Hi,

This is a daft question to ask but it's playing on my mind. I took my dogs to the vet this morning for their annual injections & the vet said it would be most beneficial if I gave my dogs kennel cough even although I have no intention of putting my dogs into kennels. When I questioned why he said that dogs can pick it up when they are out running about in the fields or if they meet other dogs. I did agree to it but just want to double check if anybody else has done this even although their dogs are not going into kennels or have I just put my dogs through something that they didn't have too.

Your vet is right , they can pick up kennel cough from other infected dogs. I've never put mine in kennels but they have picked it up from dog training classes and dog shows.

I never give this to my dogs as there are several types of K.C. and the vaccine will not cover all of them so I consider it a stress that would be of no benefit to my dogs. Also, K.C. will not do much harm to a healthy adult dog which is why, if mine do pick it up (and it is never all of them as some obviously have a natural immunity) I don't take them to the vets with it. Just keep them away from other dogs & doggy places & it will go in a week. My really good, old-fashioned vet said to me many moons ago, "It will clear up in 7 days with antibiotics or in a week without. Which do you want?"

Its true you can pick it up anywhere. It has an unfortunate name of kennel cough but really you can pick it up anywhere, out for a walk, training, even at the vets if a coughing dog is bought in

Mine have picked it up from shows and have got better very quickly. An adult healthy dog shakes it off quickly. But its worth remembering that very old dogs, very young pups and those with an underlying respiritory problem are likely to have real problems with it.

My youngest (3 yr old) dog got it from the Vet's while she was in their for something else.  She had it for about a week, and all I gave her was a small syringed amount of cough medicine.  I would never give my dogs the kennel cough vaccine after all the negative things associated with it.

To me, it's a bit like someone telling you to take painkillers just in case you get a headache :)

I'm lucky that none of mine have ever had it (touch wood!!!) but friends who have just treat it with cough medicine.

Healthy dogs can cope with KC, it is the young and the old that need to careful.

Dogs comng to my classes must be fully vaccinated inc KC. I am guided by my vet on all health issues. We know that there are diff strains of KC, the one we are trying to avoid is called Bordatella. because, if your dog does get this strain then is can infect other dogs for up to three months ONCE the infected dog has stopped coughing. So, if after being vaccinated against KB. (Bordatella strain) the dog start to cough, we know it is one of the less serious strains the dogs has and doesnt need to be away fro other dogs for so long.

I have seen an elderly dogs with KC and saw the damage caused to the dog. not nice.

Depends on your situation but in most cases I would not do so. The exceptions would be if I had a litter or one was due.

The Canine Kennel Cough should be called the Canine cold as that would make it easier to understand, the vaccine does not cover all strains and if your dog is over about 3 years of age it will in all probability have come across the infection and therefore be immune anyway. One of the advantages for getting older (a lot older) you get less and less colds because of having met the virus and therefore have immunity.

I vaccinate all mine for KC; the 2 Cavaliers (I'm guessing that's what you have too!) go to a LOT of shows / rally trials / training clubs etc, and if they got it my 9 year old Yankee might too, so it's just a precaution.

I had 2 of my 5 recently vaccinated to see if they still caught it and sure enough they got it and my unvaccinated dogs didnt so i shall not bother again and just keep the honey handy.

Everyone does things their way.

I personally dont use the kc vaccine at all and in all my years and all my dogs have only had an episode once...brought in i believe from a new puppy, this was treated as many people have already mentioned with just cough medicene to make them more comfortable, the kc has to run its course.

But then i dont vaccinate at all after the first initial puppy vaccines as i believe immunity is then built up over time and years of exposure, i am not a fan of chemicals constantly on my dogs, ie frontline etc too and only use these in the height of the summer.

But as i say everyone does things differently due to their own personal experiences.

I've never had mine vaccinated for KC. They go to training classes, shows, events etc but have never had a problem. If they do get it, it is usually easily sorted just like a cold/flue in humans.

Mandy, I also don't annually vaccinate (they have only had puppy jabs) for the same reason.  I recently had to have antibiotics for infected anal gland (dog's obviously), and vet questioned why I do not vaccinate (he got quite shirty).  I explained that I had reasearched effects of jabs, etc. plus a friend had a small dog develop auto immune problems which may or may not have been caused by over vaccinating.  The fact that he couldn't assure me that the vaccines were a) entirely safe or b) entirely effective reinforced by view and he left it.