Vaccinations

Highly contagious and deadly, Canine Parvovirus is one virus you do not want to deal with. It is the number one reason that we are total clean freaks at both Barks and Recreation and Barks and Medication. Unfortunately, the vast majority of dog owners are unaware of how many different ways their dog can come in contact with this deadly virus. It is easily spread by dog-to-dog contact- at the dog park or on a walk, contact with contaminated feces, food and water bowls and once infected you can expect vomiting, severe diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and lethargy. If your dog displays any of these symptoms, contact your vet immediately. The parvovirus can kill in as little as 48 hours. Puppies under 4 months of age and unvaccinated dogs are most at risk.

Canine distemper is a contagious and serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of puppies and dogs. The virus can also be found in wildlife such as foxes, wolves, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, mink and ferrets and has been reported in lions, tigers, leopards and other wild cats. Distemper is often fatal, and dogs that survive usually have permanent, irreparable nervous system damage. Once infected, dogs will develop a watery or pus-like discharge from their eyes, fever, nasal discharge, coughing, lethargy, reduced appetite, and vomiting. It can be spread thru shared water and
food bowls, another excellent reason you should not leave your pets water and food bowls outside overnight

Lyme disease is transmitted primarily by a very small tick with black legs (one way of identifying them) called a deer tick. Another way of identifying them is that the lower half of their back is red or red-orange while the lower half of the backs of almost all other ticks is black or very dark brown. Not saying you should ignore other tick bites- they can all transmit disease, but if you remove an imbedded, smaller than average, black-legged tick with a red lower back, save it and take it to your doctor when you go to be checked for Lyme disease.  Lyme disease is a nasty illness that can cause serious, recurring health problems for both you
and your dog. It is important to note that Lyme disease vaccination is not available for people and not indicated for all dogs. In many cases, the vaccination may present more risks that benefits. Your dog’s lifestyle and the area of the country in which you live, or spend time in, can be large factors in the decision. You need to trust your veterinarian on this one.

Everyone loves to take their dog to the park they get to play with other dogs and if the park has a small lake or pond, they can wade around- maybe go for a swim, get a drink when they get hot AND bring the Leptospira bacteria home to your family. If your dog is not vaccinated against Leptospirosis, contracting the disease caused by this very common bacteria is easy and very likely. And it doesn’t end with your dog. Leptospirosis can be spread from animals to people causing flu-like symptoms and kidney and liver disease. The most likely way this bacteria would be spread to you or your family is thru your dog’s urine. Avoid contact with your pet’s urine or feces and make sure you use a disinfectant when cleaning floors or furniture your dog may have contaminated. Vaccinations protect dogs for at least 12 months, so including this vaccination as part of your dog’s yearly exam is a very, very good idea.

Every year, the annual influenza epidemics have up to 20% of the population sniffling, aching, coughing, and running high fevers. You read and hear about H1N1, or H3N2, two sub type combinations that routinely cause people to “have the flu”. The “H” and “N” stand for proteins on the surface of the virus. There are 18 different H sub types and 11 different N sub types and that makes possible almost 200 basic combinations. Dog Flu is highly contagious and almost 100% of dogs exposed to it will become infected. Over 80% develop flu- like illness not unlike those experienced by people. The mortality rate is less than 10% but that is a frightening number when you consider how contagious this virus is.

Enteric means having to do with the intestines. You’ve seen “Enteric Coated Aspirin” for example. That is aspirin coated with a material that allows the aspirin to pass thru the stomach before it is released in the small intestines. Canine Enteric Coronaviruses attach to cells in the victims small intestine and result in diarrhea and painful abdominal cramping. Puppies seem to be the most at-risk along with dogs who live in crowded, unsanitary conditions. The virus is easily spread by contact with infected fecal matter, eating or drinking from contaminated bowls, or direct contact with an infected animal.

You probably haven’t heard of Bordetellosis, but you probably have heard of “Kennel Cough”. While most cases of kennel cough are caused by the bordetella bacterium, kennel cough has become a catch-all name for a group of symptoms that can be caused by a number of other bacteria or conditions. It’s like you ask for a Kleenex, someone gives you a Puffs, but it’s OK- you just wanted a tissue. An effective vaccine is available and is required at most training, boarding and day care facilities. If your dog develops a consistent cough for any reason, see your vet- and use a harness instead of a collar. Pulling against a collar can easily aggravate the cough or cause damage to an already irritated trachea.

Adenovirus 1 (CAV-1) causes Infectious Canine Hepatitis which can cause liver damage and death, while Adenovirus 2 (CAV-2) generally causes relatively mild respiratory illness. CAV-1 is one of the viruses vaccinated against when your puppy gets its first set of shots, the DHPP round, for Distemper, Hepatitis, ParaInfluenza and Parvo. But because the vaccine made for CAV-1 can cause many side-effects, the vaccine made for CAV-2, which causes far less side-effects, is used for both. That works because both viruses are able to confer cross-protection, meaning that when your dog’s immune system produces antibodies against either one, they work against the other as well. CAV-2 can be spread very easily thru animal to animal contact, or thru exposure to saliva, feces, urine or respiratory secretions from an infected canine. I say canine because any of the 36 member species, including foxes, wolves and jackals can contract and spread CAV-1 and CAV-2.

CANINE PARAINFLUENZA is a respiratory virus and one of the many viruses that can cause kennel cough in dogs. It is highly contagious and commonly develops in situations where a lot of dogs are in close proximity to each other. Although the symptoms may resemble those of Canine Influenza, they are unrelated viruses and require very different vaccines. Anytime the phrase “where a lot of dogs are in close proximity to each other” is used, you automatically think of Boarding and Day Care facilities- and that is a great example. But other large risk factors have to be considered: shelters, rescue centers, breeding kennels, pet stores, groomers, dog parks and show events or competitions. Vaccination against parainfluenza is normally included with the vaccines given for Bordetella.

INTESTINAL WORMS are parasites and are fairly common among pets. Some are much more dangerous than others. Most of these common parasites are contracted by ingesting infected soil, water, bodily waste, or an infected host such as a bird or rodent. Once your vet has determined the type(s) of worms your pet has, it’s fairly simple to control the situation.  Hookworms, Roundworms, Tapeworms and Whipworms are generally the most common. Medicines given vary depending on the specific type of parasite and the level of infection.  Owners often decide to administer de-wormers on their own, without understanding that
many parasites, including tapeworms, are not curable with over the counter treatments.  Symptoms include diarrhea, bloody stools, pale tongue and gums, itching around the anus or the obvious visible worms in your dog’s stools. Some heartworm preventatives, like Sentinel Spectrum, come with the added benefit of preventing all four of the most common worm parasites. Roundworms and tapeworms can cause serious problems for humans and require immediate attention. Roundworms can infect lungs as well as the intestines causing a variety of symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting or
diarrhea. Tapeworms will not develop into adults in human hosts, but tapeworm larvae can produce cysts in the lungs, liver or brain leading to serious illness.

Doesn’t even sound good, does it? Another intestinal monster, but this one is super small microscopically small and causes BIG problems. A single-celled organism called a protozoan, these parasites can be found in the large and small intestine and they can cause bloody diarrhea, which left untreated can cause dehydration and death. Puppies and dogs with compromised immune systems are the most likely to show symptoms. Once the dogs develops a mature immune system- generally by six months of age, its body may keep Coccidia under control and may ultimately clear the infection on its own.