preventing kennel cough

asparagus1968

do i need an appointment at the vets for this, or is it something you buy over the counter please?

NoAngel

You need an appointment at the vets for this vaccination. From memory my kennels wouldn't accept the dog until two weeks after he'd had it. It needs doing annually.

krlyr

Kennel cough is generally caused by a virus so a vaccine may help, but different strains form all the time so a vaccine may not be 100% effective.
You'd have to go to a vet to have the vaccine administered. Some practices will do vaccination clinics, e.g. an open morning at a local petshop or similar, but it still has to be administered by a vet.
Some forms of KC can be bacterial so antibiotics at the time may help, but you wouldn't want to keep a (normal, healthy) dog on a precautionary course of ABs all the time to avoid it so in that scenario all you could do is get the dog to the vet at the time symptoms showed for diagnosis/treatment.

Simplified info
http://moorlandvets.ukvol.co.uk/ufc/details/359861

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

Scientific blurb
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/121619.htm

In general, keeping the dog on a good diet, with the correct amount of exercise for its age/breed/health will help keep its immune system in the best of shape to fight off any infection. See if your vet issues warnings when KC has been rife in the area (maybe see if you cna subscribe to a newsletter), keep an ear out for local gossip, and have any suspicious coughs checked out (but do pre-warn your vet that you suspect KC as they will probably admit you through a side door or ask you to wait in the car until your appointment to contain the potential infection)

asparagus1968

thanks, appointment booked for monday!

minimad1970

krlyr wrote: »

Kennel cough is generally caused by a virus so a vaccine may help, but different strains form all the time so a vaccine may not be 100% effective.
You'd have to go to a vet to have the vaccine administered. Some practices will do vaccination clinics, e.g. an open morning at a local petshop or similar, but it still has to be administered by a vet.
Some forms of KC can be bacterial so antibiotics at the time may help, but you wouldn't want to keep a (normal, healthy) dog on a precautionary course of ABs all the time to avoid it so in that scenario all you could do is get the dog to the vet at the time symptoms showed for diagnosis/treatment.

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My dog has been vaccinated against Kennel cough but has just got over a dose of it.:(

krlyr

Yes, it's much like the flu virus, it's constantly evolving into different strains so impossible to protect against it 100%

Fire_Fox

minimad1970 wrote: »

My dog has been vaccinated against Kennel cough but has just got over a dose of it.:(

Well at least you know you did your best by vaccinating.

virgin_moneysaver

they also can get it after the vaccine as I assume they use a small dose to build up antibodies, just treat then as a human cough with cough mixture to sooth there raw throat, I use benylin dry throat if it happens

krlyr

Manuka honey is meant to be a good one for easing their throat too