Prevention is better than cure (Vaccination of dogs)
Animal Trust’s mission is to make sure pet owners have affordable and high-quality care.
These conditions can become very serious if your dog isn’t vaccinated. Unfortunately, there is no cure for all viral and bacterial diseases. Some dogs who aren’t vaccinated do not survive despite modern medicine.
Most insurance policies require that you keep your pet’s preventive treatments current so your policy can still be valid.
(Do I really have to vaccinate my dog?)
Many pet owners are now pondering whether or not their pets should be vaccinated due to recent debates regarding human vaccine safety. The short answer to your question is: Yes, definitely! All pets should be vaccinated. However, some pets may require additional vaccines depending on their individual needs.
(How do dog vaccines work?)
Dog vaccinations work in the same way as humans. A small amount of the bacterial and viral antigen is injected into the pet’s system. The antigen is quickly absorbed by the white blood cells of the body and they develop a protective reaction against the disease.
Your pet’s immune system will already have learned a natural way to combat a disease if it has been vaccinated. The immune system recognizes antigens immediately after contact and activates an immediate defense response to neutralize the disease within hours.
(What are dog vaccinations against?)
Canine Distemper
Distemper can be contracted by pets if they share food or water bowls or come in direct contact with animal urine, blood, or saliva. Because it can cause thickening and swelling of the nose and paw pads, distemper is also known as “hard pad”. High temperature, nasal discharge and other symptoms are all signs of this highly contagious disease. Distemper can be fatal if it is not treated with the right vaccine. Unfortunately, there is no cure.
Canine Hepatitis is Infectious
Canine adenovirus 1 (CAV-1) can cause severe symptoms in many areas of the body. However, some dogs may have mild symptoms and the virus will continue to spread. When a dog is exposed to the saliva, urine or blood of infected dogs, it can be caught. Infected dogs can spread the virus to their environment for many months. Dogs with the virus can have a cough, vomiting, blood clotting problems, cloudy eyes, and other symptoms.
Kennel Cough
Kennel cough is a condition that’s commonly known as “kennel cough”. It’s caused by bacteria of the same family as whooping cough virus in humans. These symptoms include a dry, severe cough which can last for weeks. The condition can be fatal in healthy dogs, but it is very common among dogs. It is important to get vaccinations for dogs who come in contact with other dogs such as at kennels and dog daycare.
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis, a serious bacterial infection that most often affects dogs’ livers and kidneys, is the most common. Dogs who come in contact with the urine or water of other animals are most likely to contract it. Severe vomiting, severe diarrhea, jaundice, liver damage, shivering and collapse are all possible signs. Leptospirosis is frequently diagnosed in pets who live an active lifestyle and are exposed to contaminated water.
Rabies
Although rabies is not a problem in the UK, it is required that you vaccinate your pet under the Pet Travel Scheme. Rabies, a fatal and severe virus that affects the central nervous systems, can be transmitted to pets and humans if it is caught from an infected animal.
The symptoms include fever, seizures and excessive salivation. Mission Rabies, the most prominent rabies charity, is actively working to eradicate rabies in the world.
Canine Parvovirus
Parvovirus is a serious viral infection that results from the transmission of saliva and faeces among animals. Parvovirus can survive up to a year in soil and will remain in areas where infected dogs have walked for long periods of time. Humans can also be infected by the virus through their clothing and hands. This can lead to vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and even death for pets.
(1st and 2nd vaccine schedules for dogs)
Puppies are protected from diseases by their mother’s milk when they’re born. This contains the antibodies necessary to fight infection. This is known as maternal immunity. It lasts for the first few years of a puppy’s life. Although maternal immunity helps keep pups safe, it can also interfere with vaccinations. We must wait until the antibody level drops before administering the vaccine.
A puppy can be vaccinated once they are old enough. This is usually eight weeks. It is important to keep your puppy away from high-risk areas for at most one week following the second vaccination. Immunity takes time to develop.
(What is a booster vaccine for dogs?)
After a pet’s initial vaccinations have been completed, we recommend that you give a booster vaccination every year. This will help to remind your dog that the immune system is still working to protect them against the disease.
You don’t have to increase every component of the vaccine each year, as some components of immunity are more durable than others. Parvovirus immunity, for instance, can last up to three years. However, a disease such as leptospirosis needs boosters every year.
Although vaccines can be given on an annual basis and are very safe, some owners prefer that we take blood samples from their pets to determine their immunity level before administering the vaccine.
Your vet can start the vaccination process again if your older dog is not up to date. This is the best way for your pet to be protected against serious diseases.