What You Should Know about the Bordetella Vaccine for Dogs

Bordetella is a bacteria. To be exact, bordetella is an entire genus of bacteria that can cause a wide range of serious medical conditions in both humans and other animals. For example, one species is responsible for pertussis in humans, while another species is responsible for kennel cough in dogs.

Generally speaking, kennel cough isn’t life-threatening. However, puppies often suffer a great deal from the medical condition because their immature immune systems can’t handle it as well as those of their mature counterparts. Likewise, other dogs with weakened immune systems can suffer serious problems from kennel cough as well, whether because they are pregnant or because they are so old that their immune systems have become compromised with advanced age. On top of this, it should be mentioned that kennel cough is very, very contagious, which isn’t helped by the fact that it can be transmitted by the airborne particles spread by coughs and sneezes as well as contaminated surfaces that have come into contact with them. As a result, it is no wonder that there is so much interest in preventing kennel cough as much as possible, thus explaining the existence of the bordetella vaccine for dogs.

What Is the Bordetella Vaccine?

The bordetella vaccine protects a dog from a particular species of bordetella called Bordetella bronchiseptica. However, it is important to note that the bordetella vaccine doesn’t protect dogs 100 percent from getting kennel cough because kennel cough isn’t a single kind of infection but rather a catch-all term for a number of different infections for a dog’s upper respiratory system. As a result, while the bordetella vaccine will offer protection from the main culprit, there are other potential threats lurking out there. Regardless, the bordetella vaccine is critical in spite of its limited nature, as shown by the fact that dog parks, dog daycares, and other dog-related facilities will require proof that a particular dog has received it before it will be let in. Something that should speak volumes about just how infectious kennel club can be as well as the lengths to which the relevant parties will go to in order to stop it before it can spread.

What Do You Need to Know about the Bordetella Vaccine?

With that said, there is some other information that interested individuals might want to know about the bordetella vaccine as well. Moreover, if they have remaining questions, they should make sure to contact their veterinarian to make sure that they are fully-informed so that they can make the best choices for their canine companions.

For example, some dog owners might be concerned about whether the bordetella vaccine is safe for their dogs or not. If so, they should know that the bordetella vaccine is perfectly safe to use for most dogs out there. However, there are some dogs with weakened immune systems that might not do so well when exposed to it, which is why interested individuals will want to consult their veterinarians at length beforehand. Likewise, it isn’t unknown for a very small percentage of dogs to have bad responses to vaccines, which is why if a dog owner has a dog that has already shown a bad response to vaccines in the past, they will want to speak with their veterinarian about whether there are any alternatives to the standard bordetella vaccine or their dog will be forced to rely on the herd immunity from other dogs getting vaccinated for their protection.

On a related note, interested individuals should know that if their dog is going to be interacting with other dogs on a regular basis, they should make sure that their dog get the bordetella vaccine on an annual basis. Moreover, there are some dog-related facilities that might require a dog to have had a booster within six months, which can be an important consideration as well. With that said, even when it is the dog owner rather than the dog who spends a lot of time with other dogs on a regular basis, it can be a good idea for the dog to get vaccinated because bordetella is perfectly capable of spreading from species to species, meaning that it is possible for an infected dog to spread the bacteria to a human before the human spreads it to another dog. Figuring out the best vaccination schedule for a dog is critical, which is why interested individuals should make sure to speak with their veterinarian about it sooner rather than later.

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