Vaccinating Your Dog

Vaccinations

So to my surprise I’m often asked, what can we do to help prevent illnesses from affecting our dogs and the simple answer to this is Vaccinations to begin on the right foot. Vaccinating is one of the oldest simplest ways of maintaining a healthy dog that may live a long life; which comes with risks and benefits that have to be weighed for each individual dog according to its lifestyle. Vaccines are highly important to the health of your dog, although every dog may not need to be vaccinated against every disease; it’s important that you discuss this with your vet so that you will know what vaccines are right for your dog while taking in the consideration the dog’s age, medical history, environment, lifestyle, and travel habits. Most vets highly recommend administering core vaccines to healthy dogs.

Understanding Vaccines

The main roll of vaccines is to prepare the body's immune system to fight off the invasion of disease-causing organisms. Containing antigens that look like the disease-causing organism to the immune system which don't actually cause the disease are introduced into the body to stimulate the immune system. This prepares the immune system to recognize and fight off the disease entirely or reduce the severity of the illness in case the dog is ever exposed to the real disease. 

Core Vaccines & Non-Core

Based on the risk of exposure, severity of the disease, or transmissibility to humans, core vaccines are extremely vital to all dogs. Canine: Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis and Rabies are considered to be core vaccines. Non-core vaccines are given depending on the risk of exposure to the dog these include Bordetella, Influenza, and Leptospirosis.

Determining the Timing and Frequency of Vaccinations

I always say “only healthy dogs should be bred” and so if the dam (mother) has a healthy immune system, the puppies will most likely receive antibodies in the milk of its dam while nursing; which doesn’t mean the puppy is fully or even vaccinated. Here at NoVACAIN Kennels we start our vaccinations starting at 3 weeks of age with our puppies and administering the proper vaccines at the ages of 3, 5, 6, 8, 11 weeks of age and the Rabies vaccine being administered at 16 weeks of age by a licensed Vet here in Virginia. We here at NoVACAIN Kennels begin with the Parainfluenza & Bordetella vaccine at 3 weeks of age then repeated at 6 weeks and the final puppy dose being given at 11weeks of age; and then at 5 weeks of age we begin the 5-way combination vaccines, then its repeated at 8 weeks, and the final puppy dose being administered at 11 weeks of age.  So when it comes down to our adult dogs they receive certain vaccines once a year like Parainfluenza & Bordetella and a 5-way Combination vaccine, while the Rabies vaccine first initial vaccine being given at 16 weeks of age, repeated a year later from the first administered date and then given every three years after the second Rabies has been administered.

Risks Associated with Vaccination

Immunizations should mildly stimulate the dog’s immune system in order to create protection from specific infectious diseases. This stimulation can create mild symptoms, ranging from soreness at the injection site to fever and allergic reactions. There are other, less common side effects like injection site tumors and immune disease associated with vaccination, with that being said, it is important to realize that vaccines have saved countless lives, and play a vital role in the battle against infectious diseases. As with any medical procedure, there is a small chance of side effects, while in most cases, the risks are much smaller than the risks of the disease itself. But it is important that you talk to your vet about your dog’s medical history before it is vaccinated.

Most dogs show no ill effect from vaccination, yet vaccine reactions may be minor and short-lived or require immediate care from a vet. The clinical signs include:

·         Fever

·         Sluggishness

·         Loss of appetite

·         Facial swelling and/or hives

·         Vomiting

·         Diarrhea

·         Pain, swelling, redness, scabbing or hair loss around the injection site

·         Lameness

·         Collapse

·         Difficulty breathing

·         Seizures

·         Lameness

It is best to schedule your dog’s appointment so that you can monitor them for any side effects following administration of the vaccine. If you suspect your dog is having a reaction to a vaccine, call your vet immediately.

Local Laws Regarding Vaccines

Each state has its own laws governing the administration of core and rabies vaccine. Some areas require yearly rabies vaccinations; other areas call for vaccines every three years. In almost all states, proof of rabies vaccination is mandatory.