Function
Kennel cough is a bacteria that spreads through the air and infects dogs who are in proximity with other dogs. The scientific name is Bordetella bronchiseptica, but it's commonly referred to as a cough because it sounds similar to a whooping cough. It's a dry, hacking cough where your dog seems to constantly be trying to clear his throat. The cough can last up to a month. While your dog seems healthy otherwise, it can be frightening for the owners. If your dog has not been vaccinated, you will need to see a vet and administer antibiotics for your dog until the cough clears up. In the meantime, you will have to quarantine him from other dogs so that he does not spread the infection.
Ways of Administering
The vet will typically give young dogs the vaccine in the form of drops that go into their nose. This should provide immunity for possibly a year and it will be given again. The benefit to this nasal method is that the vaccine is taking root at the spot where the infection would begin its attack. Some immediate side effects would be sneezing or discharge as the dog adjusts to what has just been put into his nose. For dogs who resist doctors getting close to their faces, the other option is a shot. When the Bordetella vaccine is given as a shot, it's commonly combined as a booster with other vaccines taken over the course of one month to gradually build up the immunity.
Warning
The Bordetella vaccine side effects can include soreness at the injection site (similar to humans and shots), hives, nausea, diarrhea or even death. There is a school of people who argue vaccines cause unnecessary inflammation at the injection site and that this chronic inflammation is the biggest cause of cancer in dogs. However, many more people believe that if your dog will be sequestered for any length of time with other dogs, the vaccine against kennel cough is necessary.
References More Like This
Are Vaccinations for a Dog Good or Bad?
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