Vaccination - Midcoast Animal Hospital

Vaccination

What are vaccines?
Vaccines are biological products that activate protective immune responses and prepare your pet to fight future infections from disease causing agents.
When vaccinated, your pets immune systemwill recognise the invasion of the virus or bacteria and then work to eliminate it from their system.

Is it important to vaccinate?
Yes. Pets should be regularly vaccinated to protect them from specific highly contagious and infectious diseases.
Due to the regular vaccination of pets over the years the occurrence of infectious diseases has decreased. However, occasionally outbreaks of infectious diseases do occur and the best form of protection is having your dog fully vaccinated.
Protection from vaccination declines over time and it is advised the you re-vaccinate your dog annually to ensure on going and strong immunity. This also allows you to maintain regular annual health checks for your pet.

Why do puppies require a series of vaccinations?
Natural immunity is initially provided by their mother's milk, but as this protection wears off puppies are highly susceptible to disease. The presence of this natural immunity can also interfere with vaccines. Therefore, a series of vaccinations are scheduled usually 3-4 weeks apart to minimise any gaps in protection and to provide optimal proptection against disease for the first few months of life when puppies are most at risk.

It is important to minimise contact between your puppy and other dogs until the seriers of vaccinations has been complete. Your vet can advise you at what stage it is safe to socialise your puppy.

What disease should I routinely vaccinate my dog against?
It is important to discuss with your vet your pets lifestyle. This includes the extent of contact with other animals, the possiblity of travel and staying in boarding kennels, as these factors affect your pet's vaccination program, and it will be tailored to it's needs.

The main infections diseases affecting dogs in Australia are:

Canine Parvovirus


•A severe and highly contagious disease that affects dogs of all ages, but is most severe in young puppies.
•Transmitted to a dog when it comes into contact with faeces from an infected dog.
•It attacks the gastrointestinal tract and symptoms of the disease include vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, severe abdominal pain and depression.
•Adult dogs and puppies can die within 24hours of contracting the disease.

Canine Hepatitis


•A highly infectious disease, which can affect dogs of all ages, but puppies are most at risk
•Transmitted via ingestion of infected urine, faeces and/or saliva, and can continue to infect dogs for months after recovery.
•Symptoms include fever, lack of appetite, diarrhoea, abdominal pain due to enlarged liver, jaundice, depression and eye lesions.
•Adult dogs and puppies can die within 36hours of contracting the disease.

Canine Distemper


•A highly contagious and fatal viral disease that affects dogs of all ages, but puppies are most at risk.
•Transmitted by inhalation of secretions from an infected dog and from contaminated dust.
•It attacks the nervous system and symptoms intially include fever, discharge from eyes and nose, respiratory problems, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhoea.
•After several weeks it can progress to skin reactions muscle spasms and convulsions.

Canine Cough


•Highly contagious.
•Commonly transmitted by close contact with secretions from an infected dog - this is possible in kennels. at dog shows or even at the park.
•This disease is caused by multiple agents, however the main causative organisms are parainfluenza (a virus) and Bordetella bronchiseptica (a bacteria)
•It affects the respiratory tract and symptoms include a harsh, dry hacking cough that may persist for several weeks, conjustivitis, tonsillitis and nasal discharge.

Recommended Vaccination Guidelines

1st - 8-10 weeks of age, against Canine Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis.

2nd - 12-14 weeks of age, against all from the first vaccine + Canine Cough if owner wants.

3rd - 16-18 weeks of age, against all from previous vaccine.

Annual Booster, against everything that was vaccinated against in the puppy vaccinations

Heartworm

Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes and has the potential to cause heart failure and death. Your pet does not have to be in contact with other dogs to develop this disease.
More than 65% of the dog population in Australia lives in a high heartworm expectancy areas.
It can take only one bite from a carrier mosquito to infect your dog. The mosquito infects your dog with heartworm larvae as it feeds on your dog's blood. These larvae then migrate throught your dogs tissues to the heart and adjacent blood vessels of the lungs where they grow into adult worms.