KrisK Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 In the literature I've read, it says kennel cough is highly contagious. Here's my question. If a dog is vaccinated, can it still spread the disease? Also, can the virus be spread by humans, for example, on their shoes, etc. The reason I'm asking, - one of our obedience instructors works at a shelter. The shelter has an outbreak of kennel cough. I'm trying to make sure we don't inadvertently spread the virus to the dogs in classes. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelb'smum Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 I really hope not, because then not only does shelby and pete have it, but then the whole dog park.. and the small pet store I go to... I would think so though, unless they are coughing on shoes.. somebody will know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy in AZ Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Originally posted by KrisK:[QB] In the literature I've read, it says kennel cough is highly contagious. Here's my question. If a dog is vaccinated, can it still spread the disease? Also, can the virus be spread by humans, for example, on their shoes, etc. As I understand it, the virus can be spread via clothing, shoes etc because it's very...well, virulent. A dog who is vaccinated and exposed wouldn't necessarily spread it unless the virus were shed onto the dog fur or paws. I recall that when I was planning on bringing Boo home from the pound, my other two dogs needed to be vaccinated and I had to wait 5 days for the vaccine to provide enough protection, ie for the antibodies to build up, before exposing the two at home to Boo. That said, I learned from my vet when I scheduled Boo for neutering that there was an oubreak of kennel cough going around at the pound since he had treated a couple of newly adopted dogs. I had been rubbing a bandana on Boo and bringing it home for my (un-vaccinated) dogs to smell so I was pretty convinced my guys would come down with it--they didn't. Fortunately Boo didn't pick it up while at the pound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc friend Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 It's my understanding that the vaccine only protects against certain strains of KC. If there's a different strain going around, your dog can still get KC. That's why even vaccinated dogs can get KC when they're boarded, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Kennel cough is much like the human "cold"; it is cause by several infectious agents. Infectious Tracheobronchitis of Dogs Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelb'smum Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Correct if I am worrying to much, but from reading what was in the link... I come to conclude that KC in Puppies could possiably lead to deadly illness? Should I start Seperating Shelby and Pete from one another? they both have it. its says basically to wait it out?!? but it could get worse? how do I know when its worse? how do I know when its better and they can go out again? Should I be this worried? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 I'd don't have the answers you want; call a vet or perhaps AK Dog Doc will stop by with her words of wisdom. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelb'smum Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Blarg... Vet - he said to wait it out. and if they get worse to bring them in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 When we had sever kennel cough dogs that cam into the clinic and had to stay for treatment (Pneumonia and what not) we had a shallow pan of bleach water outside the door that we all dipped our feet in as we walked out. This is standard Iso portocal. I'd recommend when leaving the dogs, or the house or what not, I'd recommend dipping your feet in bleach water. Better safe then sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelb'smum Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 thats a great idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Mark is right, as usual .... "kennel cough" is a catch-all term used to describe any infectious respiratory illness. The term "kennel cough" came into being because a not-uncommon consequence of exposure to a number of strange dogs (as might occur at a show or in a kennel, for instance) is that they trade their germs, the way we all did in grade school. Remember THAT fun? ). Like the common cold in humans, a number of different pathogens can cause "kennel cough". When you get a "kennel cough vaccine", in general people are referring to the vaccine for Bordatella bronchiseptica, which is a bacterial disease, not a virus. Since in the case to which we are currently referring (KrisK's) the causative organism hasn't been individually identified, it's hard to say how contagious it is; different pathogens show different abilities to survive outside the host and to be transmitted on fomites (fomites are objects, including yourself, your clothing, grooming tools, etc, upon which a pathogen can hitch a ride to the next susceptible host.) For example, the FeLV virus is pretty frail and requires direct cat-to-cat contact to transmit, but the canine parvo virus is extremely sturdy and can survive for a decade or more in the environment, depending on conditions, just waiting for an unvaccinated canid to mosey on by. General things to think about: 1) You CAN decrease transmission from ill animals to well ones by isolating the sick ones, handling the well ones first and THEN the sick ones, and washing/disinfecting throughly +/- changing clothes before you go back to the well ones, or in between sick ones (if you suspect that they do not have the same pathogen.) However, you should bear in mind that just because one dog catches something it automatically means all the others will as well; every animal is unique in terms of its resistance in general. Also, suppose the illness is being caused by "virus A" and dogs one, two and three have already been exposed to and are immune to virus A, but dogs four and five have NOT been exposed. Dogs one through three should be resistant, but dogs four and five will be at least potentially at risk (although they still are not guaranteed to come down with it.) 2) If the animals were exposed to a common source from which all the ill ones got the illness, OR if the illness is transmitted from one to the next within a household, chances are excellent that all the ill animals have the same disease, so all the ill animals can be quarantined together. If you think that any of the ill animals have something different than the others, they should be quarantined separately. 3) Bacterial diseases respond to antibiotics, but viral ones do not. This may very well be why your vet might be telling you to wait it out (and if so, it's excellent, if frustrating, advice; indiscriminate use of antibiotics is how we get pathogenic bacteria that can't be killed by anything. Scary-bad.) It should be noted that viral disease may sometimes "open the door" for baterial disease, in the sense that a virus may compromise the respiratory system in such a way that an opportunistic bacterial population may go from quietly minding its own biz and living peaceably in or near the respiratory system, to becoming an invasive pathogen. 4) Times I like to go to antibiotics include (but may not be limited to) the following: when there's a green or yellow discharge from the eyes or nose or if the dog is expectorating (coughing up) a greenish or yellowish mucus; when there's progression (the coughing is getting more frequent, more protracted, or more productive); when new symptoms occur (the dog now has, in addition to coughing and sneezing, marked lethargy, marked inappetence, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody nose, etc); when there's an animal with a concurrent problem which I am concerned will fulminate into a nice juicy pneumonia (like extremely bad teeth, for instance); when the animal is excessively vulnerable or immunocompromised (as in has concurrent immunosuppressive diseases such as Cushing's or diabetes, or is otherwise debilitated as with starvation, etc.) 5) Viral diseases usually clear themselves within 7 to 10 days, so if the animal is breaking even and is inside that window, you can re-assess on a day-by-day basis. You can always re-assess again if something changes. 6) AS ALWAYS - if in doubt, consult a vet who can acutally look at your dog and listen to its airways and palpate its lymph nodes and take its temp, as opposed to me, who can at best impart general information and can't diagnose over the 'net. The smart money is in erring to the side of caution, if you have any doubt whatsoever. Hope that answers the questions at hand.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisK Posted November 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 Thank you AK Dog Doc! As always, you have given an explanation that is easy to follow. In further 'digging', I found out that one dog at the shelter 'might' have had kennel cough but they weren't sure. So all the other dogs in the shelter received bordatella, and the other dog was isolated...none got sick. That was 2 weeks ago. They had a case where a dog was in overnight, that might have had kennel cough...no other dogs are sick. The overnighter was boarding so went home the next day so far it's not sick. The staff are using a 'foot dip' when they leave so that was good. Since no other dogs in the shelter have it, I'm going to make sure the instructors all practice 'universal precautions' like we do in health care...Wash your hands, change your clothes, etc. and we should be okay. But we will be VIGILANT too! We're just a small club (not a business) and have been teaching obedience classes for 25 years in the community. The 'informant' is someone who has started a boarding kennel, and until last week, we were renting our training space from her...so...I think she may have been embellishing the situation a bit. That's another story I have say again, that I really appreciate that you will take the time to explain so clearly for the layperson! Oh...and give Raven and all the other pups a scruffle for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc friend Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 Thanks AK Dog Doc - your advice and information is always appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelb'smum Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 Yes thank you very much ! you have been a lot of help, elizabeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted November 20, 2006 Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 AK Dog Doc, thanks for taking the time to post all the detailed info. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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