Kennel Cough Epidemic?

ABajaninCork

Took my little boy into the vet's for his yearly jabs this morning. He hates my guts for now, but nothing that can't be sorted with a bit of ham!

The vet was telling me that Kennel Cough is now increasing with some speed. He had three cases last week alone, and another dog that came in with a lame leg caught it from one of the KC patients!

I did get him a KC inoculation anyway (through his nose which he HATES anyone touching!), but was wondering if anyone else has heard this.

I was also told that Parvo is on the increase as people try to cut back on vet bills. I suppose this makes sense, but again - anyone else heard this as well?

honerbright

Not dog related, but we were told by the vets last week that FeLV is becoming rife in Cork lately, people just aren't getting their cats vaccinated against disease*, so I imagine the same is applying for dogs
One of the girls there said she worked in Dublin for 10 years, only seen a handful FeLV cases, but recently the number is too many to count.


*although I think there is speculation as to how effective the FeLV vaccine actually is, but the point still applies.

looking_around

we cut vaccine costs by buying the vaccines from a pet chemist (soooo much cheaper). Why don't people do this first before stopping altogether? ):

There are always breakouts of KC. Some are bad and some are not so. Its like the flu.

mymo

My vet warned me a couple of months back that parvovirus was going around, he knows mine are vaccinated but asked me to warn others.
I'd called in for a worming dose for my crowd and he'd just had a dog die of it, he was disinfecting everything and didn't let me past the door, just passed out the wormer.
I said it to every dog owner I know, only two had their dogs up to date, one said they'd never had any vaccs for their 5 year old dog, most hadn't been done since puppies. Shocking really, mine don't always get done exactly yearly but never go more than a couple of months out as they go into kennels when we go away.

ABajaninCork

Yes, I'd imagine any dog going into doggy day care or kennels will need up to date shots anyway, as they won't be allowed in without them...

mymo

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Yes, I'd imagine any dog going into doggy day care or kennels will need up to date shots anyway, as they won't be allowed in without them...

Yes, they have to be fully vacc'd for kennels.
Not many people use kennels around here, we're in a small town and most people have family to mind dogs.
While a few friends have offered to take my two, I have never taken them up on it as Oliver is....eccentric?
Or as my daughter says nutty as squirrel poo!
I wouldn't inflict him on friends, he's the doggy equivalent of Sheldon cooper

boomerang

looking_around wrote: »

we cut vaccine costs by buying the vaccines from a pet chemist (soooo much cheaper). Why don't people do this first before stopping altogether? ):

Because it's illegal. There's a reason these vaccines are prescription-only.

There is a risk of vaccine failure, adverse (and potentially fatal) reactions or accidental infection of the animal if the vaccine is improperly stored, wrongly timed, administered incorrectly or if the animal is incubating an illness at time of delivery.

The thirty or forty euro it costs to have the animal vaccinated by a vet is money much better spent.

Cutie18Ireland

kennel cough is airborne so always outbreaks of it. My own have had it a few times, some might only get it a day some had it for weeks. I treat with honey and some childrens cough syrup does the trick.

tk123

looking_around wrote: »

we cut vaccine costs by buying the vaccines from a pet chemist (soooo much cheaper). Why don't people do this first before stopping altogether? ):

Well for us

1) Because the vet gives my dog a full exam/checkup when he's in for his shots

2) We have pet insurance - the vaccinations need to be done by a vet/documented

3) For daycare/kennels we need the vaccination card

looking_around

boomerang wrote: »

Because it's illegal. There's a reason these vaccines are prescription-only.

There is a risk of vaccine failure, adverse (and potentially fatal) reactions or accidental infection of the animal if the vaccine is improperly stored, wrongly timed, administered incorrectly or if the animal is incubating an illness at time of delivery.

The thirty or forty euro it costs to have the animal vaccinated by a vet is money much better spent.

It's illegal?

I buy it from a chemist (with a pet chemist section) in Limerick city.
There's also a pet chemist in Newcastle West.

Giving vaccines, really isn't that difficult or 'risky'. I've been doing so for the last 10 years. With no problems at all.

Most pet chemists are connected with a vet. So, you're not getting the incorrect mix or dosages. >.> You don't have to pick it out yourself like.

tk123 wrote: »

3) For daycare/kennels we need the vaccination card

I still have the card. And place the sticker off the vaccine bottles on to it and Date it. Hasn't been a problem the odd time I had to use a kennel. But I'll admit I really don't use kennels often.
And I don't bother with pet insurance. Prefer to put the money towards savings in case anything happens.

boomerang

Yes, it's illegal. They are prescription-only medicines.

I know the pharmacy you are talking about. I've been there in the past when they gave out a vaccine. They told the person to give the dilutent now (sterile water!) and the other bottle in three weeks time!

Did you know for instance that if you take the vaccine home from the chemist without keeping it cooled on an ice pack in a freezer bag, or you don't store it in your fridge at a certain temperature, you run the risk of the vaccine being completely ineffective, or causing a bad reaction in your dog?

Or that if you give a cat a core vaccination and you get any of the contents of the vial on her coat, you can give her full-blown cat flu?

It is nowhere near as simple as you think. I know rescues that vaccinate all the animals themselves. Knowing what I do now, after finishing vet nursing, I wouldn't dream of vaccinating an animal without veterinary supervision.

No kennel worth their salt should be accepting home-made vaccination cards or stickered cards that haven't been stamped by a vet.

OldNotWIse

looking_around wrote: »

we cut vaccine costs by buying the vaccines from a pet chemist (soooo much cheaper). Why don't people do this first before stopping altogether? ):

Are there still chemists who can do this?

boomerang

There are chemists that do it, but shouldn't. They could get into a lot of trouble. One chemist in Cork was fined €30,000 last year.

Miss Lockhart

My dog was treated for apparent KC a few months ago. Seemed like a classic case. He had been vaccinated 5 months previous but the vaccine doesn't cover all causal pathogens so I wasn't particularly surprised.

After a failure to improve and a turn for the worse however, it turned out he had Angiostrongylosis affecting his lungs. It is becoming much more common round these parts.

DBB

boomerang wrote: »

There are chemists that do it, but shouldn't. They could get into a lot of trouble. One chemist in Cork was fined €30,000 last year.

Really? Wow!
A few years ago, when the clampdown started on pharmacists dispensing vaccines, my nearest vet-supplies chemist told me that he was not going to be told by vets what he can and cannot sell (?!)
I'd imagine fines of that size would take the wind out of his sails somewhat!
I know a number of pups and young dogs who died after being vaxed straight after coming out of the pound and into rescue. They were already coming down with parvo, but were all visually asymptomatic when they were vaxed without being properly checked first.
Other dogs coming from the same pounds at the same time who weren't vaxed, didn't die.

looking_around

boomerang wrote: »

Yes, it's illegal. They are prescription-only medicines.

I know the pharmacy you are talking about. I've been there in the past when they gave out a vaccine. They told the person to give the dilutent now (sterile water!) and the other bottle in three weeks time!

Did you know for instance that if you take the vaccine home from the chemist without keeping it cooled on an ice pack in a freezer bag, or you don't store it in your fridge at a certain temperature, you run the risk of the vaccine being completely ineffective, or causing a bad reaction in your dog?

Or that if you give a cat a core vaccination and you get any of the contents of the vial on her coat, you can give her full-blown cat flu?

It is nowhere near as simple as you think. I know rescues that vaccinate all the animals themselves. Knowing what I do now, after finishing vet nursing, I wouldn't dream of vaccinating an animal without veterinary supervision.

No kennel worth their salt should be accepting home-made vaccination cards or stickered cards that haven't been stamped by a vet.

You can't get cat vaccines ..

And, well expense wise, I'll continue giving the vaccines from home. the vet bills are just too high.
And I have yet to have had a problem. And I haven't heard, personally, of any issues either.

Obviously, I'm giving to my own dogs, not rescues that may be ill.

boomerang

That particular chemist used to sell cat vaccines.

Pup in vets today hospitalised for observation after he got ill after owner bought a vaccine from the aforementioned shop and gave it to him themselves...

Looking_around, you have your head in the sand. You've not had a problem, that you're aware of. Perhaps your dogs' immunity hasn't been challenged but should they be exposed to one of the viruses covered in the vaccine, you may find they have not been protected by the vaccines that you've given them at all.

toadfly

I pay €48-55 per dog for vaccination booster and KC. This also includes a health check which IMO is vital at least once a year.

Last time Til got hers we discovered she has a luxating patella and when Lexi was in for hers she has a heart murmur. I know these things aren't something that would prevent the vet giving the vaccine but they are issues that would
have gone undetected until they caused a problem without the annual checkup. You aren't just paying for an injection.

mymo

I get both dogs done at once and the vet usually charges me about €55, that's for one consultation and two vaccinations. He gives them a good look over, even checks their teeth. I think it's very reasonable, he does the same with the cats, if I bring them all in together it costs for one consultation and three vaccs.

ABajaninCork

Miss Lockhart wrote: »

My dog was treated for apparent KC a few months ago. Seemed like a classic case. He had been vaccinated 5 months previous but the vaccine doesn't cover all causal pathogens so I wasn't particularly surprised.

After a failure to improve and a turn for the worse however, it turned out he had Angiostrongylosis affecting his lungs. It is becoming much more common round these parts.

Poor dog! Angiostrongylosis is (French) Lungworm. Was your dog wormed regularly?

nala2012

At the end of last summer there was a lot of dogs with kennel cough including dogs in the dog creche (who were all vaccinated). Nala was due her booster so i called the vets to ask them about it and they said the vaccine only covers the worst strain of it! They told me as well for a young healthy dog it wont really affect them. I think its a joke that they're charging so much for a "vaccination" when there's a good chance that the dogs are still able to catch it.

Miss Lockhart

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Poor dog! Angiostrongylosis is (French) Lungworm. Was your dog wormed regularly?

Yes. I know it's lungworm and was even quite aware of it before he was affected and took precautions to prevent it. He is wormed every 3 months and treated with Advocate monthly.

He's fine now and once correctly diagnosed he improved quickly.

Personally I wouldn't bother with the KC vaccine if it wasn't required for insurance.

petfriend13

boomerang wrote: »

There are chemists that do it, but shouldn't. They could get into a lot of trouble. One chemist in Cork was fined €30,000 last year.

Sorry to drag up an old thread - I was searching for information about chemists illegally selling vaccines and this came up.

I'm wondering who actually inspects to see if chemists are selling veterinary drugs illegally?

anniehoo

As far as I'm aware for human pharmacies it's the PSI Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, directed by guidelines from the IMB Irish Medicines Board. For veterinary pharmacies, rules are governed by the Dept of Ag.

wrote:

Each Pharmacy must comply with regulations and standads specified by legislation through adherence to codes of conduct issued by the PSI.Those who fail to abide by the ethical statutory rules in forces or who fail to meet or maintain fitness to practice standards are liable to disciplinary procedures, including removal from the Register with consequential effects for their livelihood

Reference page 7

petfriend13

anniehoo wrote: »

As far as I'm aware for human pharmacies it's the PSI Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, directed by guidelines from the IMB Irish Medicines Board. For veterinary pharmacies, rules are governed by the Dept of Ag.



Reference page 7

Thanks for that - is there someone that actively goes around checking pharmacies? In the town I'm from pretty much all of them sell vaccines over the counter for pets without a prescription.

anniehoo

petfriend13 wrote: »

- is there someone that actively goes around checking pharmacies?.

PSI Authorised Officers I have no idea how regular they are in human pharmacies though.

OldNotWIse

boomerang wrote: »

Yes, it's illegal. They are prescription-only medicines.

I know the pharmacy you are talking about. I've been there in the past when they gave out a vaccine. They told the person to give the dilutent now (sterile water!) and the other bottle in three weeks time!

Did you know for instance that if you take the vaccine home from the chemist without keeping it cooled on an ice pack in a freezer bag, or you don't store it in your fridge at a certain temperature, you run the risk of the vaccine being completely ineffective, or causing a bad reaction in your dog?

Or that if you give a cat a core vaccination and you get any of the contents of the vial on her coat, you can give her full-blown cat flu?

It is nowhere near as simple as you think. I know rescues that vaccinate all the animals themselves. Knowing what I do now, after finishing vet nursing, I wouldn't dream of vaccinating an animal without veterinary supervision.

No kennel worth their salt should be accepting home-made vaccination cards or stickered cards that haven't been stamped by a vet.

I thought vaccines were attenuated strains? I'm not advocating self-vaccination but I imagine your cat would have to be seriously immuno-compromised to pick up "full blown flu" from a vaccine?