccine was that it was not designed to be administered at the same time as the main vaccination and so a follow on trip to the vets was usually required for owners.
Now a new vaccination has been developed with two critical improvements. It can be administered into the mouth rather than up the nose. It can also be given at the same time as the main vaccination.
These developments make the vaccine so much more practical than was previously the case.
At Donaldson’s, the peak time for infectious bronchitis (kennel cough) is always through the summer and autumn.
Last year, at the peak, we were seeing up to 40 cases per day across the Donaldson’s clinics. This year, with increased uptake of the vaccination, I hope that we will see significantly fewer cases.