Dog Health Blog

VACCINE THEORY: The pet and veterinary community has hotly debated the correct vaccination protocol for our pet dogs. In the past it was thought that any disease that a vaccine available to fight it should be given to our pets. As a backlash to this rational many articles in the pet community portrayed vaccines as the enemy and a likely cause of disease. The opinion of the veterinary community and certainly my opinion is a mixture of these two thoughts. And this article is intended to provide a rational for safe and reasonable vaccination of our pet dogs.

Okay, so what a vaccine is: So first we must discuss what a vaccine is. There are many types of vaccines available in human and animal medicine but currently many of our dog vaccines are modified live vaccines. This means that the scientist has slightly altered the virus so that it will still stimulate immunity but will not be able to cause disease in the patient, thus creating a safer vaccine. Immunity is just the body’s natural defense against infection. What a vaccine isn’t: Vaccines do not prevent disease in those animals already exposed to the virus. The vaccine must be present prior to exposure to provide time to grown adequate memory cells to aid in defense of the body. So, if you have a puppy that was exposed to parvo virus but not yet ill a vaccine will NOT prevent disease. How vaccines work: So many of us haven’t always understood why we need to vaccinate our pets (or children) we are just doing what is recommended by the doctor in an attempt to keep our loved one safe. As a veterinarian, I believe that it is important that owners understand why we vaccinate so that they have informed consent and know what they are protecting their pet with and against.

By giving a vaccine we are attempting to stimulate the dog’s immune system to create memory cells that will be saved in the body to fight the virus if they encounter it in the future. On the initial exposure to a virus (antigen) the immune system will create a few short lived memory cells but will not create lasting immunity. Therefore, we always provide one booster in 2-3 weeks to give a second boost to the immune system and create millions of long lived memory cells in the body. These cells are constantly circulating in the body looking for foreign invaders to attack and destroy thereby defending the body and providing the pet immunity to the virus.

Why are puppies given several vaccines? Neonate puppies or those recently born, receive all of their immunity from their mother through the uterus and the milk. The amount and level of immunity they receive is entirely dependent upon the mother’s vaccination and immunity status. Therefore a mother who has been poorly vaccinated, or even never vaccinated, will give poor immunity to her pups and those pups are at a very high risk of contracting and dying from very early infections such as parvo virus.

So, the mother’s immunity is very important in providing her pups early immunity from disease. The mother’s immunity will also block and prevent our vaccine from providing vaccinated immunity to the puppy. Also, based on her level of memory cells the mother’s immunity may last from a few weeks in the pups to as long as 4 months. This means that your newly purchased 8 week old puppy may or may not have immunity to infection. Without several costly blood tests, the best way of ensuring the puppy is protected is sequential vaccines over time.

But as we’ve said the mothers immunity blocks our vaccines so how do we know when her immunity is low enough for our vaccine to work but not so low that the pup is entirely unprotected? As we’ve learned puppies early in life are likely to be protected even from an infrequently vaccinated mother, therefore we do not typically need to vaccinate prior to 6 weeks of age. So we know that the best time to begin vaccines is from 6-8 weeks of age catching those pups that have limited or short term immunity. However some of these pups may have long immunity preventing our vaccine from working and preventing the puppy from receiving long lasting immunity to disease. The best way around this is to do sequential vaccines every 3 weeks for a series of 4 vaccines up to age 4 months. By doing this we are ensuring that the pups who have lost early immunity are protected at the proper time and we are also ensuring that the pups with longer lasting immunity are vaccinated long enough for our vaccine to work and a boosters to be given.

Summery to why sequential vaccines in pups: Start vaccines at 6-8 weeks Vaccinate every 3 wk up to 4 months old This will ensure early protection This will ensure the best lasting immunity Provide an additional vaccine booster at 18 months of age.

It is important to understand that even though there is a debate in our community about vaccinating adult animals that debate should not involve immature animals. The ONLY way of ensuring protection from deadly disease in puppies is to vaccinate them properly up to 1 year of age. At that point we have given them long lasting memory cells and may consider extending the subsequent intervals to every 2-3 years depending on the level of exposure and the vaccine used. Please vaccinate your puppies.

The most common core vaccine: Da2p-cpv:- Distemper virus- Adenovirus type 2- Parainfluenza- Parvo Virus

1. Canine Distemper Virus: is a disease of dogs only (although dogs can infect ferrets). The disease causes a variety of clinical signs from purulent (pus) nasal discharge and eye discharge with coughing to vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. Infected pets are often febrile (fever >103F) and very depressed/lethargic. The prognosis is very poor.

2. Canine adenovirus type 2: is also called canine infectious hepatitis and is a very serious disease that often isn’t seen in our area due to vaccination, but once was very common. There is also a type I vaccine that we don’t use because type 2 will protect against both types and type I vaccine causes eye inflammation commonly called blue eye.

3. Parainfluenza: is a dog disease that is part of the kennel cough complex. The virus works with the bordetella bacteria to cause a harsh unproductive cough. These pets typically have a history of exposure to other dogs (often in a kennel situation) and are typically normal except for a cough. They often respond well to treatment and supportive care.

4. Canine Parvo Virus: Is a life threatening disease of puppies and potentially of unvaccinated adults. The virus infects the rapidly growing cells of the intestine and causes severe liquid bloody diarrhea, frequent vomiting and very depressed/lethargic puppies. Puppies that are not treated will usually die. This disease can be prevented by vaccination.

Corona Virus: This is given twice to puppies 3 weeks apart. The virus causes a disease of vomiting and diarrhea in very young puppies. This vaccine is typically not given to adult dogs

Bordetella Bacterin: Protection from kennel cough complex. Is given as nose drops in our hospital and only to those dogs at high risk such as boarding dogs, those that attend puppy school and those that frequent doggie parks should also be vaccinated.

Rabies Frequency will vary by state. In AZ it is given to puppies and a booster is given in 1 year of age and then again every 3 years. The above vaccines are the most common ones in our area but certainly are not the only dog vaccines. In my next article I’ll discuss so of the other vaccines including those made to fight bacteria.

- an often deadly upper respiratory and neurologic virus of dogs.

- a hepatitis virus of dogs

- a respiratory infection often involved in kennel cough complex

- an often fatal gastrointestinal infection of all poorly vaccinated dogs.

This is the core combo vaccine that is given to puppies every 3 weeks until 4 months of age. It protects against the worst diseases that often are life threatening to puppies.

Jill M. Patt, DVM
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Canine yeast infection is the condition caused by yeast overgrowth in dogs. Cases of the infection are many and man and his best friend have not been able to escape a common enemy called candida. The full name of yeast is candida albicans. In canines there are several other strains of yeast that cause infections. Infections are caused when yeast overgrows and the growth in canines is facilitated by several factors which include the following. A dog which has a very poor mechanism of fighting infections or low immunity will be susceptible to infections. The yeast will easily colonize its system and it will affected.

Canine yeast infection occurs when the dog has been on antibiotics to treat a certain ailments or condition. Just like in humans, the drugs will get rid of the good bacteria and the body of a canine is left without any protection. Infection by yeast in dogs is called malessezia dermatitis and there are several ways you can conduct a diagnosis. The methods include impression smear, scotch tape sampling, skin scraping with blade, cotton swab and skin biopsy. All these tests will ensure that you know what condition your dog has. When you have established this, you can then administer the necessary medication.

Canine yeast infection comes with several symptoms that you can look out for in your dog. Yeast infections are usually smelly. You will notice a certain odor in your dog that is unusual and you can be sure that the odor is quite unpleasant. If you notice this, together with constant itching, you will be most sure that you have a yeast infection puzzle. The next thing you need to look out for is a lesion on the skin and they might affect the whole body. The skin might resemble that of an elephant skin. Therefore, with all these symptoms, it is hard to miss the condition in your dog.

For more tests to be conducted, you need to seek medical help for your canine. The health professional will even give you future tips that can follow to ensure you protect your dog. Some of the tips that will ensure that your dog stays healthy include feeding the dog well with essential nutrients that will be laid out by the professional, the other thing you must ensure is good hygiene which will not only help your canine friend stay yeast free but will also ensure they stay comfortable. You can also see how you can use anti fungal medication if the dog is undergoing antibiotic treatment.

Canine yeast infections are easy to eradicate and with the medications available, you do not have to let your dog suffer. Make sure you keep the dog dry when possible and you can also get to read more about this on the internet. There is no doubt that your dog will even be happier and you will only be pleased to enjoy happy times with your dog. Make sure you follow through with every treatment plan that you are given. If you find that a particular medication is not working, inform your pet physician for a better prescription.

Peter Gitundu is a Web Administrator and Has Been Researching and Reporting on Yeast Infection for Years. For More Information on Canine Yeast Infection, Visit His Site at CANINE YEAST INFECTION You Can Also Post Pour Views About Canine Yeast Infection On My Blog Here CANINE YEAST INFECTION.

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‘To crop, or not to crop?’ is a question you may find yourself asking, if you have recently bought a puppy. There are many breeds that are required, by breed standard, to have their ear’s cropped. However many new owners are apprehensive about the procedure and should be, as it is something that should not be done lightly as every dog and owner are different. Many owners and vets alike condemn ear cropping as cruel and unnecessary, yet there are just as many that believe dogs must have the cosmetic procedures done, if they are to truly represent their breed standard.

Ear cropping is usually done between nine and twelve weeks of age after a brief fast of usually around twelve hours. This prevents complications with the anesthetic. During the procedure the ear is cut, and then sutured. Finally the puppy will be prescribed a medicine to reduce pain, and possibly to help fight off the chances of infection before returning home with you. Aftercare, is of the up most importance. This will literally make or break the ears standing well or not. The puppy will usually leave the vets office with a metal or strong plastic apparatus to hold the ears in place. You must take great care that the ears stay clean and the sutures are not ripped out. Ears will Bleed easily for the first few days, so you must watch the pup and keep him or her as calm as possible. After Seven days of this, the vet will remove the sutures, and once again tape the ears in an upward position so healing may finish in the correct position. The bandages will be changed roughly every week, depending on your vet until the ears stand correctly. Usually taking Six to eight weeks for the whole procedure, however they may take longer on certain breeds.

Please consider all the avenues of ear cropping before you make a decision, and Never go ahead with the procedure if you are not one hundred percent committed to the aftercare. First find a vet you feel you can trust to talk about all your questions and concerns regarding the procedure. Ask to see pictures of the ears he personally has done, as two vets may have very different techniques. Do not let anyone sway you one way or the other. Make an informed decision you trust, and can comfortably stand by, and remember all that really matters is if you believe your new puppy should have his ears cropped or not.

Read more of my articles about your new best friend at Canine Counterparts

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Pet respiratory disorders may arise as a consequence to poor sanitation, of an unregulated living environment with multiple animals and likely due to a pet’s susceptibility to other infected dogs. Despite the proper sustenance of canine health, including the periodic upkeep of its living quarters, the chances of contracting infections still prevail since pathogens are easily transmitted by mere interaction with other dogs, particularly if the dog’s immune system is weak.

The foregoing paragraphs will discuss the veterinary treatments for Kennel Cough and make special mention of the natural solutions available for this disorder in the form of herbal remedies. Find a list of natural, immune-enhancing constituents that have been observed to soothe and prevent respiratory disorders in pets.

Veterinary Treatments

Whenever respiratory infections set in, an intricate process of diagnosis is required to determine the cause of the disorder. A wide variety of veterinary drugs may be prescribed to provide symptomatic relief and this may be in the form of intra-nasal vaccinations or pet antibiotics.

But then know that it takes time for intra-nasal vaccinations to stimulate the immune system and reinforce its defenses. Frequent vaccinations likewise pose a challenge to the pet owner as antibiotics in the form of cough suppressants may likewise suppress immune system functions in the course of treatment.

Alternative Medicine Solutions

Medications that successfully treat the disorder without triggering long-term side effects have likely been formulated with organic compounds derived from the extracts of herbal remedies. In the practice of alternative medicine, herbs have been extensively used to heal respiratory ailments in human beings by relieving its symptoms, treating underlying disorders and strengthening immune defenses.

Looks like disease treatment through herbals is applicable in the physiology of pets. In fact, holistic practices now prescribe the use of herbal remedies to support the health care needs of pets. Standardized pet herbal supplements are formulated with the therapeutic compounds of recognized respiratory tract remedies Plantago Lanceolata and Bryonia. The immune-enhancing properties of the the herb Echinacea Purpurea makes it a popular ingredient as well.

Non-herbal constituents may include Ferrum Phosphate (a mineral known to support immune and circulatory health) and biochemic tissue salts such as Kalium Sulphate and Magnesium Phosphate. These are natural bodily constituents that help promote systemic wellness.

Standardized herbal supplements such as PetAlive KC-Defense endeavors to be a great alternative to veterinary medicine by promoting respiratory disorder relief without triggering severe side effects. The supplement is is an all-natural, holistic remedy that eases kennel cough, supports respiratory health and reinforces the immunity of dogs.

Bruce Maul is a partner in Gold Flax Seed, Inc. which provides only top quality Flax Seed, Herbal Remedies and other health related products. Learn more about Herbal Remedies by visiting http://www.myherbalremedystore.com

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 Dogs need different diets at different ages. Yes. This is true. For example, the puppy needs milk as the major food item while an adult dog may need beef or chicken in addition to the boiled egg and milk. So depending on the age factor, the diet schedule varies in reality for the dogs like any other species.

 Puppies need greater amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates than an adult dogs.  Furthermore, puppies need more frequent feeding schedules in a day, unlike an adult dog. The movement based requirements of diet are more in the case of puppies, since they are often more active than the adult dogs.

 Elder dogs need restricted protein but the protein needs to be easily digestible and easily assimilated in the body.  The diet schedule should have ample supply of water for them. Feeding aged dogs too much protein may finally lead to over burden to the renal structures and ultimately, the dog may end up damaging filters in the kidney.

 This is true especially when the immune system of these dogs is compromised due to many factors.  Similarly, the elderly dogs need less food only because the movements of the adult dogs are highly restricted and hence, they have to spend a limited of energy.

 Female dogs in the pregnancy stage need not be fed a full stomach since it may cause some discomforts to the animal. However, the pregnant animal and the nursing animal need special type of food items that deliver a balanced type of nutrition with proper supplementation of vitamins and minerals.

 The nursing animal with puppies need to be fed with enough amounts of calcium and hence, there will not be any calcium based deficiency and the bones of the puppies will be strong without any curving.