Dog vaccines are a critical aspect of canine preventive healthcare and one of the most cost-effective ways of maintaining your dog’s health, longevity, and quality of life. As pet parents, we read about so many different vaccinations for so many different illnesses that it can be confusing to know which vaccinations your dog needs and which ones are important but optional.
Why are vaccines important? What vaccines should your dog have?
What are vaccines and how do they work?
A vaccine is a preparation of either killed or altered microorganisms that is administered into the body. Vaccines help prepare the body’s immune system to fight the invasion of disease-causing organisms. Vaccines contain antigens, which look like the disease-causing organism to the immune system but don’t actually cause disease. When the vaccine is introduced to the body, the immune system is mildly stimulated. If a pet is ever exposed to the real disease, his immune system is now prepared to recognize and fight it off entirely or reduce the severity of the illness.
Vaccinating your pet has long been considered one of the easiest ways to help them live a long, healthy life. Canine vaccination also serves a public health function by forming a barrier against several zoonotic diseases affecting dogs and humans.
What vaccines do dogs need?
Vaccines for dogs are generally categorized as either core or non-core. Core vaccines are considered vital to all pets based on risk of exposure, severity of disease or transmissibility to humans. Meanwhile, non-core vaccines are available to and recommended for dogs dependent on their exposure risk and other factors.
Unless there’s a medical reason not to vaccinate, the American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Task Force notes that all dogs should have the following core vaccines:
- Canine distemper virus – This severe and contagious virus attacks a dog’s respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. The illness spreads through airborne exposure, as well as contaminated food and water bowls and other surfaces. Symptoms of distemper can include, watery eyes and nose, fever, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, twitching, paralysis, and even death in severe cases. Unfortunately, there is no cure for canine distemper virus. Treatment strategies for the illness provide supportive care and reduce the intensity of symptoms.
- Canine adenovirus (hepatitis) – Infectious canine hepatitis is a highly contagious viral infection that affects the liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs, and the eyes of an affected dog. Symptoms range from a slight fever and congestion of the mucous membranes to vomiting, jaundice, stomach enlargement, and pain around the liver. In extreme cases, hepatitis can be fatal in dogs. Similar to distemper, treatment for hepatitis provides supportive care and reduces the intensity of symptoms.
- Parvovirus – Parvo is highly contagious and is particularly dangerous for unvaccinated dogs and young puppies. The virus attacks the gastrointestinal system and creates a loss of appetite, vomiting, fever, and often severe, bloody diarrhea. Extreme dehydration can come on rapidly and kill a dog within 48-to-72 hours, so prompt veterinary attention is crucial. There is no cure, so keeping the dog hydrated and controlling the secondary symptoms can keep them going until their immune system fights off the illness.
- Canine parainfluenza – Canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV) is a highly contagious respiratory virus and is one of the most common pathogens of infectious tracheobronchitis, also known as kennel cough. It is common in shelter dogs and those who have spent time at boarding facilities.
- Rabies – Rabies is a viral disease that invades the central nervous system, causing neurological issues such as headaches, anxiety, hallucinations, excessive drooling, extreme fear of water, paralysis, and death. It is most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. For unvaccinated pets, euthanasia or a six-month quarantine are the most common forms of recourse. Due to its severity, most states require regular rabies vaccinations. Some jurisdictions require yearly rabies vaccination, while others call for vaccines every three years. In almost all states, proof of rabies vaccination is mandatory.
Vaccines for distemper (D), hepatitis (H), parvovirus (P), and parainfluenza (P) are often available in combinations that can be given in one dose. Combination vaccines such as the DHPP vaccine are effective, convenient, and avoid extra injections for your dog.
Non-core vaccines can be just as essential for some dogs based on their lifestyle and risk. Some of these recommended vaccines include:
- Leptospirosis – This bacterial infection is increasingly prevalent in soil and water across the globe. While some infected dogs do not exhibit symptoms, others can experience fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, and kidney and liver failure. Antibiotics can be effective, especially when given early.
- Lyme disease – Lyme disease is an infectious, tick-borne disease caused by bacteria passed on from ticks. It can cause inflammation that results in limping. Additionally, dogs may experience fever and loss of appetite, and the disease can affect dogs’ heart, kidney, and joints, among other things, or lead to neurological disorders if left untreated. If diagnosed quickly, a course of antibiotics is extremely helpful, though relapses can occur months or even years later.
