March 29th, 2017 – There is a strain of canine cough in the community. We have talked to veterinarians in the area, and they have reported seeing dogs with canine cough in dogs that have been at several kennels and daycares in the area. They have also seen dogs with canine cough that have not been at any kennel or daycare, at least recently, and as reported, these dogs have not necessarily been around other dogs. In some cases, canine cough has been seen in dogs that were current on their Bordetella vaccine, which suggests that the vaccination does not offer immunity to this particular strain of canine cough.
While the number of dogs that have shown symptoms and/or have been diagnosed is small compared to those that are symptom and disease free, we want to be sure that you are aware of the situation.
At Green Acres Kennel Shop we do require that dogs that board or daycare with us, or that are enrolled in a training class, be current on a canine cough vaccine as administered by their veterinarian, or canine cough nosodes as prescribed and provided by the veterinarian. Not all boarding and daycare facilities require canine cough preventatives.
Canine cough or kennel cough are lay terms for Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC), which is highly contagious to other dogs, much like the common cold is with people. Canine cough can be transmitted through the air from one dog to the next or by contact with contaminated objects such as a common water dish at the dog park or in front of a dog-friendly store. Like the common cold is to humans, canine cough is not typically serious, but if you see symptoms in your dog (coughing, gagging, vomiting, or general lethargy) I would recommend that you call your veterinarian.
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