The WHAT, WHEN, and WHY’S Your BEST FRIEND needs to be vaccinated before entering them into any of our play groups?

Rabies vaccine is mandatory throughout the USA.

Rabies is a lethal condition that is caused by the Lyssavirus. It can infect all mammals, including humans. In the United States, five types of rabies are found in fox, raccoon, skunk, canine (coyote and dog), and bat populations. All five types are contagious to dogs and are almost always lethal once symptoms begin. Rabies is spread by bites from rabid animals through saliva or through the mucous membranes, and affects the nervous system, specifically.

Symptoms may include:

• Vicious, erratic behavior
• Foaming at the mouth
• Heightened sensitivity to visual and auditory stimuli
• Weakness, Paralysis
• Death from respiratory failure.

Always check with your vet concerning vaccinations but generally the first dose for rabies is 12 to 16 weeks of age, a booster at one year and subsequent boosters every 3 years.

What is Canine Cough, (commonly called Bordetella or kennel cough)?

Canine, i.e., kennel cough is a group of diseases that affects the respiratory tract of dogs. The most common symptom is a cough. Other symptoms include nasal or ocular discharge or decrease in appetite or energy. Kennel cough (also known as Bordetella) is a highly contagious bacterial disease that can affect dogs, cats, and humans. Dogs are most commonly affected, though cats are often carriers of the disease, never showing any symptoms but spreading the disease to other pets and pet owners. Always check with your vet on scheduling the vaccine but usually the first dose is given 6 to 8 weeks of age.

Symptoms may include:

• Cough that sounds similar to honking.
• Dry hacking cough.
• Eye discharge.
• Runny nasal discharge.

The most common type of kennel cough is relatively mild and does not need to be treated with antibiotics. The infection will run its course, similar to a fever or cold in humans. More severe infections will be treated with oral antibiotics for a period of 10 to 14 days, sometimes longer if the symptoms are more severe.

DHPP Vaccine what it covers… Distemper, Hepatitis\Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, and Parvo, and when to get it.

The DHPP 5-in-1 vaccine is a single shot that is given to puppies in a series of injections starting at about 6 weeks of age and given every 2 to 4 weeks until the puppy is 16 weeks old. All adult dogs should receive a booster shot of the DHPP vaccine either yearly or every 3 years based on your vet’s recommendation.

Distemper

Canine distemper is a highly contagious, often fatal disease caused by a virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and the nervous systems. Dogs that do not receive periodic immunizations may lose their protection and become infected after stress, immunosuppression, or contact with diseased animals. Distemper is spread through contact with bodily secretions (e.g., nasal discharge), but is most commonly spread through airborne transmission.

Symptoms may include:

• Fever
• nasal discharge
• coughing
• vomiting
• diarrhea

Hepatitis\Adenovirus

There are two types of these viruses, type 1 which affects the liver, (hepatitis), symptoms include fever, depression, tender abdomen, vomiting, eye/nose discharge, thirst…, type 2 affects the respiratory system, symptoms include fever, cough, eye/nose discharge. Transmission is usually through eating infected poop, contact with infected urine, cough or sneeze from an infected dog.

Parainfluenza

Parainfluenza is a virus that has similar symptoms to influenza, but it is a distinct disease. It’s related to canine distemper. Parainfluenza is a part of a respiratory disease that is highly transmissible. Coughing is the most common symptom of parainfluenza. The cough can be a dry or a wet, productive one. Your dog may also cough up blood. In addition to coughing, your dog will likely have a fever and look and act like he or she is not well. He or she may not eat or show interest in their usual activities. You will also see more nasal discharge than usual.

Canine Parvovirus (P – Parvo)

Canine Parvovirus is a very serious, highly contagious condition that can quickly become fatal for many dogs, particularly puppies and unvaccinated adult dogs. Parvovirus attacks your dog’s gastrointestinal tract leading to vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and rapid loss of fluid and protein. This condition prevents your pup’s GI tract from properly absorbing the nutrients your dog needs to stay healthy and often requires hospitalization and intensive care as life-saving treatment.

Parvovirus can live on surfaces (including soil) for up to a year and has been shown to be particularly resistant to many common disinfectants and cleaning solutions, which means that even just taking your unvaccinated puppy out for a walk around the block could develop into a very serious situation.

The following chart is a recommended schedule from the American Kennel Club.

Always check with your vet first!!