12/20/2024
IMPORTANT PSA
Please be cautious, as there is evidence that the nasal Bordetella vaccine for dogs is contagious to rats!
I have been researching this for months and consulting vets and other breeders before making this post. This is what I believe and have seen evidence for, but draw the conclusions you are comfortable with and make the choices you wish.
There have been multiple instances where the intranasal Bordetella vaccine has been linked to Bordetella outbreaks in pet rats - situations where breeders and pet owners got their dog vaccinated and their rats came down with Bordetella shortly after. I feel this information should be shared so people can be aware that it may be a risk, and make decisions for themselves on how to handle it. The nasal Bordetella vaccine for dogs contains modified live bacteria and recently vaccinated dogs may be able to infect rats. Bordetella is very deadly in pet rats and it is a very serious health risk.
This is not meant to cause fear. Continue to vaccinate your dogs if you wish, continue to own dogs and rats. This is a cautionary post so people can make an informed decision for themselves on whether to separate dogs and rats shortly after vaccinating. If you do not believe the vaccine is a risk at all, that is totally fine - no one should shame you for your decisions and you can draw your own conclusions.
I didn't want to make this post too long and intimidating, so I've split off some info into the comments. In the comments you'll find a list of common questions and answers, as well as updates on how this is affecting my rattery and the updated timeline of my quarantine.
