Canine Vaccine Overview
By Dr. Maria Krenz, DVM – ZimmVet-763-856-4848
Canine Vaccine Overview
Vaccines are an important part of keeping our furry friends healthy. In some cases, vaccines can even prevent people from contracting diseases from their pet. Pet owners should rely on their veterinary team to tell them what is best to protect your pet. Here is overview of some of the most common vaccines.
Core Vaccination – All dogs should receive these vaccines.
Rabies is a virus and is transmitted in saliva through a bite or cut. Dogs commonly contract rabies from wildlife such as bats, raccoons and fox. Rabies is deadly to the pet once contracted and can be spread to people. About 500 pets each year contract rabies in the United States. This rate is low due to vaccination. Worldwide about 59,000 people die from rabies every year. Rabies vaccination is given once as a puppy and every three years as an adult. Rabies vaccination is required by law. Read more about rabies at: https://www.avma.org/resources/public-health/rabies-and-your-pet
Distemper vaccination is a combination vaccination consisting of distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and parainfluenza. These diseases can cause severe illness and death. These diseases are contracted by contacting another dog or wild animal (fox, coyote) with the disease. This vaccination is given as a series to puppies usually at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age. It is given every three years to adult dogs. Read more about distemper virus at: https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/canine-distemper.
Risk-Based Vaccinations – Given to dogs, based on their lifestyle.
All risk-based vaccinations are an initial vaccine, followed by a booster vaccination 3-4 weeks later. They are given yearly once the initial booster series is completed.
Vaccinations for respiratory diseases are given when a dog will be around other dogs outside your household. Common scenarios are dogs that go to a pet groomer, training class, dog daycare, boarding facility, dog parks, visiting friends’ dogs, or are active around other dogs in your neighborhood. If you have one dog that is at higher risk, all the dogs in your household should receive respiratory vaccinations. The two vaccinations are bordetella and influenza. These are very contagious diseases spread in respiratory secretions and can cause serious illness. It is important to do both vaccinations to get the best coverage for the common respiratory diseases for your pet. Read more about canine flu on the AVMA and CDC websites along with: https://www.dogflu.com/
Certain vaccinations are given to protect your pet if they have an outdoor lifestyle. The Zimmerman area has a very high rate of lyme disease and leptospirosis because of great outdoor natural resources. Both diseases can cause serious symptoms, including kidney failure and death. Dogs contract lyme disease from ticks. Using tick prevention products is not enough to protect your pet against lyme disease.
Leptospirosis is shed in the urine of animals, especially wild animals, but also other dogs. Common areas of risk are any areas where wildlife frequent. Leptospirosis is also common in city areas with rats being the main culprit. In the past, leptospirosis was thought to only be spread through water, but this has been proven to no longer be the case. Leptospirosis vaccination is also very important because this disease can be spread to people.
Vaccine technology is safe for pets
Some people may be concerned about vaccination reactions. The good news is that vaccines have gotten safer and cause a very low rate of side effects. The most common side effect of vaccinations, like people, is injection site soreness. This is prevented by having your veterinarian prescribe pain medication the day of vaccination and the day after.
Disclaimer: This written content is meant to be educational and is not medical advice. Always consult a veterinarian about medical advice for your pet.
