Vaccinating your dog is an important part of responsible pet ownership. It’s an inexpensive way to protect your dog from a number of serious diseases. The most common vaccines are rabies, bordatella (kennel cough), and a combination vaccine that protects the dog from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, parvovirus, and sometimes other diseases as well.
Most people are familiar with the rabies vaccine, since it’s the law that dogs must be vaccinated against rabies. These laws exist for a good reason because rabies is a viral disease that is deadly for both people and animals. Vaccinating your dog for rabies is important for your protection, your dog’s protection, and the protection of the entire community.
Bordatella, or kennel cough, is the canine equivalent of the common cold. Like a cold, the infection is contagious, and dogs who come in contact with other dogs at boarding kennels, dog shows, or even veterinary clinics may be at risk of contracting the disease. Unfortunately, another similarity with the common cold is that bordatella isn’t caused by just one germ. Dogs with weakened immune systems from other viruses are most susceptible to infection. Most boarding kennels or obedience classes will require you to show proof of bordatella vaccination.
The combination vaccine protects against a number of terrible diseases. Distemper is a potentially fatal viral disease that affects the dog’s respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. Canine hepatitis is a viral disease of the liver, and leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects the liver and kidneys. Parainfluenza is another common cause of canine coughing and parvovirus is an extremely serious viral disease that damages a dog’s intestinal lining.
Although all puppies should have a complete set of shots, some veterinarians now prefer to cater a dog’s later vaccinations to the dog’s lifestyle. Talk to your veterinarian about what is best for your dog.
Four hounds who have all had their shots.