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The Bordetella vaccine protects dogs against Bordetella bronchiseptica, the bacterium behind many of the worst kennel cough cases. It comes three ways: drops in the nose, liquid in the cheek pouch, or an injection under the skin. All three reduce how sick a dog gets if they catch it. They differ in how fast they work and how many doses it takes to get started.
If your dog needs protection within a few days, I would recommend the intranasal vaccine, because it works fastest.1 For routine vaccination, our puppies get the oral vaccine and adult dogs get a yearly injection.
Key Takeaways
Bordetella bronchiseptica is a bacterium, and one of several bacteria and viruses that cause kennel cough, or canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC). The classic sign is a harsh cough that sounds like a goose honk, often followed by retching or gagging.5
Most cases are mild and clear up on their own.5 Puppies are more prone to severe disease, and in them it can progress to pneumonia. In older dogs and dogs already in poor health, it can turn into chronic bronchitis.5
It spreads easily wherever dogs share air, bowls and toys. If your dog is already coughing, our guide to how long kennel cough is contagious covers how long to keep them home.
If your dog spends time around other dogs, yes. Bordetella is a non-core vaccine, recommended based on a dog's lifestyle and risk of exposure rather than for every dog.2 Boarding, daycare, grooming, training classes and dog parks all count as exposure.
Most boarding kennels and daycares require it, and so do we. Every dog staying in our boarding kennel has to be current. A dog who rarely meets other dogs may not need it at all.
The core vaccines are a separate shot. The DA2PP vaccine every dog gets covers distemper, adenovirus-2, parainfluenza and parvovirus. Adenovirus-2 and parainfluenza are two more causes of kennel cough.2
The Bordetella vaccine reduces how sick your dog gets. It doesn't make them immune. With the exception of distemper, vaccines against kennel cough organisms don't stop a dog from picking them up and shedding them, and vaccinated dogs can still get sick.4 We explain more in why vaccinated dogs still get kennel cough.
The intranasal works fastest, and Nobivac Intra-Trac 3 also covers parainfluenza and adenovirus-2. The oral takes about a week, and the injection is slowest to start the first time because it needs two doses.
| Type | Given | Protects against | Doses to start | Protection begins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intranasal (Intra-Trac 3) | Nose drops | Bordetella, parainfluenza, adenovirus-26 | One2 | 72 hours1 |
| Oral (Vanguard B Oral) | Cheek pouch | Bordetella3 | One2 | 7 days3 |
| Injectable (Bronchicine CAe) | Under the skin | Bordetella7 | Two, 2 to 4 weeks apart2 | After the second dose, or about 5 days as a booster8 |
A small dose goes into one nostril. Nobivac Intra-Trac 3 can be given to puppies from 3 weeks of age, because the antibodies a puppy gets from its mother don't interfere with the immune response in the nose.2,6 Some dogs sneeze or have a runny nose for a few days afterward.
Giving it is the hard part. Plenty of adult dogs won't hold still for something going up their nose. Even so, when a dog needs protection within a few days, this is the one I'd use.
The dose is squirted into the pouch between the cheek and gums.2 Vanguard B Oral is the one our puppies get. In a study of 8-week-old puppies exposed to Bordetella 7 days after one dose, 4 of 20 vaccinated puppies coughed on two days in a row, compared with 17 of 20 unvaccinated puppies.3
That study measured protection at 7 days, so I don't count on it working sooner, and it isn't what I'd use when a boarding stay is only a few days away.
The injection goes under the skin, like the core vaccines. Bronchicine CAe contains proteins extracted from Bordetella with the bacterial cells removed, so there's nothing live in it and it won't set off sneezing the way the nasal vaccine can.5,7
A dog getting it for the first time needs two doses 2 to 4 weeks apart, then one a year.2 In dogs that have been vaccinated before, an injectable booster starts raising antibody levels in the blood within about 5 days.8
At Kingsdale, puppies get the oral vaccine during their puppy visits and adults get a yearly injection. Any dog who needs protection within a few days gets the intranasal.
Given that adult dogs come in once a year for their other injections, I would give the Bordetella the same way at the same visit. Most adults tolerate a quick injection better than drops up the nose, and an injection gets the full dose in every time.
For an adult who has been vaccinated before, the yearly shot works as a booster. In a study of 144 household dogs that had an intranasal Bordetella vaccine the year before, an injectable booster raised antibody levels in the blood and the nose about as much as a repeat intranasal dose did.7
AAHA's vaccination guidelines lean the other way on two points. They advise against injectable Bordetella vaccines in shelters, because protection starts later and they do less for immunity in the upper airway, and they suggest boarding kennels consider the same approach.2 They also don't recommend Bordetella-only oral or injectable products, except for dogs that can't be vaccinated through the nose, because dogs at risk of Bordetella should be protected against parainfluenza and adenovirus-2 as well.2
Our patients already get parainfluenza and adenovirus-2 in their DA2PP vaccine. The slow start is a problem for a dog with no previous Bordetella vaccine, and AAHA notes that as a booster in previously vaccinated adult dogs, the injectable produces the same antibody response as the intranasal.2 So for a dog who has never had a Bordetella vaccine, or whose vaccine has lapsed, and who is heading into boarding or daycare soon, I'd use the intranasal instead.
At least 72 hours. In a challenge study of the intranasal vaccine, dogs vaccinated 72 hours before exposure had almost no signs of illness, while dogs vaccinated 48 hours before were no better off than unvaccinated dogs.1 That's why we ask for three days rather than two.
That timing applies to the intranasal. The oral vaccine has been shown to protect at 7 days,3 and a dog starting the injection needs two doses 2 to 4 weeks apart.2 So if your dog has never had the vaccine or it has lapsed, and the stay is less than a week away, we'll use the intranasal. With a week or more to spare, the oral is also an option.
There's nothing extra to do before a stay if your dog is current on yearly boosters. If you're not sure, call us at (519) 896-0532 well before drop-off and we'll check.
Once a year, for as long as your dog is around other dogs. AAHA recommends a yearly booster after the first dose or series,2 and both Intra-Trac 3 and Vanguard B Oral have shown protection lasting at least a year.6,9 It's one of the lifestyle vaccines on our vaccination schedule.
If your dog's routine changes, for example starting daycare or boarding for the first time, that's the time to start, even if they've never needed it before.
Most dogs have none, or mild ones that pass in a day or two. In a field study of Vanguard B Oral in 321 client-owned dogs, one vomited briefly within 15 minutes of the dose.9
After the intranasal or oral vaccine, a few dogs sneeze, have a runny nose or cough softly for a few days. After the injection, the spot can be sore, a small lump may form under the skin, and some dogs are quiet for the rest of the day.
Bring your dog in now if their face swells, or they get hives, vomit repeatedly, collapse or struggle to breathe after any vaccine. These are signs of an allergic reaction. They're rare, but they can't wait. Call us at (519) 896-0532, or use our emergency page after hours.
For what's normal after a vaccine and what isn't, see our guide to vaccine reactions in dogs.
Mostly. When people say kennel cough vaccine, they usually mean the Bordetella vaccine. The intranasal version, Nobivac Intra-Trac 3, also covers parainfluenza and adenovirus-2. Kennel cough has other causes too, including canine influenza, Mycoplasma and several viruses, and the Bordetella vaccine doesn't protect against those.
Yes. Apart from distemper, vaccines against kennel cough organisms don't stop a dog from picking them up and shedding them, and vaccinated dogs can still get sick. The vaccine reduces how sick your dog gets. It also only covers some of the organisms involved, so a vaccinated dog can still catch one of the others.
Not necessarily. Bordetella is a lifestyle vaccine rather than a core one. If your dog goes to daycare, the groomer, training classes or dog parks, they have the same kind of exposure a boarded dog does and should have it. A dog who rarely meets other dogs may not need it.
At least a year. Both Nobivac Intra-Trac 3 and Vanguard B Oral have shown protection lasting a year, and AAHA recommends a yearly booster for dogs at risk. At Kingsdale, adults get their yearly booster as an injection at the same visit as their other vaccines.
Yes. The intranasal vaccine can be given from 3 weeks of age, because the antibodies a puppy gets from its mother don't interfere with it. At Kingsdale, puppies get the oral vaccine during their puppy visits. In a study of 8-week-old puppies, one oral dose sharply cut coughing when they were exposed to Bordetella a week later.
No. The vaccines are meant for healthy dogs, and a dose given during an infection won't treat it. Let your dog recover first, then vaccinate before their next stay or daycare visit.
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