Dogs need vaccines as much as humans do to stay healthy and to avoid diseases. Vaccinating dogs is a crucial part of taking better care of your furry friend. So, every pet owner needs to know about the dog vaccination list. But before we jump on to which vaccines are essential for your dog, let’s first establish what their benefits are.
The Importance of Vaccinating Your Dogs
To ensure that you understand the importance of vaccines for your dog, you must first understand its benefits. Here are a few such benefits:
Prevention of serious diseases
Prevention is better than a cure. There are vaccines available and have been tested that can prevent diseases for your dog. When the dogs are still in the puppy stage, they are more susceptible to illnesses because their immune system is still developing. Therefore it is best to start the vaccination when they are still very young.
Vaccinations will help in creating additional antibodies that help in warding off diseases. The entire vaccination cycle must be completed.
It is the law
While many states in India have guidelines that requires all dogs are vaccinated against rabies, there are a number of other vaccinations that can protect your dog from diseases that are easily preventable. Even if your dog is an indoor pet and you believe that there is no exposure to the outside world, the law requires that the dog be vaccinated. There may come a time when your dog sneaks outside, or you may want to leave your dog in a kennel. At such times and when you choose to leave your dog in doggy care facilities when you go to work, you are required to keep the vaccination up-to-date.
Safety of other pets
Socialising is an essential factor in having a dog. For this, you will take your dog to the park to meet other dogs, and arrange play dates in the neighbourhood. If your dog has not been vaccinated, the likelihood of passing on diseases to other dogs is high. Unvaccinated dogs could even spread diseases to human beings.
Safety of humans
As a dog lover, you will be making sure that your dog stays healthy and safe. Do not forget that you need to stay safe, too. An unvaccinated dog can spread diseases among the family members, including children. Diseases like Rabies and Leptospirosis are commonly spread because of unvaccinated dogs.
Saves money
Owning a dog can be an expensive proposition. It is a dearly loved family member and will require as much medical attention as any of your other family members. Vet consultations, medical emergencies, regular check-ups are all expensive. While vaccines are not cheap, they do help in preventing diseases that will cost so much more. This is especially true if your dog contracts a disease that could so easily have been prevented by a vaccine.
Core Vaccines for Your Dogs
Once you have adopted a dog, it is best to consult with the dog’s vet to understand the importance of vaccines. There are a few core essential vaccine cycles to start with:
- Rabies – Rabies is fatal and contagious. It is not only contagious among other animals but also to human beings. The good news is that it is a 100% vaccine-preventable disease. There are pre and post-exposure shots that are to be taken by people who work with dogs or who are bitten by a dog.
- Parvovirus – Parvovirus is a viral illness that is contagious for dogs and can be fatal. Puppies are the most susceptible to this illness, and their symptoms include vomiting and bloody diarrhoea.
- Hepatitis – Hepatitis can end in kidney failure, although it is a viral infection of the liver.
- Parainfluenza: Parainfluenza is a contagious respiratory virus. The symptoms include nasal discharge, coughing, fever, and depleted energy.
- Distemper – Distemper affects the nervous system as well as the respiratory system in dogs. This is also contagious and fatal.
Non-Core Vaccines for Your Dogs
There are a few non-core vaccinations as listed below:
- Giardia – Giardia is a parasite in the animal’s intestines. This single-cell parasite multiplies and becomes cysts that can get passed through the infected dog.
- Lyme disease – Lyme disease is bacterial and occurs because an infected deer tick has bitten your dog. This can result in lameness, kidney failure, and painful disabilities.
- Canine Influenza – Influenza is a respiratory infection and can be fatal.
- Bordetella – Bordetella is a bacterial infection and causes kennel cough. It is a respiratory illness and can come from kennels, daycare facilities or dog parks.
- Leptospirosis – Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection usually found in wild animals; but, your dog can get it from infected water, soil, or urine.
What You Need to Know About Dog Vaccination
While vaccinating your dog is necessary, it is also important to know the impact these vaccines have on your dog. For instance, your dog may develop side effects. Ensure that you plan your availability according to the vaccination schedule as your pet may need monitoring. Some of the side effects include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, swelling around the face or paws, hives, vomiting, diarrhoea, tenderness around the injection site, and in some cases anaphylactic shock. If the symptoms are mild, they can be ignored. However, it is essential that you look out for any of the signs that cause concern and take your dog to the vet for a consultation.
Your dog might not need every type of vaccine. Some of these dog vaccinations need to be administered considering a few factors including age, environment, previous medical history, lifestyle, and travel habits. You must discuss the vaccination protocol with your dog’s vet.
At what age the dog should the dog be vaccinated is an important factor to consider. Follow dog vaccination schedule (for puppies). Vaccination should begin when your pup is between six and eight weeks old. After that, your pup should continue the cycle every three weeks until they are four months old. Once the puppies have received the antibodies from their mother’s milk, they will be ready to start on their vaccinations.
It should be done under the supervision of a veterinarian. Make sure that you follow the vaccination protocol as advised by your dog’s vet.
Consider how long the vaccine remains effective.
Distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza (DHPP), and Rabies are effective for a period of three years. Vaccines for Leptospirosis, Influenza, Lyme disease, and Kennel Cough are effective for one year.
Need More Information About Vaccinating Dogs? Consult a Veterinarian
The need to receive medical advice for your pet will never cease; therefore, VOSD has made it easier with digital access through any of your devices. All the information you need can now be available to you from your homes.
VOSD offers free veterinary service for the whole gamut from first aid to long term medical assistance needed in the case of diseases related to liver, cardiac, pancreatic, gallbladder regardless of your current location. As dog parents, you can use telemedicine for dogs service from VOSD, which allows you to seek online treatment for dogs from qualified veterinarians.
The information contained in VOSD Vet Advice™ is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical action which is provided by your vet. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information. For any emergency related to a dog’s health, please visit the nearest veterinary clinic.
Do you find this information useful? For more advice, visit the VOSD website.
