What Vaccinations Should My Dog Receive?

Posted by Jeanne on September 8, 2009

Although your new puppy will likely squirm and maybe even cry when getting his shots, it is just as important for your dog as it is for your children or yourself.  In fact, by keeping up on your dog’s vaccinations, you could be saving his life.

Vaccinations are injections of a small dose of a disease, which will prevent your puppy from developing that very disease.  Just like immunizations in children, it is required by health departments and is the right thing to do for your dog.

Two different types of vaccinations exist.  They are a Killed Vaccine and a Modified Live Vaccine.  A Modified Live Vaccine is the live disease being injected, while having been altered by the drug company to be unable to cause the disease it is protecting against.  A Killed Vaccine is when the virus itself has been killed before any injection occurs.

Once vaccinations are given, your dog’s immune system will recognize the presence of a disease and will then create barriers or reinforcements (antibodies) to fight it off, should it appear.  These barriers only last from six months to a year, which makes regular appointments extremely important for your dog.

A few of the more commonly heard of diseases that affect dogs are often at the top of a vaccination list. These include:  Canine Distemper, Infectious Hepatitis, Rabies and Corona Virus.

Regular vaccinations can prevent your dog from contracting these diseases; however you should still be aware of what they are.  Canine Distemper is caused by a virus that attacks the body and can be damaging to the dogs central nervous system.  50 percent of dogs who contract this disease will have a fatal outcome.  It mainly affects middle aged dogs.  Puppies and older dogs are usually safe from contracting it.

Another vaccination, which is important to your dog’s health and should not be confused with the human disease, Hepatitis is Infectious Hepatitis, which is a life threatening viral disease.  It is transmitted through urine, saliva and feces.  All ages of dogs are at risk for this disease.  Luckily, it’s not contagious to humans.

Vaccinations for Rabies are probably the most commonly talked about vaccine.  The disease itself is the most well known in animals and can quickly affect humans through saliva and bites.  Aggression, excessive salivation and erratic behavior will follow the onset of rabies, although it may not be as clear as “Cujo”, the famous rabid-infected dog in the movies.

Another disease that is commonly confused and is important to have vaccinations for is Corona Virus.  This disease affects young dogs and is usually mixed up with Parvo, which is a totally different type of disease.  Corona Virus is contagious and is passed through feces ingested by another dog, causing trouble with the intestinal system.  This disease is usually treatable before Parvo sets in.

As you can see, there are many diseases that can affect, sicken, or even kill your precious family member.  Vaccinations are extremely important to yours and your dog’s health and it is your responsibility as a dog owner to have regular visits with the vet.  For all the happiness he brings to you and your family, he deserves to be healthy.

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• When Should My Dog Get His Vaccinations? (0)

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Although your new puppy will likely squirm and maybe even cry when getting his shots, it is just as important for your dog as it is for your children or yourself.  In fact, by keeping up on your dog’s vaccinations, you could be saving his life.

Vaccinations are injections of a small dose of a disease, which will prevent your puppy from developing that very disease.  Just like immunizations in children, it is required by health departments and is the right thing to do for your dog.

Two different types of vaccinations exist.  They are a Killed Vaccine and a Modified Live Vaccine.  A Modified Live Vaccine is the live disease being injected, while having been altered by the drug company to be unable to cause the disease it is protecting against.  A Killed Vaccine is when the virus itself has been killed before any injection occurs.

Once vaccinations are given, your dog’s immune system will recognize the presence of a disease and will then create barriers or reinforcements (antibodies) to fight it off, should it appear.  These barriers only last from six months to a year, which makes regular appointments extremely important for your dog.

A few of the more commonly heard of diseases that affect dogs are often at the top of a vaccination list. These include:  Canine Distemper, Infectious Hepatitis, Rabies and Corona Virus.

Regular vaccinations can prevent your dog from contracting these diseases; however you should still be aware of what they are.  Canine Distemper is caused by a virus that attacks the body and can be damaging to the dogs central nervous system.  50 percent of dogs who contract this disease will have a fatal outcome.  It mainly affects middle aged dogs.  Puppies and older dogs are usually safe from contracting it.

Another vaccination, which is important to your dog’s health and should not be confused with the human disease, Hepatitis is Infectious Hepatitis, which is a life threatening viral disease.  It is transmitted through urine, saliva and feces.  All ages of dogs are at risk for this disease.  Luckily, it’s not contagious to humans.

Vaccinations for Rabies are probably the most commonly talked about vaccine.  The disease itself is the most well known in animals and can quickly affect humans through saliva and bites.  Aggression, excessive salivation and erratic behavior will follow the onset of rabies, although it may not be as clear as “Cujo”, the famous rabid-infected dog in the movies.

Another disease that is commonly confused and is important to have vaccinations for is Corona Virus.  This disease affects young dogs and is usually mixed up with Parvo, which is a totally different type of disease.  Corona Virus is contagious and is passed through feces ingested by another dog, causing trouble with the intestinal system.  This disease is usually treatable before Parvo sets in.

As you can see, there are many diseases that can affect, sicken, or even kill your precious family member.  Vaccinations are extremely important to yours and your dog’s health and it is your responsibility as a dog owner to have regular visits with the vet.  For all the happiness he brings to you and your family, he deserves to be healthy.

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• When Should My Dog Get His Vaccinations? (0)

When Should My Dog Get His Vaccinations?

Posted by Jeanne on September 1, 2009

Pet lovers know that it is very important to vaccinate their dogs, but how early and how often are two questions that are currently much on their minds as well as on the minds of the veterinary community at large.  While vets agree that it is still vital to vaccinate puppies at 6 weeks for distemper and measles if they did not nurse during the first few hours after they were born and again at 8, 12, and 16 weeks for Distemper, Canine Infectious Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, and Coronavirus (DHLPPC), there have been questions as to whether the traditionally recommended (and in some states required) annual vaccinations are necessary.  Puppies are also vaccinated for rabies at six months and this, too, is repeated annually.

The concerns that some dog owners have is whether the repeated dog vaccinations are really necessary and whether they are, in fact, doing more harm than good.  Vaccinations work by stimulating the dog’s immune system, encouraging it to readily produce antibodies to fight against specific types of bacteria and viruses.  Stimulating the immune system this way comes at a price – the actual introduction of the offending agent in some form to the dog’s system, leading to the concerns of dog lovers and vets alike.

The questions on the minds of those concerned are “is it dangerous to repeatedly vaccinate my dog each year” and “how much vaccine should a dog receive and how often?”  Fortunately the experts do agree that the answer to the first question is a resounding “no.”  While there are rare cases of dogs that have become very ill or even died as a result of vaccination, there is no evidence to suggest that this practice poses any real danger to the dog.  The animals adversely affected may have already been sick unbeknownst to their owners of had some form of allergy to a specific part of the vaccine.  The answer to the second question is less encouraging because, the truth is; no one knows for sure how much vaccine is really necessary and how often it really should be given.  This is currently a topic of much discussion and debate in veterinary circles.

The best advice that dog owners can take is to continue vaccinating their dogs according to local laws and the recommendations of their vets.  Since the annual vaccines are not harming the dogs in any evident way, there is no cause for alarm and no harm in continuing the same routine until the veterinary community makes up its collective mind that a change is in order with regard to dog vaccinations.

Related posts

• What Vaccinations Should My Dog Receive? (0)

-->

Pet lovers know that it is very important to vaccinate their dogs, but how early and how often are two questions that are currently much on their minds as well as on the minds of the veterinary community at large.  While vets agree that it is still vital to vaccinate puppies at 6 weeks for distemper and measles if they did not nurse during the first few hours after they were born and again at 8, 12, and 16 weeks for Distemper, Canine Infectious Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, and Coronavirus (DHLPPC), there have been questions as to whether the traditionally recommended (and in some states required) annual vaccinations are necessary.  Puppies are also vaccinated for rabies at six months and this, too, is repeated annually.

The concerns that some dog owners have is whether the repeated dog vaccinations are really necessary and whether they are, in fact, doing more harm than good.  Vaccinations work by stimulating the dog’s immune system, encouraging it to readily produce antibodies to fight against specific types of bacteria and viruses.  Stimulating the immune system this way comes at a price – the actual introduction of the offending agent in some form to the dog’s system, leading to the concerns of dog lovers and vets alike.

The questions on the minds of those concerned are “is it dangerous to repeatedly vaccinate my dog each year” and “how much vaccine should a dog receive and how often?”  Fortunately the experts do agree that the answer to the first question is a resounding “no.”  While there are rare cases of dogs that have become very ill or even died as a result of vaccination, there is no evidence to suggest that this practice poses any real danger to the dog.  The animals adversely affected may have already been sick unbeknownst to their owners of had some form of allergy to a specific part of the vaccine.  The answer to the second question is less encouraging because, the truth is; no one knows for sure how much vaccine is really necessary and how often it really should be given.  This is currently a topic of much discussion and debate in veterinary circles.

The best advice that dog owners can take is to continue vaccinating their dogs according to local laws and the recommendations of their vets.  Since the annual vaccines are not harming the dogs in any evident way, there is no cause for alarm and no harm in continuing the same routine until the veterinary community makes up its collective mind that a change is in order with regard to dog vaccinations.

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• What Vaccinations Should My Dog Receive? (0)