[Lizzie'sMom]

Lizzie is 10 months old. I just got a reminder card in the mail for her semi-annual bordetella vaccine. I have been googling around and one site says (Ron Hines DVM) says that although kennel cough is benign he gives toy breeds the vaccine semi-annually because of narrow trachea in these dogs and when they do get kennel cough it lasts longer. Plus, toy breeds tend to go to the groomer more often and can be exposed. What does everyone here do about bordetella?

I have had cats for 20 years and always just took them in for their yearly vaccines. Now I am really starting to question the frequency-especially since reading some of the threads on here. My cats' vet is a cat only practice and now recommends the 3 year rabies due to the increase of fibrosarcoma at the injection site. I know that is more common in cats than dogs.

I want to do what is best for Lizzie's health, but how much questioning of the vet practice should I do?

 

[iluvhavs]

I had stopped giving my dogs this shot because we weren't boarding them at a kennel. The only reason I ever gave it to them was most kennels require a bordetalla vaccine to take the dogs in.

The shot my vet used was an annual shot. I have never heard of a semi-annual.

Do you board your dogs at a facility that requires this?

 

[Lizzie'sMom]

I don't see her being boarded anytime soon. Last August a trainer that I had watched her at her house and wanted her to have it. She does go to the groomer about every two months.

She had been given the intra-nasal vaccine. She got the first one when we first got her at 11 weeks and then again 2 weeks after that.

 

[bellasmom]

I just had this discussion with my vet too. I was going to decline the Bortadella when Bella went for her 3 month visit. I don't ever plan on boarding her.

The vet said that although it's not life-threatening, kennel cough is highly contagious and not always so easy to get rid of with antibiotics. He said the nasal spray (which he gave her) would have to be repeated in 6 months. He said if I plan to ever take her to a groomer or to puppy classes (both of which I will do) then he strongly recommended it.

He agreed with me to skip Lyme (it's not bad in my area) and to do titers on some of the other vaccinations when Bella is older, so I took his advice about the Bortadella, especially since it was nasal and not a shot. Bella did fine with both the nasal and the parvo shot she received.

It's so hard making these decisions about the vaccines.:frusty:

 

[motherslittlehelper]

If you plan to take Lizzie to a groomer or take any training classes, the bordatella vaccine may be required. It is here. I was not going to have Augie have it either, as our vet did not feel it was particularly effective - said bordatella/kennel cough was like the common cold in humans - several different strains and the vaccine only deals with one or two of them. We did get the vaccine (nasal spray one), as we take Augie to training classes and occasionally I will take him to doggie day care if we are going to be out of town for the day. I believe the day care requires vacc. every 6 months.

Our Rabies vacc. is due every three years now - he hasn't had a reaction to that. The Parvo/Distemper/and I can't remember what else knocked him on his butt this last time. I will be requesting titers from now on. He was very lethargic, did not eat, wimpered when I picked him up and then started panting. That has not happened before. Our vet does not give the lepto or corona.

 

[Lizzie'sMom]

Lizzie had a hard time with her vaccines, too. That is why I am hesitant. She got her first bordetella vaccine along with Vectra (which she will no longer get) when we got her and 5 days later she was at another vet with Sunday hours because she was dehydrated and had a gaggy cough and increased upper airway noise. They gave her sub-q fluids and an antibiotic as well as a probiotic and told me to give her Robitussin. Then at her next visit she got the second bordetella and the DHPP and was sick. She was not eating and cried when picked up and just did not look too good. So when it was time for the next dose of DHPP the vet gave her Meclizine to help her with nausea and sent us home with Metacam.

I think she will need the rabies after a year and then the 3 year booster after that.

We need to go in for a heartworm test, so I will talk to her about all this.

 

[krandall]

Kodi does not get Bordetella for the reasons other people have mentioned. I'd rather that a chance on the kennel cough. From what I've seen, the places that insist that your dog have Bordetella vaccine do it as a "CYA"... Then if your dog gets kennel cough after a visit, they can say all the dogs there are vaccinated.