MSD Animal Health has launched its new risk assessment campaign for Cantagious Canine Cough (CCC), aiming to direct the millions of experienced and new “lockdown” dog owners in the UK to ask their local vet for protection. With an estimated 3.2 million UK households welcoming a new pet into their family home during lockdown, many experienced and and new dog owners are unaware of the risks of CCC to their dog when it socialises. MSD Animal Health is therefore providing a risk assessment facility to new owners, via its Keeping Britain’s Pets Healthy (KBPH) website, so they can assess the risk for their pet, and be directed to their vet for protection.
The risk assessment campaign will be supported with the “Does your dog …” posters for vets, a dedicated landing page on the KBPH website, with information and advice for dog owners, and a social media campaign encouraging dog owners to spread the information to other dogs owners, not the disease.
Carley Chutter, Nobivac product manager at MSD Animal Health comments: “With so many new dog owners now socialising more, taking their dogs on holiday and even considering taking their dogs into the office, protecting their dogs as they socialise is vital. Currently only an estimated 1 in 3 vaccinated dogs in the UK are also covered against Bordetella so the ‘Ask us to protection you dog’ resources offers the chance for practices to start the conversation about protection with clients.
“A common barrier to vaccinating against CCC is the belief that it is only necessary for dogs going into kennels, rather than all social dogs. Most dogs meet others, however, while out walking, during training, or while attending the vets, CCC is infectious even at low levels. Indeed, dogs can be asymptomatic but infectious. So, improving protection levels against this disease which is distressing for both the owner and dog, is important in both reducing the risk of outbreaks and the need for antibiotic treatment.”
MSD Animal Health’s Nobivac Respira Bb injectable vaccine against Bordetella bronchiseptica, gives veterinary practices greater convenience and choice in protecting dogs that socialise. It offers a full 12-month protection when used as a single-dose booster in dogs previously vaccinated with Nobivac KC. Dogs not previously vaccinated against Bordetella bronchiseptica require two doses administered four weeks apart. Duration of immunity is seven months after the primary course and 12 months after a booster with Nobivac Respira Bb. It may also be given 12 months after a primary course in cases where the seven month’s dose is missed.
To support the use of Nobivac Respira Bb a range of tools are available to practices and further information can be found on the Nobivac website, or contact your MSD Animal Health account manager.