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TO SHOOT OR NOT TO SHOOT??
There has been heated debates regarding vaccines, and it can be pretty tough to wade through all the information, to figure out what’s actually the best plan for your dog. You may have seen information on the internet that seems to contradict what your veterinarian recommends. I know many of you are not sure who to believe any more; you hear all kinds of warnings about the perils of over vaccination, but you don’t want to leave your best hunting buddy unprotected, either. If you are like most Hunters, you aren’t even really sure which vaccines are available for dogs or which diseases they are supposed to be guarding against.
We must be very careful not to take vaccinations for granted or to allow ourselves to be convinced not to vaccinate our dogs. Those
who choose not to vaccinate are putting their animals' lives at great risk, as well as the lives of other animals they encounter. I think that those who speak out against vaccines must never have seen a puppy die from parvovirus, I have. The issue is not whether to vaccinate but with which vaccines and how often.
You ask how do vaccines work? The word vaccine comes from the Latin vacca meaning “cow”. In 1796, Edward Jenner used an inoculation of cowpox to successfully immunize a young boy against smallpox infection, after noting that those who worked with cows seemed protected from smallpox, and more specifically that people who became infected with cowpox (a more mild viral infection with the Latin name vaccinia) did not contract the deadlier smallpox virus.
Vaccines are agents that protect the vaccinated animal by giving the immune system advance warning. Some vaccinations can prevent a disease entirely and others just lessen the severity of the illness when exposure occurs.
The best advice…Talk to your veterinarian. The internet is a great place for information but you local vet knows what diseases are prevalent in your area and which vaccines you should administer to your dog. If you travel with your dog, please discuss this with your vet also; some diseases which may not be a problem in the Deep South can cause problems in New England or vice a versa.
I want to review some of the more common diseases you will want to consider vaccinating against.
RABIES: Rabies virus can infect ALL warm-blooded animals, including dogs and humans. The disease is generally fatal. Infection is through saliva, most commonly by bite wounds. In the US, bats are the most common source of human rabies infection. Cats are more frequently diagnosed with rabies than dogs in this country. Symptoms are mainly neurological, including behavior changes, salivation, difficulty swallowing, hyper-excitability, seizures and paralysis. All States require rabies vaccines for your dogs. Most states require an initial vaccine with a booster to be given a year later, after the first booster then one will be required every three years (check your local laws because some areas require more frequent revaccinations)
CANINE PARVOVIRUS: The disease caused by this virus is often referred to simply as parvo. The virus attacks the lining of the intestines as well as the bone marrow. Due to severe intestinal damage, dogs with parvo will have diarrhea (often bloody) as well as
vomiting. Because blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, the dogs will often have a very low white blood cell count. Dogs infected with parvo are extremely ill, usually requiring intensive care for a number of days. Even with treatment, the disease has a high fatality rate, especially in puppies and in certain breeds, including Rottweilers, Dobermans Pinschers, and American Pit Bull Terriers which seem to be more susceptible. This virus IS HIGHLY infectious and can live for many months in the environment, so dogs are extremely likely to be exposed. Even an indoor dog is at risk. For example, you can track this virus home on your boots. Although in recent years, three year vaccines have been developed if you travel with your dog, or it is exposed to many different places and situations. It is recommended that a puppy start receiving an initial series of vaccines at 5 weeks of age and after the third shot separated by 3 weeks each, then they receive an annual booster.
CANINE DISTEPER: Canine Distemper is also an extremely serious viral illness and can cause many different symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory issues and neurological problems such as seizures. It has the highest fatality rate of any viral illness of dogs except rabies. The name distemper can cause confusion because feline panleukopenia, which is caused by the parvovirus, is referred to as feline distemper, so canine and feline distemper are completely unrelated diseases caused by different families of viruses. Due to the severity of this disease and the fact that it is highly infectious. It is also recommended that a puppy start receiving an initial series of vaccines at 5 weeks of age and after the third shot separated by 3 weeks each they receive an annual booster. Hunting dogs can encounter this disease often in the field due to the high rate of infection of foxes and coyotes.
CANINE ADENOVIRUS: Dogs can be affected by two different adenoviruses, type 1 and type 2. Canine Adenovirus type 1 affects the liver; this condition is called infectious canine hepatitis. Canine adenovirus type 2 is one of the organisms that can cause kennel cough, an infectious respiratory disease of dogs. Because vaccination against adenovirus type 2 will protect dogs against both types, and type 1 vaccine has been associated with an immune reaction causing eye problems, dogs are generally vaccinated only for type 2. This disease (both types) should be vaccinated against if you travel with, board or expose your dogs to other unfamiliar dogs on a regular basis.
CANINE PARAINFLUENZA: Canine parainfluenza (do not confuse with canine influenza) is another one of the organisms that can cause kennel cough in dogs. Symptoms of this disease include coughing that can last for weeks or even months in conjunction with nasal discharge. Dogs who are frequently boarded, groomed, shown, or in contact with other dogs frequently should be vaccinated.
BORDETELLA: Bordetella bronchiseptica is a bacterial organism that can cause kennel cough in dogs as well as upper repertory infections or pneumonia. This infection can be transmitted between dogs and humans. Like other sources of kennel cough, Bordetella infection is most likely in dogs who are often exposed to other dogs, so dogs who are frequently boarded, groomed, shown, or in contact with other dogs frequently should be vaccinated.
LYME DISEASE: The organism that causes Lyme disease is a spirochete – a kind of coiled bacteria. The disease is transmitted to dogs
(and humans) via tick bites, most commonly by tiny deer ticks. Dogs can develop antibodies to Lyme disease from exposure to the organism with or without subsequent illness, or from vaccination, so a positive antibody test does not mean that a dog actually has Lyme disease. Dogs who do develop Lyme disease may have symptoms of arthritis (inflamed joints), and in some cases can develop heart or kidney disease or neurological problems. Prevention of tick bites is essential in protecting dogs from this infection, BUT we all know our Hunting Dogs WILL GET A TICK OR TWO OR THREE, there are good products on the market for this but they are not foolproof. An initial series of two vaccines two weeks apart are given with an annual booster.
LEPTOSPIROSIS: This is a term used for infection by various spiral-shaped bacteria that belong to a genus named Leptospira. The different members of this genus are called serovars, and several of them can cause illness in dogs. Many animals can be infected by leptospires, as can humans. Therefore, an infected dog can potentially transmit the disease to its owner or even the care giving veterinary staff if proper precautions are not taken. Dogs are infected through contact with urine or tissue of an infected animal – another dog, a rat or other rodent, and others including raccoons, opossums and skunks – or contact with water that has been contaminated by urine. Dogs in both rural and urban environments are at risk, since infected animals of various species can exist in both surroundings. The type of illness seen in dogs with leptospirisis varies somewhat depending on which serovar causes the infection, but the liver and kidneys are the organs most commonly affected, and jaundice (yellow eyes and skin) is often seen. The disease is treatable but can be fatal even with aggressive therapy. This is a vaccine which should be discussed with your vet. The chances of contracting this disease strain depends on it prevalence in the area in which you live. If you travel with your dogs then you will also need to know if there is prevalence in the areas which you will be traveling. It has also been noted that some breeds and young puppies can have adverse reactions to the vaccine.
GIARDIASIS: Giardia is a microscopic intestinal parasite that can infect dogs, cats, human and other species. Different types of Giardia tend to infect specific mammalian species (the kinds that infect dogs to not typically infect humans), so the risk of human infection from an infected pet is thought to be relatively low, a
lthough it can occur. Dogs with giardiasis may have diarrhea (or more rarely vomiting), but often have no symptoms at all. Dogs generally become infected by ingesting Giardia cysts passed in another dog’s stool, so those who are frequently in contact with other dogs, especially in dirty conditions, are most at risk. The cysts can survive for several months in water, so dogs (and others) can become infected by drinking contaminated water. The vaccine for this disease has proven ineffective for preventing the disease and only prevents an infected animal from passing cysts.
CANINE CORONAVIRUS: This virus causes diarrhea in some dogs that become infected with it. Presently, there is a debate as to the degree of illness caused by canine coronvirus and the usefulness of the vaccine is in preventing dogs from getting sick. It has been difficult to determine the duration of immunity provided by this vaccine, for example, because the virus does not reliably cause illness even in unvaccinated dogs. There have been some recent reports in Europe of respiratory disease in dogs caused by a coronavirus. Most vets now do not recommend this vaccine.
OTHER VACCINES: New vaccines have recently been developed. A rattlesnake vaccine (Crotalus atrox toxoid or “CAT”) is intended to protect dogs who might suffer rattlesnake bites; this preps their immune system so that antibodies to the snake venom will help neutralize the toxic effects when a bite occurs. Another new product, the Porphyromonas vaccine, is designed to help prevent periodontal disease in dogs by immunizing them against three of the organisms that are suspected to contribute to this problem.
Modern Vet's Reference, 2011 ed & Dr. Z. L. Klien, DVM, Retired
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