[Wylie's Mom]

Kennel Cough

Kennel cough is caused by a variety of agents including – but not limited to – parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, and the Bordetella bronchiseptica bacterin.

The WSAVA informs us that,

It is important to realize that not all members of the Kennel Cough complex have a vaccine. Also, because Kennel Cough is a localized infection (meaning it is local to the respiratory tract), it is an infection that does not lend itself to prevention by vaccination.”

Putting this is plain English, the WSAVA seems to be saying that kennel cough vaccines don’t work, or that kennel cough is not a vaccinatable disease.

Most combination canine vaccines contain injectable parainfluenza as well as adenovirus, expressed as ‘DHPPi = (D) Distemper, (H) Hepatitis/adenovirus, (P) Parvovirus and (Pi) Parainfluenza.

The Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccine is a live avirulent bacteria, given up the nose. It’s generally combined with intranasal parainfluenza. The WSAVA advises that “the Bordetella vaccine may promote transient (3–10 days) coughing and sneezing, and nasal discharge may occur in a small percentage of vaccinates.”

The implication of this, is (and the evidence suggests), that kennel cough vaccines cause kennel cough outbreaks.

Alison Hunt of the Tor View Kennels wrote to me, “We have just had a kennel cough case, meaning our workload goes into overdrive to isolate/disinfect even more. I’ve now found out that her owners were persuaded to have ‘up the nose’ drops on the 4th. The bitch came to us on the 16th, and started it all on the 26th.

“You can imagine the explanations and advice we’ve had to give to every other owner. It’s very time consuming. Hopefully we have controlled things, cordoning off areas, the staff spraying themselves, and so on. We’re taking a mass of precautions. Thankfully we’ve only had two cases, which we’ve been treating. We’ve also given the kennel cough nosode to every incomer.”

Although kennel cough is not a serious disease for the majority of dogs, it’s a serious disease for kennel owners. Their reputation and livelihood can be irrevocably damaged by vaccine-induced kennel cough outbreaks.

In its Guidelines document, the WSAVA states:

Certain vaccines have a higher likelihood of producing adverse reactions, especially reactions caused by Type I hypersensitivity. For example, bacterins (killed bacterial vaccines), such as Leptospira, Bordetella (kennel cough), Borrelia (Lyme disease) and Chlamydophila are more likely to cause these adverse reactions than MLV viral vaccines.”

Type I hypersensitivity reactions involve an immune mediated reaction that releases potent inflammatory mediators and other chemicals that trigger an anaphylactic reaction in the affected animal. The reactions are usually acute, with the clinical signs appearing within minutes or hours of vaccination. Typical signs reported are facial oedema, shock, lethargy, respiratory distress and diarrhoea. Severe anaphylactic reactions may result in death. Urticaria (hives), facial edema and anaphylactic shock are specific clinical manifestations of Type I hypersensitivities.

Ann wrote to me to tell me what happened to her dog Yogi, when he received a kennel cough vaccine. On the night of the vaccine, he was lethargic and quiet, hiding out in his kennel. The next day he was struggling to breathe and panicking, and an x-ray revealed an inflamed and collapsed windpipe. A battery of tests costing £2,500 revealed no known cause, although the vaccine manufacturer offered £1,000 towards the bill. Ann told them where to stick their offer, feeling that they should be held responsible for the entire bill.

Once again, there is compelling evidence to suggest that kennel cough vaccines should not even be on the non-core list. Kennel cough is a transient disease and the vaccine causes outbreaks and risks more serious adverse reactions.

The only positive benefit for its existence is that it keeps booster income flowing for vets.

Intelligent Revaccination

What Is Titer Testing?

As we’ve learned, when dogs are exposed to viruses, the immune system responds by sending out circulating antibodies and then producing long-lasting memory cells. Fortunately, there is a simple blood test your vet can perform to determine whether your dog’s vaccine has protected him or whether he needs another.

A titer test (pronounced TIGHT-er) is a laboratory test measuring the existence and level of antibodies to vaccine viruses and other infectious agents. As we’ve learned, antibodies are produced when an antigen (like a virus or bacteria) provokes a response from the immune system. This response can come either from natural exposure or from vaccination. Titers are also called serum vaccine antibody titers and serologic vaccine titers.

How Is The Test Performed?

Your vet will draw blood to perform a titer test. The blood sample is then diluted. Titer levels, expressed as ratios, indicate how many times blood can be diluted before no antibodies are detected. If blood can be diluted 1000 times and still show antibodies, the ratio would be 1:1000. This is a “strong” titer. A titer of 1:2 would be weak.

FYI
Titer tests are readily available for the core (Distemper, Adenovirus and Parvovirus) vaccines. They can be sent by your vet to diagnostic labs (Hemopet offers cost effective testing), or done right in the veterinary office with an in-house test like Vaccicheck.

If any amount of titer is present, it indicates that your dog or puppy has adequate immunity. A positive titer means you don’t need to introduce unnecessary vaccines and the harmful adjuvants, preservatives and foreign animal proteins to your dog. You can skip the next vaccine and know that your dog or puppy is protected, and likely for life.

If you fear that your dog’s protection might not last as long as Dr Schultz’s research indicates, you can choose to have your vet run another titer test every three years or so instead of vaccinating. Most pet owners who do this find that their dogs carry sufficient titers throughout their life and never have to be revaccinated.

In the next section, we’ll take a look at some limitations titers present.

The Limitations of Titer Testing

Titering puppies two to three weeks after vaccination is a sound strategy. During this period, circulating antibodies should be elevated in response to the vaccine. If they aren’t then it’s highly likely the puppy has not responded to the vaccine and should be revaccinated, preferably only for the one virus that shows a low titer. There is no point in vaccinating with a multivalent (containing more than one virus) vaccine if he is only low on Parvovirus.

Titering adult dogs is less straightforward. Although positive titers are strongly predictive of protection, negative titers present a challenge. Because titers measure only circulating antibodies and not the backbone of immunity, the memory cells, negative titers don’t necessarily mean your dog is unprotected. This is a shortfall of titer testing. However, knowing that 92 to 98% of dogs vaccinated after 16 weeks of age are protected for life, dog owners can feel comfortable knowing their dog is protected if they have previously shown a protective titer, even if their titer is now negative.

Veterinary Acceptance of Titer Testing

Just as vets are slow to adapt to Dr Schultz’s duration of immunity research, they are equally slow to adopt titer testing in lieu of revaccination. Some believe this testing is too costly while others incorrectly believe titer tests aren’t a valid method of evaluating immunity.

Dr Jean Dodds states, “With all due respect to these professionals, this represents a misunderstanding of what has been called the “fallacy of titer testing,” because research has shown that once an animal’s titer stabilizes, it is likely to remain constant for many years. Properly immunized animals have sterilizing immunity (immunity that prevents further infection even when an animal is exposed) that not only prevents clinical disease but also prevents infection, and only the presence of antibody can prevent infection.”

“Furthermore, protection as indicated by a positive titer result is not likely to suddenly drop off unless an animal develops a severe medical condition or has significant immune dysfunction. It’s important to understand that viral vaccines prompt an immune response that lasts much longer than the immune response elicited by contracting the actual virus. Lack of distinction between the two kinds of responses may be why some practitioners think titers can suddenly disappear.”

Dr Ronald Schultz offers the following on the value of vaccine titer testing, “You should avoid vaccinating animals that are already protected, and titer testing can determine if adequate, effective immunity is present. It is often said that the antibody level detected is 'only a snapshot in time.’ That’s simply not true; it is more a 'motion picture that plays for years.’ ”