Everything You Ought To Know About Dog Vaccinations

A vaccine is prepared by either killed or altered microorganisms and then administered into the body of the pet. The vaccine stimulates the immune system and teaches it how to fight the microorganism so that if the microorganism returns in the near future, the pet will either not fall ill or will experience relatively less pain. Thus, vaccinating your buddy is extremely crucial. Read on to know more about vaccination in dogs.

Getting To Understand Vaccines

Vaccines aid in preparing the body’s immune system to tackle the invasion of disease-causing organisms. It contains antigens, which look like the disease-causing organism to the immune system but do not actually cause diseases. When the vaccine is introduced to the body, the immune system is stimulated quite a bit. If a pet gets fully exposed to the actual disease, his or her immune system is now prepared to recognize and fight it off completely or lowers the severity of the illness.

Types Of Vaccines For Dogs

There are two main divisions when it comes to vaccines for dogs. They are as follows:

Core Vaccines

These vaccines are highly recommended for dogs and young puppies and include:

  • Canine Distemper Virus
  • Canine Parvovirus
  • Canine Adenovirus-2 (Hepatitis)
  • Rabies Virus

Non-Core Vaccines

These particular vaccines are recommended in special circumstances, depending on the exposure risk of the particular canine, and include the following:

  • Leptospira species
  • Borrelia burgdorferi or Lyme disease
  • Canine parainfluenza virus
  • Bordetella bronchiseptica or kennel cough
  • canine influenza

Note: Your veterinarian is the ideal person who can best determine a vaccination schedule for your canine buddy. Moreover, this will depend on the type of vaccine, the age of your dog, medical history and background, environment, and lifestyle.

Vaccination Combats Several Diseases

The need to vaccinate your dog is undoubtedly very important as helps the body fight disease. Below is a list of diseases that are prevented through vaccination.

  • Rabies
  • Canine parvovirus infection
  • Canine distemper
  • Leptospirosis
  • Canine adenovirus-2
  • Canine parainfluenza
  • Lyme disease
  • Bordetellosis (kennel cough)
  • Canine influenza
  • Canine enteric coronavirus

Re-Vaccination

Vaccinating your dog does not mean he is safe from diseases for the many years to follow. Vaccines help boost immunity no doubt, but the effectiveness of vaccines can last from one year to several years. Hence, to keep your dog well protected against infectious diseases re-vaccination has proven to be a very smart option.

Vaccination Side Effects

Vaccinating your dog is a must, but pet parents should also know that vaccines do have a few side effects. Although mild, vaccines can create symptoms such as body soreness, a mild fever, and perhaps even allergic reactions.

Conclusion

Bottom line is, vaccinations help protect your dog and keep them safe from disease. It also keeps you safe, especially from rabies disease. So make sure you vaccinate your buddy and do not forget to consider re-vaccination if need be.