Much like keeping our kids up to date on vaccinations, it is equally important that we give our pets preventative measures to getting sick. Us humans stay up to date on our rabies vaccines, and take the yearly flu shot as well, so it only makes sense that we do the same with our dogs. Any reputable doggy daycare will require you to show proof of 3 vaccinations - rabies, bordetella and distemper (DHPP) - before your dog can join in the fun. Have you ever been curious as to why exactly these three are required? Read on to find out!
The rabies vaccination is considered a core vaccination. Rabies can be contracted by wild animals, house pets, even humans, and is almost always fatal. By vaccinating your pet against the disease, you are adding another safeguard for yourself and family as well.
Dogs can contract rabies from a bite by an infected animal - usually bats, foxes, skunks or raccoons. The virus can lay dormant for up to 1 month, but once symptoms start showing they will develop quickly. Click HERE to see a full list of warning signs and symptoms of rabies.
Vaccination - The initial rabies vaccine can be given to puppies that are at least 12 weeks old. After the first shot, there is a booster 1 year later, and then follow up shots are given every 3 years.
The bordetella vaccination is for kennel cough, or the common canine cold. It is not a core vaccine, so be prepared to ask for it if you plan on taking your dog to doggy daycare, or even boarding them overnight at a vet’s office. Kennel cough is characterized by a harsh, hacking cough, but other than that your dog might not act sick. It can take anywhere from 2 to 14 days for symptoms to show, and usually goes away on its own in anywhere from 4 to 10 days. Usually the cough will resolve itself without antibiotics. If the dog is showing a loss of appetite or having trouble breathing or any of the symptoms listed HERE, then you should head to the vet to pick up antibiotics.
The problem with kennel cough is that it spreads incredibly quickly, and can be transferred just by touching a contaminated surface. Dogs who show even a hint of a hacking cough should be sent home from daycare, and kept home until all symptoms are gone. Young puppies and older dogs are especially at risk to catching kennel cough, because their immune systems aren’t as prepared to handle the extra work. If a puppy contracts kennel cough it can easily turn into pneumonia.
Vaccination - For young puppies, there is an intranasal vaccine that can be given as young as 3 weeks of age. There is also a shot that can be given at 8 weeks old, with a follow up booster at 12 weeks old. Both of these vaccines last for 1 year.
Canine distemper is the last for which dogs must be vaccinated, and is also a core vaccine. Distemper is a contagious disease which affects a dog’s nervous and respiratory systems, and digestive tract. There is no cure, and so getting the vaccination is incredibly important. Distemper can be contracted by contact with an infected animal - the virus can travel through the air and contaminate surfaces just be landing on them. Although there is no cure, dogs can survive distemper, and once they have completely recovered they no longer carry the virus.
Vaccination - The distemper vaccination is commonly given in a vaccine cocktail, called DHPP for short.
D = canine distemper
H = Hepatitis
P = Parvovirus
P = Parainfluenza
Puppies get this shot as a series at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age, followed up by a booster 1 year later. For adult dogs, this shot lasts 3 years.
Each of the three shots runs between $15 - $25 at your local vets office.
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