Q:My dog Madison recently came back from the kennel making a horrible gagging sound. My vet says it's kennel cough. But the people at the kennel said they vaccinated her before she was exposed to the other dogs. So what happened?
A: Though I'm sure Madison received her vaccine as promised, no vaccine is 100 percent effective. Moreover, some time is required for her body to respond to most kennel cough vaccines. That means that the recently administered vaccine may well have been useless against the bacteria contaminating the air around her.
Here's some background:
Kennel cough is perhaps the single most annoying infectious disease the average dog owner is likely to face. Anywhere dogs congregate, this Bordetella bronchiceptica bacteria seems to flourish. While shelters, pet shops, boarding kennels, vet hospitals, day cares, grooming parlors and dog parks are the likeliest sources, anywhere dogs get the chance to meet and greet one another is another unwelcome opportunity for transmission.
Kennel cough tends to make its presence known through the characteristic honking/gagging cough Madison's got. That's because the bacteria attacks the sensitive lining of the trachea and bronchi. Unfortunately, fever and listlessness can also accompany the cough, which can lead to pneumonia if left untreated, especially in younger, smaller and otherwise more susceptible animals.
Some dogs will even experience a nasal form of the disease. This manifestation is more likely to produce rivers of whitish-greenish snot (that's a medical term) than a nasty cough.
Thankfully, kennel cough generally responds well to antibiotics. Augmentin and Doxycycline are popular drugs for these kinds of upper respiratory infections, but dogs who don't respond within a couple of days (or worsen at any point) should head back to the vet for more diagnostic tests.
This last step is especially important, since other diseases can look like kennel cough. Distemper, dog flu and other emerging infectious diseases can cause upper respiratory symptoms in their earliest stages. Miami-Dade's Animal Services recently suffered an outbreak of deadly disease in which initial symptoms mirrored kennel cough's.
For these reason, among others, it's crucial to have your dog evaluated at the first sign of a cough. Consider having Madison vaccinated every six months if the dog is often in contact with unknown dogs. And always vaccinate at least two weeks before placing in a kennel.
