Vaccination Requirements
- Bordetella - required by Camp Bow Wow McHenry every 6 months. Check your vet records to verify the date administered as some vets only require this annually. See additional information about Bordetella below.
- Rabies
- Distemper
- Heartworm and Flea & Tick Preventatives (required April - November)
Proof of up to date vaccinations is required to conduct the initial interview with your dog, as well as ongoing proof as vaccinations are updated in the future. Please bring current vaccination information with you or have your vet fax the information to us at
(815)385-7295.
Bordetella Vaccination Information
What is the Bordetella vaccination for?
Bordetella is a vaccination given to aid prevention of Canine Cough, sometimes referred to as Kennel Cough.
What is Canine Cough?
Canine Cough is usually caused by several infectious agents working together to damage and irritate the lining of a dog’s trachea and upper bronchi. It is characterized by a harsh, hacking cough that most people describe as sounding like “something stuck in my dog’s throat”.
How is Canine Cough transmitted?
Canine Cough is an airborne organism that is transmitted much the same way that human “colds” are transmitted. Canine cough can occur where ever there are numbers of dogs confined together in an enclosed environment such as a kennel (thus the name “kennel cough”), indoor dog show, dog park or pet store. The same is true with “colds” spread from human to human… they are much more likely to occur in a populated, enclosed environment such as an airplane, elevator, or office.
Frequency of Vaccination
Camp Bow Wow McHenry requires that all dogs be vaccinated with the Bordetella vaccine every 6 months. Although this vaccination can sometimes cover your dog for up to one year depending on your dog’s immune system, frequent exposure to many other dogs in a confined environment such as Camp calls for the vaccination to be given every 6 months.
Types of Bordetella Vaccination
There are two different types of the Bordetella vaccination: Intra-nasal and Injectable. It takes 4 days to generate a solid immune response after the intra-nasal vaccination. The injectable vaccination requires 7 days to develop immunity. If it is the dog’s first time getting the Bordetella vaccination and the injectable vaccine is used, it must be boosted 3 – 4 weeks after the first injection. Camp Bow Wow McHenry recommends using the injectable vaccination as the best defense against Canine Cough.
Be aware…
that the Bordetella vaccination does not cover all strains of Canine Cough, similar to the way the flu shot for humans does not cover all strains of the flu. Being properly vaccinated against Canine Cough does not mean that your dog will not contract the cough, just as getting the flu shot does not mean that you will not contract the flu. It can only aid in providing immunity and allow all dogs to be on the same playing field. At Camp Bow Wow McHenry the safety of our dogs is our #1 priority. We take vaccinations VERY seriously and make no exceptions to these requirements.
Click here for a handy checklist of our Vaccination Requirements that you can print and take with you.