Vaccinations are very important for your dogs and administering them at the right time and in prescribed dosage is very important to keep them healthy. Its also not a one time job like some of us think, in some cases, dogs require booster shots just to keep pace with certain news strains of viruses and bacteria.
While it is best to depend on the professional experience of your vet while administering these vaccines, its good to have some general information about it
The vaccinations fall under two categories, CORE and Non-Core
Core vaccinations are generic vaccinations which provide your dog with the required resistance against generic widespread infections and diseases like Rabies, Canine distemper, ParvoVirus etc. These are also some infections which can prove to be fatal, extremely difficult to manage or can be transmitted to humans beings (e.g Rabbies) unless the dogs are properly vaccinated against. These vaccines also provide the dog immunity with a longer period of time between one to three years.
Non Core Vaccines are administered for diseases that don’t fall under the category of core and are largely dependent on the ecosystem ( surroundings ) that the dog is housed in. A few diseases for which the non-core vaccines help are Lyme Disease, Canine Influenza, Kennel Cough, Leptospirosis etc. These are also called seasonal vaccines since they are administered during early onset of any canine epidemic. Vets normally make a risk assessment based on the where the dog lives ( country ) and even the immediate surroundings ( inside the house, in the yard etc) and the Dogs lifestyle and its overall health. These vaccines provide a very short window of immunity for the dogs and hence dogs will have to administer this more often than the core vaccines based on your vet’s advice.
For more details on the actual infections, their causes and prevention read our article Common communicable infections of dogs during their social interactions
Vaccination Schedule
*Do Not use this as a recommended guide for self-vaccinating your dog.*
Remember to always observe your surroundings and learn about any Canine epidemic or infections which are in the air. Despite best care, prevention, and protection some dogs will be more susceptible to these infections than others and its always better to take them to a vet and give them a few booster shots just before the infection spreads
Originally published at www.pawedy.com on November 19, 2018.
