Advice regards to fostering a dog/kennel cough vaccine

[dogslove]

I have been considering fostering a dog for a couple of months now but have been unsure as to take the plunge. My friend works in dog rescue and there is a dog they have in kennels who is really suffering:( Losing weight,very withdrawn etc as he is so unhappy in a kennel. I want to go ahead and bring him here as a foster but have been told there is a high risk he may be carrying Kennel cough as a few of the other dogs have developed it. My own dog has not had the KC vaccine and our vets have advised it takes 3 weeks minimum to give immunity.
I guess my question is how important is this vaccine? Opinions seem to differ Some people seem to think its a waste of time anyway as there are so many different strains around. What do other fosterers do with regards to KC and their own dogs when they foster?
I don't want to put my dog own dog at risk, but hate the idea of leaving this little fella in kennels for another 3/4 weeks whilst my own dog has a vaccine that may not do much anyway?
Thanks

As with many other health issues, it's a case of risk management - you weigh up the relative risks. If your own dogs are fit and healthy then you may feel that they could stand being exposed to the virus if new pup is carrying it. If your own dogs are elderly, ill or have compromised immune systems then the factors are different.

In this case, what would swing it for me (if my own dogs were healthy) was that this little pup is clearly deteriorating fast where he is. The issue I'd be concerned about is that the longer he stays in, the weaker he becomes so the more likely he is to be exposed to the virus, and if he succumbs to it, to be very ill. Given his reaction (which is not uncommon) I'd be looking to bring him out asap.

I've fostered for several rescues and none routinely recommend KC vaccine for dogs in foster homes (again, subject to them being normally healthy). Our own dogs have all normal vaccinations but only have KC vax when it is needed by a particular kennel for (rare!) holidays.

No advice but that's so lovely of you

We fostered and our dogs were fit and healthy. It's a 10 day gestation period so if you make it past 14 days I'd say you were ok.

Treatment of kc is antibiotics usually. If you worried about the cost of treatment the rescue might come to an agreement with you? The cost of treating your dogs Vrs kennel fees may be lower.

Good for you thinking about giving a dog a chance. We saw it as giving the dog work experience and a reference for potential forever homes.

Good luck xx

Thankyou:) Have decided to go for it and foster the little fella and just hope for the best that the KC wont materialize. I wasn't worried about the cost of treatment Rosy ,more as to the risk of my own dog developing it and the dangers of it for him. God I'm terrified now!! Sure I will be back with many more questions:o I wasn't this nervous bringing my own dog home. I feel like an expectant mother waiting for him to arrive

If your own dog has been fully vaccinated, in most cases the KC vacc would be effective 72 hours after it is administered. This is because many vaccine schedules already cover for parainfluenza virus, so only the Bordetella (the bacterial component of the KC syndrome) immunity needs to be given time to kick in. And this takes 3 days. Ask your vet again to be sure.

yey! Good for you