The health of your dog is in your hands! They are prone to contract distemper, rabies, parvo, leptospirosis, and hepatitis. It is best to educate yourself on dog vaccination against infectious diseases.
Dog Vaccination
To protect your dog successfully from these diseases, some authorities recommend a strict vaccination plan or dog vaccine schedule.
But first of all, what is vaccination? Vaccination is the processing of administering a shot. Protection against a communicable disease is the aim of these shots.
Vaccinations activate a dog’s defense mechanism against infections. Your dog will then be able to produce antibodies. And these antibodies are then able to successfully combat future “attacks” of pathogens.
A successful shot means that your dog will not fall ill. Even if he comes into contact with a pathogen, he will not contract the disease.
What Vaccines does a Dog need?
And, what diseases do dogs get vaccinated against? Even the names of the diseases cause sleepless nights for young dog owners! But perhaps, you know some of these diseases under other names. Here are a few examples:
Hepatitis is also known as Infectious liver inflammation or fox encephalitis. Parvo is also referred to as feline disease. Distemper is Snot or breast disease. And, Leptospirosis is sometimes called the Stuttgart dog epidemic.
These diseases may be unknown to some and may be rare in other places. Nevertheless, if a puppy falls ill, they are critical, if not life-threatening!
Diarrhea and restlessness are usually the first symptoms of these illnesses. When this happens, bring your puppy to the veterinarian immediately!
And so, vaccines for these diseases are necessary for our dogs to avoid these health problems.
When should Dogs be Vaccinated?
Your puppy takes in antibodies with his mother’s milk. These antibodies protect him in his first weeks of life. But these antibodies are broken down slowly over time.
To counteract this, your dog must be vaccinated. Done at short intervals, it starts from the 8th week of life onwards.
And, don’t worry! Your pup can avail of the vaccines against hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvo, and distemper as a combination shot. Hence, your dog will only be bothered once but protected against four dangerous diseases!
The vaccination calendar
Some authorities recommend the following vaccination calendar.
Basic immunization:
At the 8th week of life, immunize against hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvo, and distemper. In the 12th week, give shots for hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvo, distemper, and rabies. And lastly, in the 16th week, administer shots for hepatitis, parvo, distemper, leptospirosis, and rabies.
However, after this basic immunization, your dog should still visit the vet regularly. There are yearly vaccinations and another every three years.
A Little Tip for new Dog Owners
A puppy from a breeder or a shelter is usually vaccinated once already. It is good to get and bring home your dog’s vaccination book. It will keep you updated with his vaccination records.
Make an appointment with your vet before bringing your puppy home. Ask him what shots he recommends and when.
Finally, have fun with your vaccinated puppy and keep him healthy!