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Dog illnesses:
Catching and sometimes fatal
There are a host of dog illnesses out there that can make
your puppy very sick. But good puppy care and regular
vaccinations (shots) can keep your puppy in the best of
health.
Vaccinations are one of the essential things you need to budget for as a
new puppy owner. Your vet can help you keep on schedule by sending you a
reminder once a year.
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On this page:
How do I keep illnesses away from my puppy?
What diseases could my dog get?
How do I vaccinate my dog and how often?
How do I keep dog illnesses away from my puppy?
There are a number of dog illnesses that
cause dog health problems. They will not only make your puppy or adult dog very sick but can
even kill them. These illnesses can be difficult - or
impossible - to treat.
Many of these illnesses are viruses and
your dog can be vaccinated against them - just like humans
can be vaccinated against viruses like smallpox, chicken pox
and flu.
Many boarding kennels, obedience schools and dog clubs,
as well as your local government or council, may require
proof of vaccination. This is usually a vaccination
certificate from your vet.
By regularly vaccinating your dog, you
will be helping to keep these diseases under control in the
dog community - and even help to eliminate them altogether.
Vaccinations are an important part of puppy care and
general dog health.
Most dog
illnesses are contagious and many can be fatal.
Top
What diseases could my dog get?
Different dog diseases can be a problem
in different parts of the world but the ones usually
vaccinated against are:
Depending on where you live, your dog won't need to be
vaccinated against all these diseases but he will need to be
vaccinated for at least 3 or 4 of them.
Rabies
Rabies exists in many countries
throughout the world and it may be mandatory to vaccinate
your dog against rabies in those countries. It is one of the
worst dog illnesses and can be easily transmitted to humans
through dog bites. Rabies kills about 55,000 people across
the world each year, mostly in Asia and Africa.
Several countries have been declared
rabies-free, however, and there is no need to vaccinate
against the disease in those countries. Rabies-free
countries are Australia,
New Zealand, Singapore, Fiji,
Guam, Hawaii,
the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway,
Sweden, Finland, Iceland,
Japan and Taiwan.
In
America, rabies was once
confined to the southern states but has moved north with
raccoon populations.
Asia, India and Africa have the highest rates of human
rabies in the world.
Check with your vet to find out if you need to vaccinate
against rabies in your area.
Canine distemper
Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease and it
is often fatal.
The virus is transmitted in discharges from the nose
and eyes of affected dogs.
Symptoms of canine distemper include fever, loss of
appetite, discharge from the eyes, vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing and runny
nose. The dog may later suffer convulsions. If the dog does manage to
survive distemper, it is likely to have brain damage.
Despite mandatory vaccination programs in many parts of
the world, canine distemper is still a major disease of dogs. Puppies are
most at risk and it is important to make sure they are vaccinated at an
early age (usually 6-8 weeks).
Canine hepatitis
Like hepatitis in humans, canine
hepatitis damages the liver. It is a highly contagious dog
illness.
Canine hepatitis is passed to dogs from
the urine of infected dogs.
Symptoms include lethargy and loss of
appetite, depression, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Even
after a successful treatment, the dog can have kidney and
liver damage.
Canine parvovirus
Canine parvovirus is a major cause of
dog illness. It is highly contagious and can survive in the
general environment for 12 months or more.
Parvovirus causes severe
gastroenteritis and can kill a puppy in 24 hours. Symptoms
include bloody diarrhoea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain,
depression and heart failure.
Canine cough
Canine cough is also known as 'kennel
cough' because it is easily passed around in dog kennels
where dogs live close together. However, dogs can be
infected anywhere that dogs get together such as the local
park or obedience school.
Kennel cough causes acute bronchitis. Affected dogs have a harsh, hacking cough but are
usually otherwise well. Like the human flu, dogs don't
usually die from the illness but the harsh cough can reduce
the dog's general health - particularly if the dog is
elderly - and can lead to more serious pneumonia or
bronchitis.
Many boarding kennels and obedience
schools require dogs to be vaccinated against kennel cough
and may ask for proof of vaccination.
Canine leptospirosis
Unlike most of the other dog diseases
mentioned here, canine leptospirosis is caused by a
bacterial infection. Leptospirosis can affect many animals
but for dogs it is usually only a problem where there are
large wild rat populations and dogs eat food or drink water
contaminated with rat urine.
Leptospirosis causes damage to the
liver and kidneys.
Your vet will able to advise you
whether you need to vaccinate against leptospirosis in your
area.
Canine coronavirus
Canine coronavirus is one of the less common dog
illnesses and is closely related
to canine parvovirus.
Symptoms include bloody and watery
diarrhoea, abdominal pain, vomiting, depression, loss of
appetite and dehydration.
Canine coronavirus is less likely to be
fatal than parvovirus but an affected dog could still need
to be hospitalised.
The vaccine for canine coronavirus is
often only given to dogs likely to encounter the disease
such as show dogs or other dogs likely to mix with a number
of dogs from different areas.
Top How do I vaccinate my dog and how often?
Unlike puppy worms, you can't vaccinate
your dog yourself but must take it to a vet.
Your vet will tell you which dog
illnesses you need to vaccinate against in your area and will
generally be able to vaccinate against a number of diseases
in one injection.
The
kennel cough vaccine can be delivered by injection but it
can also simply be squirted up the dog's nose.
Remember:
You may be required by law to vaccinate
against
certain diseases in your area (such as rabies).
How often?
Puppies should receive their first
vaccinations at 6-8 weeks of age.
Puppies should then receive booster
shots at 4-6 week intervals until they are around 18-20
weeks of age.
The booster shots are needed because
the antibodies the puppy got from its mother reduce the
vaccines' effectiveness.
After 18-20 weeks of age, dogs are
usually vaccinated yearly to maintain a high level of
protection throughout their life.
Puppies should be kept away from
public areas for 7 days after their vaccinations to allow
the vaccine to take effect.
New, more effective vaccines are being
developed all the time and it may be possible to vaccinate
against some dog illnesses only every 3 years instead of
yearly - ask your vet if such vaccines are available and
suitable for your dog.
In
rare cases, a dog may suffer an allergic reaction to a
vaccination. Symptoms might include swelling or redness
around the vaccination site or the dog may seem a little
unwell for a couple of days. More severe reactions might
include hives or an anaphylactic reaction (wheezing,
difficulty breathing, vomiting and so on). If your dog has
severe symptoms, see your vet immediately.
More puppy care at
PuppyPrimer.com
Top
Dog illnesses are often fatal, are highly
contagious and difficult to treat.
Do your pet a favour! Vaccinate
your dog throughout his life to keep him free of dog illnesses and help
him live a long and healthy life.
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