# Preventing Demo Dogs



## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Recently in my area I have been seeing a lot of kennel cough cases.
My employee's dog just got it this week too, so he is going on med's ASAP and will not be allowed out for a while. 

Anyone know of any good ideas for preventing kennel cough?

Here is what I have been doing for my dogs, with success so far:
I have been cleaning their bowls, trying to keep them away from most dogs, they all have their yearly shots, and I'v been chopping up a little garlic and putting it in their food. 
(Some people swear by the garlic for dogs, some don't. Mine have been fine with it for years.)

Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks.


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## Mo Earle (Mar 1, 2008)

did your dog get his Bordetella - not the injection, but the dose that is given nasally- we don't give all the other vaccines yearly, but I have multiple dogs too and they do get the Rabies shot and the nasal Bordetella yearly, and knock on wood- so far we have never had a break out of kennel cough, even when I had the boarding kennel business on my property...

and I would continue with the other things you are doing also....outside of the yearly shots, we do that stuff too.


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## Tammy St. Louis (Feb 17, 2010)

i also give the kennel cough vaccine in the nose, to my guys yrly , my vet is saying now it is better to do them every 6 months 
there was a different strain of kennel cough going around here last yr , so dogs that had the shot were getting it ,, but much milder cases than those who did not get it 

I have not had kennel cough since i started giving the vaccine about 15 yrs ago .. and my dogs go everywhere with me 

PS your title is preventing DEMO DOGS..

is it supposed to be preventing kennel cough ?


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## Alison Grubb (Nov 18, 2009)

The nasal bordatella vaccine is the only yearly vaccine that we give at the clinic where I work. We made the switch from the injectable vaccine about two years ago. Have not seen much kennel cough in our patients since we made the switch. My dogs have also not gotten sick even though they go everywhere with me and I used to have boarders coming in and out of the house.

Good luck. I hope none of your dogs come down with kc.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

I thought the vacine and nasal dose only offer six months protection, I haven't heard of yearly protection for kennel cough. Plus, why are you giving him antibiotics...it's viral, they're generally only administered for secondary bacterial infection when present. A lot of peeps here swear by children's benylin cough mixture, it helps a lot.

Best thing to do is keep the dog healthy and out of circulation when there is kennel cough around.


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

3 years ago my puppy got it - coughed for 3-4 days, and was fine. My other dogs at home didn't get it. Some of the dogs at work had it, and that is where my pup picked it up. I have never vaccinated for it, either. I don't get why people freak out over it, and I really don't get why antibiotics are so freely given. Isn't that how we get resistant bacteria strains in the first place? I think a healthy dog gets over it fast enough on their own, and antibiotics don't shorten the time they are sick. Just if secondary infection develops...


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## Gina Pasieka (Apr 25, 2010)

Kennel cough is a generic term...but what most people consider "kennel cough" is caused by Bordetella, which is a bacteria. Most healthy adult dogs will not show any symptoms, or potentially just cough for a couple of days. Young puppies and senior dogs could potential develop pneumonia if left untreated. The problem with the vaccine is that it is really a bacterin, which does not last as long as a vaccine for a virus. Same thing as lepto...it's given yearly, but unfortunately it probably does not last that long Vaccines should be given on a case by case basis. I personally don't use it...but if I needed to board them, or did board other peoples dogs, I probably would.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

One of the down sides to Bordatella is that is different enough from region to region that protection in one area of the country may not be the same fro another part.
I've had it a few times with pups but I don't bother giving adults the nasal spray. That's just me. 
I also don't travel with my dogs like I used to.


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Try adding Ester C and Vit E to their food. I don't and haven't given Bordatella. Even when we did the show circuit, my dogs never picked up bugs. We also add a lot of garlic but that has more to do with warding off fleas and other critics. Yearly shots and the effectiveness of bordatella with all strains is another thread.

Terrasita


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Thanks guys!


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