[abray]

When I was in my 20's I had a dog that was a cross between a Shepherd, Sheltie, and a Husky. I had never heard of Kennel Cough or Bordetella. She got a nasty cough a few months after I got her, around four or five months of age. I took her to the vet when it didn't subside after a few days...kennel cough...Has she had a Bordetella vaccine? They quarantined and treated her, then she got the vaccine yearly for the rest of her life, but still got kennel cough at least once or twice a year...never gave it to my other dogs either. The vet said she caught chronic kennel cough. She lived about 16 years, never ill in any other way until she passed...she had a tumor by then and at her age I let it go until she became uncomfortable and put her down. I since learned while working at vet clinics that Bordetella is only effective for six months. When boarding, they required a Bordetella nasal vaccine if one had not been given within the last six months. (I should note that I saw more than one case of kennel cough anyway). Also, she's the only dog I ever vaccinated against kennel cough. Even the other three she shared her space with never had a vaccine and never had kennel cough.