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What is the Bordetella vaccine?

Kennel cough vaccine

What is the Bordetella vaccine?

Bordetella is the vaccine nearly every daycare and kennel asks for, and the one owners know least about. Here are its three forms, why veterinary guidelines favor one of them, how often it is given, and what it leaves uncovered, so the conversation with your vet takes two minutes.

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Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team

Three forms

The same bacterium, three ways in: nose, mouth or needle

According to the AKC, vets give the Bordetella vaccine intranasally, as drops or a spray, orally, or by injection under the skin. AAHA's 2022 canine vaccination guidelines describe a modified-live combination given in the nose, a single-component vaccine given by mouth and an inactivated injectable, and conclude that all of them work at some level, whatever the route. Where they differ is in how quickly protection starts and how much of the respiratory complex each one covers.

The nasal route has a practical edge for puppies. AAHA notes that the intranasal combination can be given to puppies as young as 3 weeks, because immunity in the lining of the nose is not blocked by the antibodies a puppy gets from its mother, and the Merck Veterinary Manual likewise describes one intranasal dose for puppies over 3 weeks old. For an older puppy or an adult, the choice belongs to your vet, made around the dog's health, its temperament and how soon it needs protection.

Form	How it is given	When protection starts (AKC)	What AAHA notes
Intranasal	Drops or a spray into the nose, usually combined with parainfluenza and sometimes adenovirus type 2	Typically within three to five days	Generally preferred for respiratory disease; can be given from 3 weeks of age
Oral	A liquid given by mouth	Typically within three to five days	Covers Bordetella alone, so not recommended as the routine choice
Injectable	Under the skin, two doses for a first course	From at least five days after the second dose	Slower onset; an option for dogs that cannot take the nasal vaccine

Why the route matters

AAHA favors the nasal combination because kennel cough is rarely one germ

AAHA's reasoning is about company. A dog at risk from Bordetella is also at risk from canine parainfluenza virus and canine adenovirus type 2, and the guidelines say such dogs should be vaccinated against all three. Only the intranasal combination and the injectable core vaccines contain those viruses, so AAHA does not recommend the single-component oral or injectable Bordetella vaccines as routine, except for dogs that cannot be vaccinated through the nose, or when the injectable is given alongside the injected core boosters.

There is also the question of where immunity is made. AAHA explains that the nasal route is generally preferable for respiratory infections, because immune responses in the body's linings are partly compartmentalized, so a vaccine delivered to the nose stimulates the respiratory tract better than one that is swallowed. Side effects are usually small. The AKC says a little coughing or sneezing can follow, especially after nose drops, and an injection occasionally leaves a small lump or mild soreness.

Which form will my dog get, and why that one?
Does it also cover parainfluenza and adenovirus type 2?
How many days until it protects?
Once a year or every six months, given my dog's routine?

How often

Usually once a year, and every six months for some dogs at high risk

The AKC says Bordetella boosters are typically given annually, and that some vets recommend a six-month booster for dogs at high risk; Merck's entry on kennel cough also says to revaccinate annually. AAHA explains why some vets go shorter: one study of the natural course of the infection found that clinical immunity may last as little as six months, so for high-risk dogs it may help to give the nasal combination more often than once a year, for example before a kennel stay.

The other timing rule is lead time. The AKC warns that a dose given on the morning a dog goes to a boarding kennel or a busy dog show will not help much, because protection takes days to build. For a first injectable course, both doses come first, and protection follows from at least five days after the second. If your dog sneezes for a day or two after a nasal dose, mention it to the front desk before drop-off so the team knows what it is seeing.

01
Find the date of the last Bordetella dose on your vet record
02
Count forward a year, or six months if your vet uses that interval
03
If the due date falls before or during a booked stay, book the vet now
04
Allow three to five days for a nasal or oral dose to take effect, or longer if your vet says so
05
For a first injectable course, schedule both doses well ahead of the stay
06
Send the updated record to the front desk through the Dogtown app

Its limits

It lowers the odds from one germ; it does not stop every cough

The AKC is direct about it: the Bordetella vaccine does not completely prevent respiratory infections and does not give sterile immunity, so a vaccinated dog can still be infected. What it does is reduce disease from the organism it targets. Kennel cough has several other causes, and our answer on why vaccinated dogs still get kennel cough walks through them; canine influenza has a vaccine of its own, which AAHA does not recommend routinely for every dog.

It also covers nothing outside the airway. Leptospirosis and Lyme disease have separate vaccines that you choose with your vet, and none of the respiratory vaccines changes the rule for a dog that is already coughing: it stays home, sees its vet and comes back when the vet agrees. A current Bordetella record is a condition of joining the group, never a pass for a dog that is unwell on the morning of drop-off.

Not every cause of kennel cough
Not canine influenza, which has its own vaccine
Not leptospirosis or Lyme disease
Not a reason to bring a coughing dog to a group

At Dogtown

At Dogtown, Bordetella is checked with Rabies, DHPP and the license at the evaluation

Massachusetts law requires rabies vaccination and, at the time of writing, nothing more, so Bordetella is a requirement Dogtown sets for itself, because a playgroup of 7 to 10 dogs shares air, water stations and toys all day. We check it together with Rabies, DHPP and a current city dog license at the free evaluation, on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, and it applies to daycare, Dogtown Academy, overnight stays and at-home walks.

The published requirement names the vaccine, not the route: a current Bordetella dose on your vet's record, with its date, in whichever form your vet chose. When it comes due, send the new certificate to the front desk before the old one lapses, so a booking is never held up by paperwork. Daycare is $42 for a full day and $33 for a half, an overnight suite is $78 a night, and first-time daycare customers take 15 percent off with FIRST15.

At Dogtown

Where the Bordetella record gets checked

Every service that puts your dog in a group or a suite asks for it, together with Rabies, DHPP and a city license.

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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

Is the nasal Bordetella vaccine better than the shot?

For most dogs, AAHA's guidelines prefer the intranasal combination, because it also covers parainfluenza, often adenovirus type 2 as well, and works in the lining of the nose where respiratory infection starts. The AKC adds that it typically protects within three to five days. The injectable remains an option for dogs that cannot take the nasal form, and your vet makes the call.

Why is my dog sneezing after the Bordetella vaccine?

A little sneezing or coughing is the most common side effect, according to the AKC, especially after the nasal drops. Tell the front desk before your dog's next group day so the team knows what it is seeing. If the cough is frequent, gets worse, or comes with lethargy, poor appetite or fast breathing, call your vet rather than assuming it is the vaccine.

How long before daycare should my dog get the Bordetella vaccine?

Long enough for it to work. The AKC says nasal and oral doses typically protect within three to five days and the injectable only from at least five days after the second dose, and it warns that a dose on the morning of a kennel stay does little. Ask your vet when your dog can join a group, and send us the record once it is given.

Does Dogtown accept the oral or injected Bordetella vaccine?

Our published requirement is a current Bordetella vaccine on your vet's record, with the date it was given; it does not name a route, and your vet chooses the form that suits your dog. Bring the record to the free evaluation with the Rabies and DHPP certificates and your city license, and send renewals to the front desk before they lapse.

Can a puppy have the Bordetella vaccine?

Yes. AAHA notes that the intranasal combination can be given to puppies as young as 3 weeks, because the mother's antibodies do not block immunity in the nose, and the AKC says the first dose typically comes once puppies are over six weeks old. Your vet fits it around the core series, and Dogtown needs it on file before a first daycare day.