Vaccines are an important part of regular care and preventative medicine. Vaccines contain a small amount of a modified version of a virus. This small dose allows the body’s immune system to identify the virus and prepare anti-bodies that will be ready to attack the real virus in the future.
Vaccines are safe, but adverse reactions are possible. It’s normal for animals to be more sleepy for the first day after a vaccine.
Some signs that may suggest a more serious reaction include:
- Facial swelling, hives, itchiness
- Fever, persistent fatigue
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Difficulty breathing
The main things we vaccinate dogs against are:
- Distemper (affects the nervous, respiratory and digestive systems)
- Adenovirus (affects the respiratory system and liver)
- Parvovirus (affects the digestive system and is highly contagious)
- Parainfluenza (affects the respiratory system)
- Rabies (affects the nervous system and is fatal)
- Bordetella (affects the respiratory system)
Vaccination schedule for dogs:
6-8 Weeks:
- DA2PP (Distemper, Adenovirus type-2, Parovirus, Parainfluenza, core vaccine)
10-12 weeks:
- DA2PP booster
- Bordetella (Non-Core…Recommended vaccines may vary based on region and risk)
14-16 weeks:
- DA2PP booster
- Rabies (Core)
1 year and older:
- DA2PP, can then be given every 3 years
- Rabies, can then be given every 3 years
- Bordetella, given annually (Optional)
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