Species: Dog Breed: adopted, mostly herd Age: 8-11 years
Hello Dr. Marie....Rianna had her booster for Bordatella first of October..she has not missed a booster in ten years. She snorted it out right back at the vet when he gave it to her, he said she got enough? As I worried would happen, did...I boarded her two weeks later, for a weekend only, she got kennel cough, she got over it immediately with steroids and antibiotics though for ten days.... but is it okay for her to get another booster now? I must board her at Christmas and again in February....her next booster is not due until April? I am so worried she did not get her appropriate booster in October? Thus why she got it? She was in the luxury suite at the boarders with as they say sterilized dishes, her own cot and doggie door...I read they can get it in the air, if not enough circulation? I am so worried about boarding her again and especially since I will be further away and little longer and thinking she did not get at the very least an appropriate dose. Thank you so much. The vet here said she got something??
Dr. Marie replied:
Thanks for your question. Sorry to hear that Rianna got kennel cough.
In my area we are seeing a lot of kennel cough. And this time, some of the dogs who are getting kennel cough are properly vaccinated.
Your vet is right that it is ok if a dog snorts out the kennel cough vaccine. The nose only needs a small amount of vaccine in it to stimulate immunity.
So, why did Rianna get kennel cough? There are two possibilities that I can think of.
The first, is that the vaccine that infected Rianna was of a different strain than that in the vaccine. Sometimes viruses can change or mutate and the vaccine may not be completely effective. No vaccine is 100% against viruses.
The second, is that it may not actually be kennel cough that Rianna got. Sometimes what we think is kennel cough is actually canine influenza (dog flu). Don't worry though, canine influenza is not contagious to people like swine flu or bird flu. We treat influenza the same way as we do kennel cough but often it takes longer to go away.
Any dog can pick up kennel cough if they share airspace with an infected dog. In our area, many dogs are getting kennel cough in the dog park, and these dogs have never been to a kennel. It is very contagious.
You can talk to your vet about repeating the vaccine. If they truly feel they got vaccine in the nose then it is likely not necessary. But, it won't hurt.
Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.
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Veterinarian, Dr. Marie created this site to be able to provide quick, accurate veterinary advice online. She would love to help with your pet's problem!
Dr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.
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