Kennel cough usually comes in the form of an initial virus infection, followed by a Bordetella bacterial infection. Thus kennel cough is not just a viral disease. It's the classic case of virus attacks a healthy host, weakens the host, and a secondary bacterial infection follows. Since the Bordetella are indigenous to the dog's nasal passages, some Vets will not give antibiotics for kennel cough under the assumption the dog will not be weakened by the viral infection, and will be able to keep the Bordetella under control. In my dogs at least I found that having the Vet prescribe Clavamox results in the dog obviously feeling better at 24 hrs post treatment, and being fully recovered (symptoms) in 36 hs. What this is suggesting is that by the time the symptoms appears, most of the virus part of the kennel cough disease complex has already run its course. At that point the dog is battling a bacterial infection.

The easiest way to get your dogs over the kennel cough is a week of Clavamox. They may recover just fine without. Or it may take another week. Or one of them may develop pneumonia as a complication.

Per vaccines the most common kennel cough vaccine is directed against the Bordetella bacteria. It is effective for only 6-12 months. There is a vaccine out called DHLPP that is directed against the primary viral agents, but which is not commonly given, unless the dog has a high risk associated with viral infections.