Kennel Cough?

babybean82

Hello, I have 3 dogs and all of them have regular shots, just 4 months ago they were all vaccinated for kennel cough because we board them when we are out of town.

3 months ago they were boarded for 2 days and all 3 ended up sneezing with runny noses days later... not kennel cough just a viral infection or a cold.( I called the vet to check) We just boarded them again over thanksgiving weekend and now my Lab is coughing and hacking like crazy all day today and from what I have googled it looks like he might have kennel cough...

So my question is should I be worried about where I board my dogs? Could they be doing something wrong that is resulting in my dogs getting sick whenever they are there? or is this normal to have dogs get sick from being boarded?

smpeachey

Our dog got Kennel Cough last year, about 6 weeks after getting her shot from a 15 minute check up at the vet office. (We board her at the same facility) When I called to make her another appointment the tech who answered the phone told us to go get Robitussin DM (*it has to be the DM version because it is Tylenol free), and not bring her in because it is so contagious, They were having a major outbreak and trying to keep it out of the facility and from what I gathered desperately trying to clean the whole place. The good news is because you got them the shots the illness should only last a few days to a week versus the 6 weeks it can last in an unvaccinated dog.  She also told us not to let her touch noses with any other dogs for about two weeks to avoid spreading it. I was a little irritated that she got it from the vet's office, my husband said they had even freshly mopped the room to try and prevent it from spreading.  I realized this doesn't answer your question exactly except to commiserate a little and tell you that my dog got it from the vet clinic. It is apparently very hard to control the spread of Kennel Cough once it has established itself in a facility. Have you ever taken a tour of the facilities? Do they maybe have too many animals in a small space? Trust your instincts if you think something might not be right. It is such a bummer when your pup is sick.

babybean82

It is a bummer I feel so bad for him he seems miserable and I am sure its probably too late to prevent the other 2 from getting sick. They aren't showing symptoms yet so I am hoping they don't get it but I will probably have a house full of sick dogs this weekend. I am not sure what to thnk about our boarding facility I thought it was a nice place when I first started going there and I got a tour but I am starting to doubt it now that my dogs have gotten sick the last 2 times they have been there.

RedheadBaker

The kennel cough vaccine is kind of like the human flu vaccine. It doesn't protect against all strains. 

Kennel cough is common in shelters and doggie daycares. It's highly contagious. FWIW, I didn't wash up well enough after volunteering at the shelter one day, and carried the virus home on my clothes or shoes. My dog caught it. She honked like a goose for three days, then was fine. Most dogs that get it will be fine. In rare cases, it can turn into pneumonia, but usually only in dogs with weakened immune systems.  

aggiebug

RedheadBaker:

The kennel cough vaccine is kind of like the human flu vaccine. It doesn't protect against all strains. 

Kennel cough is common in shelters and doggie daycares. It's highly contagious. FWIW, I didn't wash up well enough after volunteering at the shelter one day, and carried the virus home on my clothes or shoes. My dog caught it. She honked like a goose for three days, then was fine. Most dogs that get it will be fine. In rare cases, it can turn into pneumonia, but usually only in dogs with weakened immune systems.  

 This exactly!

 

Its a decent vaccine and really helps control the spread of the disease in large populations but its definitely not 100%.  I  kind of compare it to the common cold. Its highly contagious, makes you feel crummy for a few days but most everyone gets over it with no help from a dr.  For that reason I don't recommend it as a vaccine unless you board or get your dogs groomed frequently.  (usually those places require it).  

babybean82

RedheadBaker:

The kennel cough vaccine is kind of like the human flu vaccine. It doesn't protect against all strains. 

Kennel cough is common in shelters and doggie daycares. It's highly contagious. FWIW, I didn't wash up well enough after volunteering at the shelter one day, and carried the virus home on my clothes or shoes. My dog caught it. She honked like a goose for three days, then was fine. Most dogs that get it will be fine. In rare cases, it can turn into pneumonia, but usually only in dogs with weakened immune systems.  

Unfortunatly I have one of those dogs with a week immune system, he gets sick all the time... I called the vet today and they are very worried they are having me come in at closing time after all other dogs have left to see my Bear. I also mentioned where they were boarded and the vet was not surprised by that. I called the boarding place and they didn't seem to think it was a big deal they said yea sorry that happens sometimes... so not going to be boarding there anymore!

amberwsu

I work at a veterinary office, ours has a boarding facility, which I worked in for 2 years at the beginning. Some dog bark, and play hard, & some you can tell are stressed from being away from there family, leaving them very lethargic when they go home. There are some things I would recommend for your next trip to boarding.

1) Get your dog vaccinated for K-9 Influenza (H3N8). Bordetella / Kennel Cough is like a upper respiratory infection while K-9 Influenza is truly like the common cold for dogs. We usually give this to dogs who frequent dog shows or are prone to getting sick around other dogs (which yours sound to be). I do it to my dog for peace of mind, she comes to work with me daily and stays in boarding while i work. It is a vaccine given once, then repeated in 3-4 weeks, then booster yearly.

2) Bring toys & a blanket/ towel that smells like you to minimize there stress. (label them well so they don't get lost)

3) Ask for a walk, one-on-one play time, brush, or massage for your dog daily so they feel less lonely while boarding. It usually is an additional fee (~$5-$10) but well worth it, if it saves you a trip to the vet.

Hope this helps.