Vaccinating your dog against disease is one of the most important things you can do to protect him against life threatening diseases. Conditions such as parvo, distempter, rabies and leptospirosis can all be prevented with the judicious use of vaccines. Bordatella, while usually not life threatening, can also be prevented by getting your dog vaccinated.
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How Vaccines Work
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Vaccines work by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies against the germs that cause illness. When the dog is exposed to virus particles, it is automatically recognized by the body as a "bad guy" and the antibodies go to work to destroy it. Since the immune cells have already been exposed to this invader before through the vaccine exposure, the body remembers it and mounts a response much more quickly, reducing the chance for the virus to take hold and replicate.
How Vaccines are Made
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Vaccines do not harm the dog, nor do they cause the dog to become sick. While it is true that the vaccines are a modified form of the virus itself, the virus has been altered in such a way that it cannot replicate and therefore not infect the dog. Many vaccines are either "modified live," which means that the virus particles are still active, only disabled, or killed, meaning that the virus particles are no longer active. The virus's tendency to mutate will determine which kind of vaccine will be produced.
Why Vaccinate?
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The reason that puppies are vaccinated multiple times during the course of their development is relatively simple. Puppies receive their mother's antibodies both before birth and then through the mother's milk. The puppies' immune system begins to develop shortly after birth and continues until the puppy reaches approximately 20 weeks of age. During the development period, the immune system will go through a series of peaks and valleys. It is during the valleys that the dog is the most susceptible to becoming infected with a virus and it is then that the vaccines are recommended. The vaccines boost the immune system response and keep the puppy safe.
Vaccine Breaks
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Vaccines are not perfect. It is still possible for a vaccinated dog to become infected with one or more of the viruses listed. Causes for vaccine breaks include the overall health of the dog, improper vaccination techniques, and improper storage or handling of vaccines by a veterinarian. Some virus strains are particularly virulent and some dogs are particularly sensitive to certain viruses, making them more difficult to protect.
Vaccination Schedules
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A recommended vaccine schedule for puppies is to receive a mutilvalent or "combo" injection for distemper, parvo and leptospirosis every three weeks until they reach 20 weeks of age and then yearly thereafter. Rabies vaccines should be given at 16 weeks and should be repeated during the annual veterinary visit. Bordatella should be given every six months intranasally, or approximately one week before being exposed.
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