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Important Rule To Remember:
Puppies and Dogs need to have regular check-ups by a Veterinarian!
As with children, vaccinating your puppy/dog on a regular basis in my opinion is a must. There are some
people that will argue with me saying too many vaccinations can hinder a dogs health.
I have been owned by dogs all my life and I have never had any problems
giving my dogs vaccines when necessary. I would rather have my puppy or
dog be safe than sorry later.
If you still have doubts after you read through this page, I encourage you to continue researching and talking
Veterinarians and with other dog people and
then make your final decision on whether or not to vaccinate.
Vaccines: Why so many?
Good question! The reason is that no one can be sure that the pup will actually mount a good antibody response to the disease just from one vaccination.
The age of the pup and just how much immunity it has received from its mother will complicate the "probability of protection".
So... if the pup has lots of immunity (called
PASSIVE IMMUNITY) that was borrowed from the mother during early nursing,
this immunity will actually interfere with the pup's ability to make its own immunity from the vaccine challenge.
The idea is to get the vaccine into the pup just as soon as the mother's passive immunity wears off (NOW the pup is very susceptible to sickness if it
is exposed to the disease!) so that the pup can make more lasting immunity of its own. The precise time when a pup can respond well to a vaccine is variable...
it might occur at 6 weeks of age or might be 12 weeks. So to be as safe as possible, why not start vaccinating at 6 weeks and end at 16 weeks?
Almost 99 per cent of puppies will develop a good immune level to the various diseases from a vaccine schedule similar to the one below.
On very rare occasions any animal or human may have a reaction to a vaccination. These are just like the reactions that can occur after an insect sting or
medication hypersensitivity. This kind of reaction can be very serious and life threatening and thankfully is very uncommon. If your pup simply seems a little
tired or slightly uncomfortable where it was vaccinated, that is an entirely different and mild response to the vaccination. If you are not sure that your pup is
OK, call your veterinarian for advice.
"CAUTION" If your puppy has any trouble breathing after a vaccination, or seems weak, staggers, has pale gums or seems at all unresponsive...
get back to your veterinarian immediately!
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Common Vaccination Schedule (Discuss vaccines in detail with your Veterinarian)
- 6 weeks of age: Give first combination vaccine. (Normally: Distemper, Hepatitis, Para influenza, Parvovirus,
Corona virus)
- 9 weeks of age: Give second combination vaccine. (Normally: Distemper,
Hepatitis, Para influenza, Parvovirus, Corona virus)
- 12 weeks of age: Give third combination vaccine. (Normally, Distemper, Hepatitis, Para influenza, Parvovirus,
Corona virus)
- 16 weeks or older not to exceed the age of 6 months: Rabies vaccine is given (Local and State laws apply regarding Rabies vaccine since this can be a human disease, too.) Your veterinarian will tell you the proper time intervals for
booster vaccines for Rabies.)
- Leptospirosis and Lyme: (give if needed in your area but do not give it
with any other type of vaccine.) Check with your veterinarian for the
proper age to vaccinate.
Vaccines should not be given 7-10+ days from any other vaccine.
For example: If your vet gives your puppy/dog a booster
(vaccine that may contain Distemper, Para Influenza, Parvovirus), it should
NEVER be given with Rabies. If Lyme vaccine is given, it should never be given with
a booster vaccine. etc.
The reason for this is that if your puppy/dog has a severe reaction to a vaccine, your vet will know which one he had the reaction to and will know how
to treat your puppy/dog.
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Description of diseases that can affect dogs (Discuss vaccines in detail with your Veterinarian)
"D" stands for Distemper:
- Cause: Distemper is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that often results in the death of the dog. It
affects the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system. If the dog survives the initial infection, the illness often spreads to the nervous system,
causing death.
- Treatment: There is no specific treatment except supportive care, and over half the infected dogs die. Additionally, many more have to be euthanized
due to seizures and other chronic problems. Vaccination is the key to prevention and all dogs that are able to be vaccinated should receive distemper vaccinations.
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"P" typically stands for Parainfluenza:
- Cause: Parainfluenza is a virus that causes respiratory infections in dogs. It is also one of the culprits involved
in infectious canine bronchitis, commonly called 'kennel cough'.
- Treatment: Vaccination with Parainfluenza vaccine is important to protect dogs from respiratory disease.
All dogs that are able to be vaccinated should receive Parainfluenza vaccine as part of their vaccination regime.
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"B" Bordetella Bronchiseptica:
- Cause: One of the most common causes of Canine Upper Respiratory Disease Complex, known as "Kennel Cough". Bacterial illness. The
symptoms include a harsh, dry cough, aggravated by activity or excitement. The cough is followed by retching or gagging in an attempt to clear small amounts of
mucus from the throat. Body temperature may be elevated as secondary bacterial infection takes place. Highly contagious, this disease is readily transmitted
to susceptible dogs. Most common among dogs that congregate at dog shows, kennels, etc.
- Treatment: Treatment is generally limited to symptomatic relief of the coughing with non-prescription, and occasionally prescription, cough suppressants.
If the dog is running a fever or there seems to be a persistent and severe cough, antibiotics are occasionally utilized to assist the dog in recovering from
Kennel Cough. It can happen that secondary bacterial invaders will complicate a case of Kennel Cough and prolong the recovery and severely affect the upper
airway. Therefore the use of antibiotics is determined on an individual basis.
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"H" and "A2" stand for Hepatitis and Canine Adenovirus type 2: (The disease that both these vaccines protect against is infectious canine Hepatitis).
- Cause: This illness is caused by a virus, the canine Adenovirus Type 1. Both canine Adenovirus type 1 and type 2 are used to make vaccinations, so
you may see both in the name of the vaccine. Canine infectious Hepatitis can cause liver and blood vessel disease. Dogs may recover from the disease,
die rapidly, or develop chronic liver problems.
- Treatment: There is no specific treatment, except supportive therapy. Vaccination is highly effective at protecting dogs from this illness
and all dogs that are able to be vaccinated should receive canine infectious Hepatitis vaccinations.
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"CV" and "CVK" stand for Coronavirus disease:
- Cause: This contagious viral disease causes intestinal illness that can be mild or severe, and has been associated
with death, especially in young puppies. It is especially dangerous if it infects a dog at the same time as canine parvovirus.
- Treatment: As with the other viral diseases, there is no specific therapy that eliminates the virus. Animals are treated with supportive and nursing care.
It is often included in the vaccinations given to young dogs, as well as older animals.
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"PV", "Pv", "CPV", and sometimes "P" stand for Canine Parvovirus:
- Cause: This highly contagious viral disease is a well-known cause of gastrointestinal disease and death in many dogs. It is especially lethal to young
dogs or those with inadequate immune systems.
- Treatment: Because there is no specific cure, treatment is primarily intensive in-hospital nursing and supportive care.
Vaccination can be highly effective at reducing the disease. Canine parvovirus vaccination should be included in the vaccination regime of all dogs that
are able to receive vaccinations.
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"L" and "4L" stand for a Leptospirosis:
- Cause: Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can cause several problems, including liver and kidney disease.
The illness may be acute or chronic, in apparent or severe, and can cause death. The bacteria exist in many different subtypes, called serovars
(group of microorganisms). Several of these serovars are known to cause disease in dogs.
- Treatment: Most available vaccines protect against two of these serovars, L. Canicola and L. Icterohaemorrhagiae. A few vaccines protect against
two additional serovars, L. Grippotyphosa and L. Pomona. Although vaccination against Leptospirosis is very important for many
dogs, not all dogs should receive this vaccine. Discuss the use of Leptospirosis vaccine with your Veterinarian.
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Lyme Disease:
- Cause: The great majority of Lyme Disease transmissions are due to the bite of a very tiny tick commonly called the Deer Tick, or
Black-legged Tick. Signs of limping (usually one foreleg), lymph node swelling in the affected limb, and a temperature of 103 degrees (101 to
102.5 degrees is normal). The limping usually progresses over three to four days from mild and barely noticeable to complete disuse of the
painful leg. Once the dog starts to be affected by the bacteria, Lyme Disease can progress from a mild discomfort to the stage where a dog
will be in such joint and muscle pain it will refuse to move.
- Treatment: Generally your Veterinarian will prescribe an antibiotic such as Tetracycline which is administered for at least 3 weeks
and possibly some aspirin if the dog is in a lot of pain.
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Rabies:
- Cause: The transmission of the disease almost always occurs as a result of an infected animal biting a non-infected animal. Skunks, raccoons, foxes,
coyotes and bats are the animals most likely to transmit the virus. After coming in contact with the virus, the bitten animal may go through one or all of
several stages. With most animals, the virus will spread through the nerves of the bitten animal towards the brain. The virus is relatively slow moving and
the average time of incubation from exposure to brain involvement is between 3 to 8 weeks in dogs. However, incubation periods as long as 6 months in dogs
has been reported. After the virus reaches the brain it then will move to the salivary glands where it can be spread through a bite.
- Treatment: there is no known treatment for Rabies so an early protective vaccine regiment is important.
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De-worming schedule
Normally the puppy is de-wormed every 2 weeks from 2 to 8 weeks of age.
If your dog will be running around grassy fields, in the woods or going to be around other dogs, it is a good idea to de-worm your puppy/dog regularly.
Please consult your Veterinarian for his/her advice.
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Brief description on different types of worms (Consult your Veterinarian for the proper treatment)
Round worms: are active in the intestines of puppies and kittens, often causing a pot-bellied appearance and poor growth.
- Symptom: The worms may be seen in vomit or stool; a severe infestation can cause death by intestinal blockage.
Hook worms: thin worms that fasten to the wall of the small intestine and suck blood.
- Symptom: include bloody diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, and progressive weakness.
Whip worms: seen in the stool, look like tiny pieces of thread with one end enlarged.
- Symptom: Chronic weight loss and passes stool that seems to have a covering of mucous (especially the last portion of stool the dog passes),
and lives in a kennel situation or an area where whipworms are prevalent.
Tape worms: If you were to see an entire tapeworm you would notice that they are arranged with a small head at one end and many tiny
brick-like repeating segments making up the rest of the worm.
- Symptom: not highly pathogenic (harmful) to your dog. They may cause debilitation and weight loss when they occur in large numbers.
It is the last segments in the chain that are released from the worm
that can be seen in the dogs stool.
Heart worms: a parasitic worm (about the diameter of thin spaghetti) that normally live free floating in the right
ventricle of the heart and nearby blood vessels.
- Symptom: In severe cases, early signs include a cough, especially on exercise and early exhaustion upon exercise.
More advanced cases progress to severe weight loss, fainting, coughing up blood and, finally, congestive heart failure.
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Links to Veterinary Medical Information Websites:
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Canine Ownership Awareness
