The owner of the biggest dog boarding kennels in the Mearns has rubbished a vaccine used to prevent the canine version of flu after an outbreak that has seen treated animals suffer serious symptoms.
The Moorie kennels at St Cyrus has had 25 cases of kennel cough in an outbreak of the disease, 19 of which had been vaccinated before arrival.
Worse still, Andy Ritchie claims, the vaccinated dogs are the ones to suffer worst from the disease, taking over a week to recover and one almost dying.
He said, “The first sign at all we had of kennel cough was after a dog came in that had been vaccinated.
“We’ve kept a diary to monitor what has been going on and have found the vaccinated dogs have been hit hardest. They’ve been taking four to eight days to recover, and some have really been quite poorly.
“By rights these are the dogs that should be safe but they are coming down the hardest.
“Most of the dogs that haven’t been vaccinated have either been totally unaffected or have only had slight symptoms and have taken just a day or so to get better.”
He raised the issue at a local veterinary practice meeting where an adviser to the vaccine manufacturer was present, and says he was promised an investigation.
“He wasn’t happy when I related my experience,” said Mr Ritchie. “But he did say they would investigate, and through my vet a swab kit would be dispatched to get the dogs tested. He said the samples would be taken on Monday but this is now Friday and nothing has arrived.
“I’ve been involved with dogs all my life and as far as I am concerned this vaccine isn’t necessary and it certainly isn’t effective.”
His view is let nature take its course, at least if a dog is young and healthy.
“Once it recovers it will be immune and never again be affected. I have never known a dog catch kennel cough twice.
“I have four dogs which have never had it but their mother did and it seems she passed on the immunity.”
He argues garlic is nature’s cure and, by contrast with the £50 vaccine, is very effective.
He said, “Kennel cough closes down the dog’s airways and it overheats. Garlic given in large doses does an excellent job of clearing the airways.”
He added, “We always see an epidemic in the summer. That’s because owners are going on holiday and will have their pets vaccinated before coming into kennels. But in my view it’s just a money spinner for the manufacturing company.”
Local vet Bill Robson countered that the vaccine might not be effective in 10% of cases but overall it prevented a lot of disease or modified the disease to a less serious level where it was contracted.
He said the disease had changed in the past two years to becoming more widespread all year round and less associated with dogs coming out of kennels.
“Around 70% of the cases we are now seeing are dogs that have never been in a boarding kennel. The disease is caused either by a bacteria or virus. These account for 90% of cases.
“But the other 10% of cases are not associated with either and can’t be prevented. Also the vaccine is not effective where a dog is already infected and is a carrier. A dog can carry the disease for up to three months and show no symptoms.”
He said studies also showed immunity after contracting the disease only lasted around six weeks, and not a lifetime.
John Helps, veterinary manager for manufacturer Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, said, “One of the problems of kennel cough is that it is a syndrome rather than a single disease. In the same way as the common cold in people can be caused by a range of different viruses, respiratory disease in dogs can be caused by several different micro-organisms.
“But the vaccine, Nobivac KC, provides the broadest and most durable protection currently available in the UK.
“In order to licence any veterinary medicinal product, including vaccines, extensive safety and efficacy trials are required.
“Experts recommend vaccinating all dogs at risk and some veterinary surgeons routinely vaccinate all dogs as their standard recommendation because of the highly contagious and ubiquitous nature of the syndrome.”