Does anyone know if humans can catch a cold from a dog who has recently had the kennel cough vaccine?
For the second time in a row, both my husband and I have come down with a bug shortly after our dog has received his vaccination and I wonder whether or not this is coincidental. I understand the vaccine given in the dog's nostrils is live, and assume it may be possible that when our dog sneezes the virus could be passed on, but I would be really interested to know if indeed the kennel cough vaccine could be responsible for making us feel poorly.
Thank you in advance.
Mrs Knight, by phone
While some diseases are zoonotic (able to pass from dog to human, or vice-versa), I have never heard specifically of kennel cough being one; however, after a quick "Google" I have found that in rare cases it can be.
ReplyDeleteThe incubation period is 3 to 10 days, so if up to a fortnight after your dog has been vaccinated, your husband and yourself are becoming ill, then you may indeed be affected by bordatella bronchiseptica; if it's happening the same day, or the next day, it's more likely to be a coincidence (the power of the human mind means that we can actually "think" ourselves into becoming ill).
According to http://www.provet.co.uk/health/diseases/bordatella.htm "The clinical signs are of a cough with varying degrees of difficulty in breathing which depends upon the severity of the infection."
That, to me, doesn't sound much like a cold; as a cold can include having a stuffy nose, sinus problems, etc, etc. If you are still seriously concerned, I would speak to your vet, or perhaps even your doctor, who can advise you more on this situation.