I know it’s an ugly word. Well, really two words. Kennel cough isn’t fun. If your dog has ever had it, then you know that harsh wheezing sound they make for a couple weeks. It’ll haunt you in your sleep. And then there is what they cough or throw up on the carpet. Needless to say, no one wants it in their home. Especially me.

Now, this isn’t meant to scare you, because in truth, that cough is the extent of it in most dogs and it will eventually just go away with no lasting effects, the exception being young puppies and older dogs. In fact, it’s very rare that a vet will even want to see a dog with kennel cough, nor can they do much about it beyond something to reduce the irritation in your dog’s throat. The problem with kennel cough is most people’s understanding of it. Many people think they can simply get their pups vaccinated and it will act like a shield they can run through hell with.

What the Vaccine Actually Does

Sadly, that isn’t the case. In fact, the kennel cough vaccine is widely misunderstood. It’s something we should all understand better.

Just like the common cold in humans, kennel cough has many causes. One of the most common is a bacterium called Bordetella bronchiseptica. The vaccine, often referred to as Bordetella, addresses only this one cause, leaving nothing to combat the many other causes of kennel cough. With that in mind, the vaccine doesn’t give your pup immunity from that single cause either. It only gives a chance of reduction in symptoms. That means if your dog catches kennel cough, it could still have the same level of the illness as a dog that was never vaccinated. Conversely, it may fight it off sufficiently that everything works out well. It’s all about probability with no guarantee.

It doesn’t end there, however, as some of the other causes include poorly ventilated kennels or shelters, hence the reason why it’s called kennel cough, as well as exposure to excessive cold, dust, and stress.

Why We Don’t Require It

As kennel cough is a complex situation, many kennels will require a dog that’s boarding to have the vaccine. We however recognize two important factors when it comes to kennel cough.

The first is the lack of immunity that it provides. We don’t want people to feel like they have an immunity so they can take unwarranted risks like going to dog parks. While my suggestion is always to consult your vet as to whether it is the right thing for your pet, we do require fourteen days between the vaccination and coming to the kennel.

The second is the vaccine itself. Unlike DHPP and Rabies, one form of the Bordetella vaccine, the intra-nasal spray, is a modified live version which can cause a mucosal reaction, a reaction that’s almost indistinguishable from kennel cough itself. Simply put, if we let in a dog that was just vaccinated, we can’t tell if their cough is illness or reaction. We can’t knowingly risk our other guests going home with that irritating cough, cough, cough.

What Actually Keeps Dogs Safe

So, how do you as a boarding client know that you have the best chances of keeping your pets safe, even if kennel cough is going through the community? Ask these questions of any kennel, including ours.

Are dogs nose to nose in the kennel environment? Close contact is how kennel cough spreads. Each of our rooms is independent of the others, so our guests are never nose to nose with dogs from other families.

Is there forced air heating and cooling? Shared forced air moves whatever one dog is breathing into every other room. Each of our rooms has indoor and outdoor access which offers fresh air. Cages, on the other hand, offer poor ventilation.

What is their cleaning regiment? Do they use standard disinfectant, harsh bleach products that can irritate your dog’s lungs, or vinegar, which doesn’t disinfect at all? We use veterinary-grade disinfectants and enzymatic cleaners, applied at full manufacturer contact times, with complete room sanitation at every checkout.

No vaccine and no kennel can promise your dog will never catch a cough, any more than a school can promise your kids will never catch a cold. What we can promise is that the environment your dog stays in is designed and cleaned to give it the best odds available. If you’d like to see that for yourself, come take a tour.