Kennel Cough - is the vaccine worse than the virus?

Today was a beautiful day in Germany. The temperature was a balmy 15 degrees, the wind was gentle, the sun was warming to my skin. Marco and I decided, after a luxurious sleep in, to cycle down to the lake, soak in the sun and read some good books. Marco choose to read a German “all you need to know about planting herbs” book that I purchased for him this week  (my way of hinting that I want us, him, to start planting a herb garden when we return to Canada) and I read my recent print out of educational articles. Today I read extensively about a common virus in dogs called kennel cough and the vaccines that veterinarians and pet owners are using to prevent it.

Kennel cough is referred to my most veterinarians and dog care professionals as a canine cold or cough. It is a highly transmittable mutating virus (very similar to the human cold) that has an incubation period of six to ten days.

Merck Veterinary manual refers to this disease as ‘an infectious tracheobronchitis that is a mild self-limiting disease that results in the inflammation of the upper airways.’ This inflammation and irritation is what results in coughing, wheezing and sneezing and as it is by definition, self-limiting, it goes away within a week or two.

During my five years of working at a veterinary clinic I became very familiar with the vaccine for kennel cough, Bordetella. This vaccine can be given through the nose or under the skin and it is recommended to be given EVERY six months. Most dog owners are encouraged to use this vaccine on their dogs as most boarding kennels, daycares and training facilities will not allow admittance without an up-to-date vaccine certificate. The problem with this vaccine is that most often it is not effective at preventing infection. A likely explanation for this is that there are many strains and mutations of the virus. Think flu vaccine in humans and you know where I’m going with this. Worse than the vaccine not being affective, often there are reports of dogs becoming symptomatic after receiving the vaccine. I know this to be true from direct experience.

While working for four years at an animal shelter I was responsible to vaccinate incoming and outgoing dogs. We wanted our kennels to be safe and disease free. Under veterinary supervision our dogs were de-wormed, de-fleaed and vaccinated with 6 way combo and bordetella. Our kennels were clean and breezy yet bouts of kennel cough were always circulating throughout the kennel. Frequently we would rack our brains to come up with solutions, should we isolate new dogs? Should we treat with antibiotics as soon as they are symptomatic? Was the vaccine not working properly?

The answer was a matter of simple trial and error. We stopped vaccinating for kennel cough and starting feeding high quality and bio-available food. We wanted to fortify their immune systems and stop introducing the modified live virus (bordetella) into their environment. The results were (are) undeniable. Kennel cough virtually disappeared from our kennels. It wasn’t obvious at the beginning as shelter life is fast paced and demanding, but over the months we all started to notice the difference. No more coughing. No sneezing. In addition to many of the amazing results we experience from feeding appropriate food, by stopping to vaccinate for the common canine cold, we managed to get just the results we desired.

My experiences with this vaccine, in addition to what I’ve learned from holistic veterinarians, has lead me to firmly believe that bordetella is not helpful for your dog, in fact, it could be compromising to the immune system. My dog was vaccinated at the appropriate age as a puppy (I was not as knowledgeable then) and she is a ‘survivor’ of kennel cough. Her symptoms were mild and her energies levels did not change so I didn’t worry. If you are worried about kennel cough in your dog there are many fantastic natural remedies that can help to alleviate symptoms and speed up recovery.

To boost the immune system Echinacea or Golden Seal can give remarkable results. Just give a few drops three times a day. Vitamin C is also an undeniably powerful vitamin. Although I generally like to give supplements in their natural form, such as parsley or apple juice, many capsule varieties are available for purchase at your pet store. 500mg three times a day (or 250mg for tiny dogs) for a week or two should do the trick.

Here are two informative articles to read regarding kennel cough and your choices. There are ways around the vaccine.

Dr. Peter Dubois talks about Kennel Cough

Dogs Naturally Kennel Cough Article


Well I'm off to enjoy a traditional German meal of hot potatoes and smoked fish that has marinated in cream, onions and raw veggies. Auf Wiedersehen!