Puppies are loving creatures full of life and energy, but due to that, they are also subject to various illnesses they might be exposed to. In order to prevent that from happening, dogs must be vaccinated from a young age and given proper veterinary care.
Vaccination is widespread method used to protect and help bodies develop shields against diseases. Most of us may have come across the term in many occasions and if you are a dog parent, you have probably asked yourself these questions about your pet’s health as well:
What role does vaccine play in your dog’s health?
Vaccines are medical substances mostly made from synthetic substitutes of a disease, that stimulate the body, strengthen its immunity, and help it fight the illness. As important as they are for your dog, the need for vaccination varies according to age, weight, environment, medical history and other factors known to your vet.
What is core vaccine?
Core vaccines are crucial medical necessities your dog has to be injected with. They protect your puppy from known, potentially fatal ailments such as:
Bortadella Bronchiseptica
This disease is transmitted through direct contact or even air (coughing) and causes inflammation of the trachea and the bronchi. Signs of the infection can be noticed through dry, tough coughing, retching, loss of appetite and fever.
Canine Distemper
In canines, distemper affects various body systems, including the brain, the spinal cord and the respiratory tracts. Its symptoms include eye inflammation and discharge, fever, coughing and other noticeable changes.
Canine Hepatitis
This viral disease targets functional parts of organs in the body, especially the liver and spreads into the bloodstream. It also threatens the kidneys, eyes and endothelial cells. The symptoms include fever, signs in the central nervous system, corneal swelling and abdominal pain.
Canine Parvovirus
This contagious illness comes in two forms, the intestinal form and the cardiac form. In the intestinal form, symptoms would be vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and anorexia. In the latter, the disease attacks heart muscles of young puppies and is fatal.
The Corona Virus
The canine coronavirus is an infectious intestinal disease that causes inflammation in the small intestine. In adult dogs, symptoms are rarely noticeable. In puppies however, severe diarrhea and dehydration occur.
Rabies
Rabies is a severe disease that targets the grey matter of a dog’s brain and its central nervous system. The virus is often transmitted through being bitten by an infected animal, or coming in contact with the saliva of an infected animal. Rabies comes in two forms, paralytic and furious. The furious type shows behavior changes such as aggression and attack. Paralytic rabies, however, is characterized through loss of coordination and, later on, paralysis. Symptoms include excessive salivation, muscular lack of coordination, excessive shyness or aggression, hydrophobia, a dropped jaw, inability to swallow and other major changes.
It is highly recommended to keep an eye out for any symptoms indicating sickness and a vaccination schedule with your vet, in order to insure your puppy’s health. Non-core vaccines can be recommended through doctors who determine what your dog needs according to its exposure to risks.
How old should your puppy be when getting vaccinated?
Pups develop stronger immune systems when nursed and fed by a healthy mother. As soon as your pup is 6-8 weeks old, recommended vaccinations would be against Distemper, Measles and Parainfluenza.
From 10-12, they could take DHPP under the doctor’s instructions.
Starting from 12-24 weeks, a vaccine against rabies should be given.
Your vet should weigh the dog and take the necessary measures to decide when to vaccinate them and what to give them.
| Age | Recommended Vaccination | Optional |
| 6-8 weeks | Distemper, measles, parainfluenza | Bortadella |
| 10-12 weeks | DHPP (vaccines for distemper, adenovirus [hepatitis], parainfluenza, and parvovirus) | Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease |
| 12-24 weeks | Rabies | – |
| 14-16 weeks | DHPP | Coronavirus, Lyme disease, Leptospirosis |
| 12-16 months | Rabies, DHPP | Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Boradetella, Lyme disease |
| Every 1 – 2 years | DHPP | Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease |
| Every 1 – 3 years | Rabies | – |
Can vaccines cause any side effects?
Vaccinations have helped eliminate many diseases throughout medical history and there is no denial of their importance as weapons fighting infectious diseases. However, the over-use of which can cause vaccination failures and other problems.
Several issues might cause a vaccination failure, such as maternal antibody reception, drug therapies such as steroids, fever, hypothermia and stress.
Dogs become more than a lively presence in our homes – they are family. Before subjecting a dog to any medical measurements, be sure to consult your vet and choose a doctor who stores vaccine hygienically, keep the vaccination intervals even and be certain to disinfect the needles and the skin for a healthy outcome.
