Kennel Cough

At Murrayhill we do not insist that dogs are vaccinated against Bordetella (Kennel Cough) before they are admitted to the kennels. It is not a requirement of the Local Authority for the licensing of Boarding Kennels. 

Our own dogs are vaccinated and we do recommend vaccination to our clients. However, we do recognise that some clients are concerned about what they believe to be a ‘serious medical procedure with significant risks’ Vaccination recommendations in the past were considered a simple part of animal care, but are now a complex and controversial issue. Veterinary organisations are becoming increasingly concerned about the vaccine load that we impose on dogs and cats and recommend measures should be taken to reduce the load on individual animals to minimise the risk of adverse reactions to the products.

As with the common cold in humans ventilation, and close attention to hygiene play a major role in the reduction in this disease. 

At Murrayhill we regularly clean and disinfect the kennels and outside runs using Anigene HLD4V. Anigene HLD4V is in regular use in many veterinary surgeries and kennels and has been designed to provide excellent cleaning properties, having proven efficacy in the testing environment of a boarding kennel. It is effective against the most resistant of pathogens, including Canine parvovirus, Feline calicivirus, Feline peritonitis virus and the causative organisms of Kennel Cough and Ringworm. 

We also pay attention to ventilation in the kennels and follow good practice in taking steps to minimise close contact between dogs.

This articles below explain the issues and hopefully clarifies the reasoning behind our decision:

http://truth4pets.org/2012/07/kennel-cough-vaccine/
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/kennel-cough-natural-prevention-of-the-canine-cold/