Dog Care | Disease & Vaccination
Disease & Vaccination
Protecting your pet from harmful diseases and illnesses is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your dog lives a long, healthy life. This starts with the proper vaccinations against common canine diseases. With the help of your veterinarian, you can provide the proper protection for your furry friend.
How Do Vaccines Work?
Much like human vaccines, the injection contains a small amount of altered or dormant virus, bacteria, or disease-causing organism. Your dog’s immune system will learn how to fight against the disease, and will further-more be immune to any future occurrences.
When to Vaccinate Your Pet
A puppy gains immunity from harmful diseases through the mother’s milk. However, this temporary immunity lasts only 6-12 weeks, in which it will be time to consider initial vaccinations. These will be repeated for the first 3-4 months to ensure the effectiveness of the vaccination. After this period, your dog will still need continuous vaccinations, but not as often. Your vet will create a schedule for your pet’s vaccinations; it’s important to follow the schedule on time to maximize the effectiveness of the vaccinations.
What Kind of Vaccinations Does My Dog Need?
Veterinarians believe that your dog needs to be protected from the most common, infectious diseases. These include canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, canine parvovirus, canine tracheobronchitis and rabies. Other vaccinations can be recommended based on your dog’s breed, age, lifestyle and more.
How Effective is Vaccination?
Like any drug treatment, vaccinations are never 100% effective. However, when used in conjunction with proper nutrition and healthy living environment, vaccination is the best defense against fatal diseases. When you consider the cost of treating a disease overpaying for regular vaccinations, prevention is extremely cost-effective.