5 Vaccines to Cure Your DogBy Ernest Hamilton, UniversityHerald Reporter
Is your dog nursing? Are you wondering what to feed a nursing dog to produce more milk? Well, a healthy and well-fed dog will at all times have enough milk for the puppies. While dogs have become an important part of the family unit today, it is your role to protect it and keep it healthy. Vaccines are crucial for the dog, especially during the first stages of their lives. They protect dogs against harmful and deadly diseases including parvovirus and kennel cough among others.
Therefore, as a dog owner, it is vital that you follow up with your vet for a complete vaccination program. Here are 5 vaccines to cure your dog that you should never ignore.
1. Parvovirus Vaccine
Canine parvovirus is so far one of the most effective ways to protect your dog against parvovirus disease. For a puppy, the vaccine is given at its early stages of life. For an adult dog, a booster parvovirus vaccine is always effective. It helps to protect the dog through its years of life.
Parvovirus targets the bone marrow and other important tissues in the body. It can be transmitted through faecal matter, exposure to a contaminated environment, food, feeding bowls or even coming into contact with an infected dog.
2. Canine distemper vaccine
Protecting your dog against canine distemper is particularly important. It is essential that you stay up to date with the vaccines advancements because it protects against a potentially fatal disease or virus. Canine distemper has similar symptoms like the virus causing measles in humans.
A dog infected with canine distemper has a cough, fever, eye and nasal discharge and has no appetite. To effectively protect your dog from the disease, you need to stay current with the vaccinations. Similarly, you can clean all surfaces with disinfectants to kill the virus.
3. Leptospirosis Vaccine
The canine leptospiral vaccine is important. A good vaccine should contain Pomona, Canicola, Grippotyphosa and lcterohaemorrhagiae. These are crucial four Leptospira serovars that protect and cures against life-threatening diseases that usually leads to organ failure. Leptospirosis is spread through contaminated soil and water and enters the body through an opening.
Symptoms of the disease include: vomiting, fever, muscle pain, excessive thirst and infertility. If you live in a high-risk area, your dog will require a booster vaccine once a year.
4. Adenovirus 1 and 2 Vaccine
Adenovirus 1 and 2 Vaccine is given for the protection against type 1 and types 2 adenovirus diseases in dogs. This includes respiratory diseases that cause bronchiolitis, bronchitis, hepatitis and adenovirus 1 systemic disease. In both cases, the disease can be transmitted through nasal discharge, blood, urine, faecal matter and saliva of infected dogs. The vaccine is, therefore, crucial bearing in mind that the virus can survive for a longer period.
5. Canine Parainfluenza
Canine Parainfluenza vaccine is also important for dogs. It can be used in healthy dogs, prevention of disease and to boost the immunity of an already sick dog. The disease is caused by canine distemper virus, adenovirus type 1 and types 2 respiratory diseases, canine parvovirus and canine parvovirus.
Canine Parainfluenza is highly contagious and it causes infectious tracheobronchitis, kennel cough and inflammation of respiratory airways. Remember, all dogs require a booster canine parainfluenza vaccine after 2 years.
Often these vaccines are given in different stages. The first combination vaccine is given at 6 to 7 weeks. It protects against hepatitis, distemper, parainfluenza and coronavirus.
The second combination vaccine acts as a booster and it is given at 9 weeks.
The third combination vaccine is given at 12 weeks and it protects against Lyme disease.
At 16 weeks is the final combination vaccine that protects against different canine diseases.