Kennel cough - Page 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennel_cough

Kennel cough or tracheobronchitis is a highly contagious canine illness characterized by inflammation of the upper respiratory system. It can be caused by viral infections such as canine distemper, canine adenovirus, canine parainfluenza virus, or canine respiratory coronavirus, or bacterial infections such as Bordetella bronchiseptica.[1] It is so named because the infection can spread quickly among dogs, such as in the close quarters of a kennel.

Symptoms
Symptoms can include a harsh, dry hacking/coughing, retching, sneezing, snorting, gagging or vomiting in response to light pressing of the trachea or after excitement or exercise. The presence of a fever varies from case to case. The disease can last initially from 10-20 days and can rebreak when the dog is put into a stressful situation which puts stress on the dog's immune system. Diagnosis is made by seeing these symptoms, having a history of exposure is also helpful but not always found as kennel cough is easily spread through contact with contaminated surfaces such as the ground, toys, and sidewalks.

I used to vaccinate my dogs aggainst KC, but have not for many years, and have not had one case of it for over 15 years,

I attend dog shows, OB school, take walks in parks with my dogs, although, I don't board my dogs and stay far away from Pet-Co, and any and all "Dog parks"

How is it so highly contagious?

It is so highly contagious because it is airborne and the infectious agent is easily spread in this way, just like human airborne diseases. Additionally, it is a disease that takes exposure to a very small number of the infectious agent. In some diseases, the number required of the infectious agent for infection to occur is very low, as it is with bordetella. In other diseases, the amount of the etiologic agent required is quite high, or the method of infection is different. Anytime something is airborne, you have a problem, especially in confined spaces. Of course, there are lots of other important factors to consider when considering the transmissibility of any disease.

I took my old lab to the vets for his checkup years ago, and I think it was the next day he began that horrible wrenching cough. It was the first time I'd heard that and I thought the dog was dying. I do remember the vet not charging me for his treatment since he knew where our dog became infected. We give our dogs the vaccine if we board him as it is required. I don't ever want to hear that sound again.

While talking to a vet, he said that he doens't vaccinate his dogs for Kennel Caugh becasue there are so many different bugs that cause it and the vaccine only addresses one or two of them.......

I still vaccinate mine.

The vaccine has more than one or two serovars, but there are about 200 such serovars for bordetella. None the less, if a dog has been vaccinated, there probably will be some crossover in the immune function and hopefully the dog who gets ill will be far less ill.

In my facility, no dog enters without proper vaccinations and parasite treatment. 

Well stated again Hodie. I also vax for Bordetella, it is one of the few that I do. You are correct in stating the vax does not prevent it, but does lessen the symptoms. It is easily treated with antibiotics and cough syrup if necessary. Speaking of airborne diseases, how many people actually know Rabies can be transmitted that way? or through nasal secretions? Quite frightening when you think about it. Being in a high exposure risk job as a tech, I had my pre-exposure Rabies series done in 1999, and my yearly titer was just done this past June, I still had a high level of antibody, and did not need to be updated.. while I do vax my dogs for it, I am glad to see that Dr.Dodd's has a research project called 'The Rabies Challenge Fund" for animals. She is trying to prove that the vax has an efficacy of at least 7 years.

Not trying to hi-jack this thread, but I have had two dogs that were fully vaccinated for parvo that have come down with confirmed cases.  One was a very young pup who had just completed his final rounds of puppy vacs, and the other was about 10 months old.  Occurrences were about 3 years apart, and both dogs survived.  Each spent several days in the vet's office with IV's and such.  I had one vet tech almost call me a liar when I told her that my dog had been vaccinated.  The first dog must have picked it up in the communal area in which he had to eliminate.  The other was exposed when I went to see a litter of American Bulldog puppies and brought the virus home.  The vet told me that a whole litter of AB's died.  At that time (the early 90's), registered American Bulldogs were very rare, so I have to believe that was the source.  I didn't mean to change the direction of the thread, but that has been some of my experience with vaccinations.

RFS 

There are many reasons why a given dog, or a human, might have been "vaccinated" yet came down with a disease for which it supposedly had been vaccinated. So someone calling you a liar in this case was just incorrect. 

Vaccines sometimes are no good, either weak or inadequate in some way, or they were not cared for appropriately after manufacture. I know in vaccinating my own dogs many times that a dog may squirm and I miss and most or some of the dose goes out as the needle goes out the skin. The other reasons all have to do with the individual immune system of a given animal (or person). For example, a human can receive Hepatitis B vaccine and not seroconvert, even after the third dose as is the normal protocol. Others gain immunity that can be measured after the first dose, most after the second and almost all after the third. But there are some people who never gain that immunity. Another reason has to do with different serovars. And if they are different than what is in a vaccine, then one can become ill. Same thing is true in canines.

RFS- We have seen many vax puppies come up with Parvo. Some breeds are more prone Rotties, and Pits we see alot of. We have seen whole litters of pups present with parvo after the owner/breeder has been somewhere that they may have brought it home from. I always keep a spray bottle of bleach mixture at my door and spray my shoes.