Vaccines -
The Ultimate Preventive Medicine
^{by Tracy Smith}

Vaccines are given to prevent your dog from contracting common infectious diseases. Because they are given before your dog ever gets the diseases, they are the ultimate preventive medicine when you follow the vaccination schedule suggested by your veterinarian.

During the first several weeks of a puppy's life, she is protected by her mother's immunity that is passed to her through the mother's milk. This is called passive immunity and the passive antibody in pups decreases roughly by one-half every two weeks until it eventually disappears. Exactly when the passive antibody is completely gone differs from individual to individual, but the rate at which maternally derived antibody breaks down in the species is known. If vaccines are given when the pup's passive antibody is still present, immunization is likely to fail. This is why your veterinarian schedules successive vaccinations, usually a few weeks apart at the very beginning, in order to make sure that antigen interference doesn't occur. When the vaccines produce an individual's direct response to an antigen, the dog is said to have acheived active immunity.

The first set of vaccinations are usually given to the puppy at about 5 to 6 weeks of age when the passive antibody declines. The second set is given at 10 to 12 weeks of age and the third set at fourteen to sixteen. A rabies shot is given to the puppy when she is between 4 and 6 months old. Vaccines are given annually thereafter, protecting your dog from the following diseases.

Distemper

Distemper is a killer. It can spread from one dog to another very easily and it can become airborne. Symptoms include loss of appetite, diarrhea, discharge from nose and eyes and a dry cough. Survivors can suffer from permanent brain and nervous system damage.

Parvovirus

Puppies often die from this disease. It is highly contagious and is transmitted through infected fecal matter that can be carried on dog's paws, peoples shoes, hair, cages, clothing, etc. The illness usually starts with a loss of apppetite, depression and vomitting. Then it progresses to diarrhea(often bloody), and fever. It can damage the heart or attack the gastrointestinal tract. It is difficult to treat. Treatment is long term, expensive and comes with no gaurantees.

Rabies

This is a fatal disease affecting the nervous system. It is transmitted via infected saliva to humans and other animals from a bite or through a scratch or cut on the skin. Symptoms that may indicate a rabies infection include: a change in temperament; dilated, light sensitive eyes; social withdrawal; signs of aggression; lack of coordination and loss of facial muscle control. There is no treatment for dogs. The illness will progress into a coma and then death will soon follow.

Kennel Cough

Canine Parainfluenza virus and Canine Bordetella bacteria are among the most common causes of kennel cough, an acute respiratory disease in dogs. The illness isn't fatal itself, but can make your dog more susceptible to other infections that can be life threatening, such as pneumonia. Usually this disease produces a mild to moderate cough that responds to antibiotic treatment within two weeks. An intranasal vaccine can be given to dogs before possible exposure.

Canine Hepatitis

Canine Hepatitis can be transmitted by contact with infected dogs, their urine, feces or saliva. It affects the liver, kidneys and lining of the blood vessels. There is a discharge from eyes, mouth and nose so it can resemble distemper. Sometimes it can be fatal.

Lyme Disease

This is an acute, often recurrent, joint inflammation of dogs and humans. Symptoms of Lyme Disease in dogs include fever and lameness. Infected dogs respond very well to antibiotic treatment. If you live in an area where Lyme Disease is common, ask your veternarian about Lyme Disease vaccine.

As you can surmise, all of these illnesses are best avoided, so make sure your puppy is vaccinated according to your veternarians suggested schedule and keep your adult dog's vaccinations up to date. It will save you from any worry and heart ache and it will keep you out of trouble. Every state has it's own set of vaccination laws. They are there to protect the public as well as every individual pet and their households.

Leptospirosis

Many varieties of bacteria within the Leptospira group can cause disease of the kidneys and liver and occasionally other organs of the body. Direct contact with contaminated body fluids or environment spreads the disease. Symptoms include: pain; depression; sores in the mouth; vomitting; diarrhea; and a yellow color in the eyes. Because this vaccine has been implicated in allergic reactions, it isn't recommended for routine use in dogs. If your dog is exposed to rats and rat urine often, then ask your veternarian if he/she suggests the vaccine.