Vaccination is one of the most important factors of how you take care of your pet. It’s the vaccination that keeps most of serious canine illnesses at bay. These include Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Canine Parvovirus and Canine Parainfluenza. These conditions can be very problematic for your dog and vaccination can prevent them.
Some canine conditions can be so severe that they can even lead to death within a particular number of days and even hours. Here is the information you need to keep your furry friend safe from these diseases.
Why to Vaccinate Your Puppy or Dog?
Dog vaccinations help build up the dog’s immunity. These vaccinations will not only save your dog from some of the most fatal diseases but also make sure there is no spread of a disease in the local dog community.
Another benefit of dog vaccination is that early vaccination will allow your dog to socialise quickly with other dogs.
You will be required to produce an updated vaccination history in places where dogs will come close to each other, for example, dog boarding kennels, doggy day care and dog training classes.
Immunisation is a comparatively easy job to get organised. All vets are able and equipped to easily and quickly immunise your pet against many life-threatening conditions. Contact your Upper North Shore Vet to set a vaccination appointment for your pet.
Even though your dog isn’t very fond of mixing with other pets or people, immunisation through vaccination should be made an essential part of her/his health regime.
How do Vaccines Work?
Vaccines work the same way in puppies and adult dogs as it does in humans. They trigger the immune system of your puppy or dog to fight particular infectious agents, without making the pet sick. Usually the pathogens included in a vaccine are weak or dead. Some even don’t contain any germs; they just mimic the germs.
Because of vaccines the white blood cells in your pet’s body will produce proteins known as antibodies that will along with other white blood cells fight the infectious agents known as antigens. It is a good idea to replenish your dog’s vaccination often to ensure his body has trained antibodies enough to fight the infectious germs when required.
Common Dog and Puppy Vaccinations
The AVA (Australian Veterinary Association) classifies recommended dog vaccinations as “core” and “non-core” vaccines.
Core Dog Vaccines
Core dog vaccines are recommended for all pet, to save them from serious life-threatening illnesses. They are for canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus and canine adenovirus (hepatitis). A combination of these 3 vaccines is called C3 vaccination.
Non-core Dog Vaccines
Pets who are exposed to the risk of catching certain infections due to their local environment or their lifestyle should be given non-core vaccines. They are for bortadella bronchiseptica and parainfluenza virus, both of which can lead to kennel cough.
Another non-core vaccine is leptospira interrogans which can be administered along with these two but not at the same time.
Image Courtesy: circleoflifeveterinaryhospital.com
Vaccination Schedule for Dogs and Puppies
The AVA (Australian Veterinary Association) recommends the following vaccination schedule. But your local vet can also advise you about the schedule as you need to get safe puppy vaccinations from Gordon Vet.
Puppy Vaccination:
- 1st puppy vaccination: C3 at 6 to 8 weeks
- 2nd puppy vaccination: C5 at 12 weeks
- 3rd puppy vaccination: C3 booster at 16 weeks. (Certain vaccines are registered for completion of 10 weeks in puppies, which means the 3rd vaccination might not be needed. But this will be decided by your vet.)
- 1st annual dog vaccination at 15 months
Adult Dog Vaccination Schedule
- Yearly Canine Cough vaccination
- C3 vaccination every 3 years
- An annual C5 booster vaccination may also be recommended by your vet
Consult your vet and decide a vaccination schedule and follow it properly to protect your puppy from various diseases and keep her/him in the best shape.
