PawshPaws

Many people are telling me that they got new puppies for Christmas, which is just wonderful news.

Congratulations if you are one of those lucky people! You are in for a bundle of fun and joy!

But along with the fun comes responsibility and this raises a many important questions for new dog owners…

Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to address some of these issues in my upcoming posts, such as:

Common questions about vaccinations

One of the most common questions is whether a dog needs to be given vaccinations within the first few weeks of their life

While vaccinations should be a top priority in the early weeks of a dog’s life, the truth is that dogs need not be vaccinated until five to six weeks of age.

It is important that they receive the parvoviral vaccine used to kill viral infections, and a vaccine for the measles disease may be given.

Is there any need to give rabies vaccine to dogs? Yes, it is a must to go for the anti-rabies vaccine for dogs

What precaution does one need to undertake when this anti-rabies vaccine is given to the dog? The rabies vaccine is typically given at thirteen to fifteen weeks of age, and should to be repeated in fifteen months, and then administered once every three years.  It is important that the dog is given this vaccine.

Is there any need for canine distemper vaccination in case of dogs? Yes, there is a specific requirement in the case of dogs for the vaccination against the canine distemper.  This disease is quite prevalent in most countries

Is there any vaccination against leptospirosis and at what age should this be administered?   This vaccine should be given at six to eight weeks of age, again at ten to twelve weeks, and again at thirteen to sixteen weeks of age.

Another common question is whether a dog is to be given bordetella disease vaccine and lyme disease vaccine. No, these vaccines are only optional.  But the parvoviral vaccine should not be given in first week of a dog’s life because it will interfere with maternal antibody levels.

Which raises the question… Can a pregnant animal be vaccinated? Yes, the pregnant animal may be vaccinated against viral diseases two to three weeks prior to expected delivery date. This helps to provide maternal antibodies to the newborn.

That should get you started but next time we’ll discuss the importance of heartworm vaccinations.