Can I spread kennel cough to my dogs if I handle a dog with kennel cough at my job and then come home?I am a little paranoid and people keep giving me different answers.I am taking them to get their vacc. this week.Please help!!!

[Kris L. Christine]

Of the 5 dogs we've owned in the last 15 years, the only ones who caught kennel cough were the 3 who were vaccinated against bordetella. The 2 who were not vaccinated against it did not come down with it despite several 2 week stays at boarding kennels.

The information below may help answer your question.

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In an article from the October-December 2007, Vol. 26, #3 Journal of American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, entitled Summary of a Presentation by Dr. Ron Schultz written by Patricia Monahan Jordan, DVM, it states that "Kennel cough is not a vaccinatable disease, realize this and stop the boarding kennels from making the dogs sick."

Regarding the Bordetella (Kennel Cough) vaccine, on Page 2 of the American Animal Hospital Association's 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines and Recommendations, it states that "Optional or 'noncore' vaccines are those that the committee believe should be considered only in special circumstances because their use is more dependent on the exposure risk of the individual animal. Issues of geographic distribution and lifestyle should be considered before administering these vaccines. In addition, the diseases involved are generally self-limiting or respond readily to treatment. The committee believes this group of vaccines comprises distemper-meases virus (D-MV), canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV), Leptospira spp., Bordetella bronchispetica, and Borrelia burdorferi."

Further, on Page 14 of the AAHA Guidelines, it states: "Bordetella bronchiseptica (B. bronchiseptica): Bordetella bronchiseptica is another cause of the “kennel cough” syn-drome. Infection in some susceptible dogs generally causes a self-limiting, upper respiratory disease and rarely causes life-threatening disease in otherwise healthy animals. Clini-cal disease resolves quickly when treated with appropriate antibiotics. Vaccination does not block infection but appears to lessen clinical disease, and vaccines provide a short DOI (<1 year) [table 2]. It is also unknown whether current vaccine strains protect against all field strains."

Combination Vaccines, Multiple Shots--on Page 16 of the 2003 AAHA Guidelines under Immunological Factors Determining Vaccine Safety, it states that: "Although increasing the number of components in a vaccine may be more convenient for the practitioner or owner, the likelihood for adverse effects may increase. Also, interference can occur among the components. Care must be taken not to administer a product containing too many vaccines simultaneously if adverse events are to be avoided and optimal immune responses are sought. "

Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines: What We Know and Don't Know, Dr. Ronald Schultz http://www.cedarbayvet.com/duration_of_immunity.htm

World Small Animal Veterinary Association 2007 Vaccine Guidelines http://www.wsava.org/SAC.htm Scroll down to Vaccine Guidelines 2007 (PDF)

The 2003 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are accessible online at http://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htm .

The 2006 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are downloadable in PDF format at http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocumen...s06Revised.pdf .

Veterinarian, Dr. Robert Rogers,has an excellent presentation on veterinary vaccines at http://www.newvaccinationprotocols.com/

[Yogi]

one thing to note is kennel cough is an airborne virus capable of covering up to a mile.