Curbing Kennel Cough

Kennel cough is a much discussed and unfortunately common disease seen particularly in dogs socialising in groups. However, owing to vaccine developments, this unpleasant and contagious disease can be controlled and prevented.

So how serious is it?
Infectious tracheobronchitis, or ’kennel cough’ as it is better known, is typically characterised by a harsh hacking cough and general ill health. Kennel cough can be caused by numerous infectious agents, however, 80-90% of cases are associated with either parainfluenza, Bordetella bronchiseptica or both.

Apart from the clinical illness, kennel cough, can itself also result in long-term persistent infection and has the capacity to spread very quickly, particularly in situations where lots of dogs are in close confinement. A classic scenario where infection is likely to spread would be in dogs kept in a crowded situation, where air circulation is poor and conditions are warm - think boarding kennels, vaccination clinics, obedience classes, grooming parlours or shows. In these situations, there is a need to ensure that if kennel cough strikes, efforts are made to limit its transmission and hence stop further infections.

However, even in the most hygienic, well-ventilated and spacious kennels, the possibility of kennel cough still exists. Furthermore, kennel cough is not restricted to kennels as it can also be acquired from your neighbour’s dog, the Champion at a dog show or the animal hospital where your dog received treatment for a cut paw. Even a walk in the park could put your dog at risk.

How does infection strike?
A parallel can be drawn between transmission of the human cold and kennel cough. The infectious organisms ride in the exhaled air of an infected dog, carried within microscopic water droplets. A susceptible dog inhales these infectious agents, which then attach to the lining of the trachea and upper airway passages. These agents multiply rapidly resulting in damage to the respiratory tract.

Kennel cough is of even greater concern in very young puppies as infection can progress to fatal pneumonia. Who would want a newly purchased puppy returned on the basis of a serious illness?

Treatment – what are the options?
Antibiotics are often used, as are anti-inflammatories and occasionally cough suppressants. Although antibiotics may alleviate the clinical signs, they usually do not clear the infection totally and the infection can still spread from dog to dog.

Vaccine advancements have now yielded the availability of a single dose vaccination offering year-long protection to dogs. So you can routinely vaccinate against kennel cough, at your convenience and at any time when a dog may be at risk.

Treating the lesser-known Kennel Cough Implications
The great problem with kennel cough is its ease of transmission. Dogs can carry and spread infection without showing any clinical signs at all. So dogs are potentially at risk in any walk of life.

In response to this, Intervet UK, a leading animal health organisation, has developed the first bivalent intranasal kennel cough vaccine, offering protection against parainfluenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica. It’s the first vaccine with a data sheet claim, clinically proven to reduce the spreading of these key agents that cause the majority of kennel cough cases.

According to John Helps, veterinary manager at Intervet UK, “In order to control this disease effectively, the vaccine needs to be not only able to offer prevention against clinical illness, but to also limit the spread of infection by tackling those carrier dogs who are unobtrusively passing on the virus. This way, disease control may be considerably enhanced.”

Intervet’s intranasal vaccine also offers the advantage that it can be used in conjunction with other injectable vaccines from the same range. “What this means”, says John, “Is that it fits perfectly with today’s lifestyle; pet owners only have to visit the practice once a year to maintain immunity against kennel cough.”

Is it absolutely necessary to vaccinate?
As discussed, kennel cough is highly contagious and can be spread by clinically healthy dogs (silent shedders). This means it’s incredibly difficult to predict when and where your dog might come into contact with it. Once it’s present – if you can detect it – stringent isolation of the infected dog is an absolute must. Although primarily spread via organisms on small water droplets in the air, direct contact between dogs and with areas that are contaminated by sputum are also a source of contagion. An infected dog needs to be kept isolated until there has been no coughing for at least seven to ten days. Kennels, crates, dishes and the like need to be cleaned vigorously with disinfectants and allowed to dry thoroughly before next use.

If rare reactions to vaccines are your concern, rest assured that the associated risks are minimal when compared to the risks of the disease itself.

Based on this, isn’t it the clear responsibility of every individual who works with dogs to ensure they prevent the spread of this unpleasant and contagious disease? Furthermore, prevention is far better and easier than cure.

To find out more on the significance of kennel cough, and how to tailor a vaccination programme to meet your dog’s particular lifestyle requirements, visit. www.f-o-v.co.uk

For more information on Intervet’s range of vaccines, visit www.intervet.co.uk