Is your pup up to date on vaccinations? He should be! During a vaccination, a pup is injected with the modified or dead versions of organisms that cause diseases, which allow his immune system to respond and be prepared for the actual disease.
A pup’s immune system has a vast memory, making vaccines very effective! There are two types of vaccines: core vaccines, which should be administered to all pups to prevent potentially fatal diseases, and non-core vaccines, which prevent fur balls from catching less serious illnesses that they may be at risk to depending on their environment and lifestyle. You’ll need to discuss with your vet which ones are necessary, but here are some vaccines that are recommended for pups.
Core Vaccines
1. Distemper
This infection is viral and is often fatal. Symptoms include runny noses, vomiting, diarrhea, and twitching. A pup who survives this disease often faces health issues for the rest of his life.
2. Infectious Canine Hepatitis
This viral illness results in fevers, liver disease, and bleeding disorders. It can survive in an environment for a very long time and even exist in the urine of recovered pups for up to 6 months. Not only that, it’s also highly contagious.
3. Canine Parvovirus
This disease is best known as parvo, and the virus can survive a litany of extreme temperatures, which is what makes it so dangerous. It causes vomiting, dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and is also fatal.
Non-core Vaccines
1. Canine Parainfluenza Virus and Bordetella Bronchiseptica
This is a worthy vaccine if your fur ball often traverses dog parks, obedience classes, boarding kennels, or other areas where many pups get together. This vaccination protects against kennel cough, a respiratory disease,
2. Leptospirosis
This disease is quite uncommon, and festers in areas that contain a large number of wild rats, exposing pups to their urine. The illness can result in kidney disease, so a fur balls who reside on sugarcane farms or other similar places may be advised to take this vaccine.
There you have it – the most important vaccines to consider for your pup. Need to figure out how to schedule all of them and how often to have them boosted? Stay tuned for our next article when we talk about that! Do like and share this if you found it helpful!
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