Dog Vaccinations
Almost all communities in the U.S. require at least one shot for your dog or puppy, and that's rabies. The rabies vaccine should be given when the puppy is twelve to sixteen weeks old, and then another one year later. Following, he'll need just one every three years. At around eight to sixteen weeks of age, the puppy's natural immunity from its mother's milk has worn off and it becomes at risk to a number of environmental hazards. For an older dog (above one year old), follow the same regimen as for a puppy. Be sure that you have proof that your dog or puppy has had his required rabies shot.
There is another shot recommended by many veterinarians, especially for puppies. This shot is often referred to as the five-in-one as the shot contains vaccines for Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Para influenza and Parvo, known officially as DHLP-P or CORONA. For puppies, the first shot is given at six weeks, another at nine weeks, a third at twelve weeks, a fourth at sixteen weeks and once a year following. For older dogs, the shots can be administered once, then again after three weeks and once a year thereafter. Some veterinarians will also recommend shots against Bordetella, although this vaccine has been shown, in certain studies, to only last from six to eleven months, and hardly ever past one-year. It can be given to puppies as early as three weeks of age and to older dogs every year.
If you think that you're going to take your dog out into the wild outdoors; hunting, running, or if you live on a farm or near forests, you may consider vaccinating against Lyme disease. However, this vaccine is one of the most controversial as many dogs have died as a result of its side effects. If you groom your dog often and if it has short hair, you may be able to find and loosen any deer ticks, which cause the disease. It will take a tick one to two days to transmit the disease to your dog. If you pull a tick off of your dog, keep it in an airtight plastic container in case you have to visit a veterinarian. He can then test the tick as well as your dog for the disease. If your dog acquires Lyme disease, treatment is available and often involves the use of the antibiotic doxycycline over a period of three to four weeks. If Lyme disease reoccurs, continued treatment with antibiotics is the only sure option.
Another important preventative measure to ensure your pet's protection is the use of a heartworm preventative. If you live in a climate that's warm all year round, consider giving your dog the monthly pill. If temperatures fall below freezing for the winter, you can discontinue the use of the pill until spring returns. Wet and sloppy ground allows the worms to spread easily to your dog. Be especially wary of open grassy fields, such as cow pastures. Your dog will have to be tested for heartworms before he starts taking the medicine for the first time, or for each following year. Treatment for heartworms involves poisoning the dog's blood in hopes of killing off the worms, which reproduce in the dog's heart. It is a painful and deadly experience for your pet, so prevention is the best treatment.
It should be mentioned that some veterinarians out there, keen on alternative medicine for your dog, believe that vaccinations should be avoided at all costs. It has been shown that repeated vaccinations might actually weaken the immune system to the disease it's trying to prevent. There is also speculation that vaccinations, when combined, may actually cause an animal to have a higher chance of getting one of the diseases he is being vaccinated against. Your best bet is to ask a veterinarian you trust. Bring up the issues that concern you. Do research. A good option, if you do decide to vaccinate, is to keep a calendar or doggy passport that documents your pet's treatment with a signature and stamp.
About the Author:
Tina Spriggs is an expert dog lover whose lifelong interest in canines provides the motivation for her site. To learn more about dogs or to find gifts and toys for them visit her site at Dog Gifts and Toys for Dog Lovers.
Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.
Latest News
 AFP | Ex-NFL player Vick allowed dogs to savage family pets: report AFP - RICHMOND, Virginia (AFP) — Jailed ex-National Football League star Michael Vick allowed his fighting dogs to savage family pets, a federal government agency ... |
Mortgage meltdown results in pets going to pound CNN - With foreclosures disrupting life, from the family house down to the dog house, and as Americans toil through a tough economic landscape, some of their pets ... Pet of the Week: Calie Humane Society of St Lucie County established fund to save special ... |
Homeless Pets Finding Families at Petland Stores Nationwide MarketWatch - CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, Nov 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The results of Petland's Adopt-A-PetSM survey mean good news for homeless pets at Petland stores ... |
 San Francisco Chronicle | Would you choose your pet over your partner? San Francisco Chronicle, USA - In a study of 900 pet parents by BizRate Research, women said they had a deeper emotional connection with their pets than men did. ... |
Pets feel heat of meltdown Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN - People are asking for help with pet food and housing, and people are leaving pets in abandoned homes or apartments after they move to parts unknown. ... Winchester shelter competes in national makeover contest |
Ask Vet: Holidays can be stressful for pets Knoxville News Sentinel, TN - However, our time of celebration can sometimes be stressful for our pets. Thanksgiving is the holiday with the highest travel rate; the highways and airways ... A Recommended Sales and Use Tax Proposed by Governor ... |
Soldier's home burns; pets saved (8:28 am) Las Cruces Sun-News, NM - Collazo said his son was at school when the fire broke out, and the family's 20 pets -- including two ferrets, two dogs and several turtles, mice and fish ... |
More Choosing Cremation for Pets Hartford Courant, United States - A clipping of the pet's hair is optional. "If you lost a special member of your family, you would want a special fond farewell to them," says LeBoyer. ... |
Vet Students Cheer Homeless People, Pets Zootoo.com, NJ - By Amy Lieberman BY CATEGORY: BY PET: The Mercer Pet Clinic, in Sacramento, is planning on spreading some holiday cheer to homeless pets in need of a good ... |
 CBS News | Store Accused Of Selling 'Puppy Mill' Pets WYFF, SC - GREENVILLE, SC -- A national pet store chain is under fire tonight accused of selling puppies that come from "puppy mills." The Humane Society of the United ... Video: AP Top Stories Investigation reveals Petland Inc. is biggest retailer of puppy ... Petland Pet Stores Linked to Inhumane Puppy Mills |
Resources
-
Online Classifieds - Free classsifieds advertising with Classified 2000 .net
High Traffic classifieds Free and fee based advertising. Personals Employment Business Pets Vehicles more categories. Affordable business solutions...
-
Bake-A-Dog-Bone :: Starting A Homebased Pet Business
Resource Guide for Starting a Dog Treat Pet Business
-
Top Quality, High Converting eBooks.
Earn excellent affiliate income: Pets, Diets, Selling, more.
-
Online Pet Memorials Desicated To Sadly Missed Pets
Create a Loving Online Pet Memorial Dedicated to Sadly Missed Pets and Animal Companions.