Keeping your animal healthy is one of the big responsibilities of dog ownership. Pet safety encompasses more than just keeping your dog from running out into the street, it includes disease prevention as well. Getting your animals vaccinated is a big part of keeping them safe and healthy. Vaccines are essential even for dogs that spend most of their time indoors. Some diseases are airborne and animals can be infected even without spending a lot of time outside.
Ways that a dog could get highly contagious diseases include:
- Trips to dog parks
- While being groomed
- While at a boarding kennel
Diseases that Can be Prevented with Vaccination
A number of diseases can make your dog sick and can even be fatal if you do not keep their vaccinations up to date. Consider the fact that without the right shots, your dog may be susceptible to:
- Distemper
The first symptoms of this disease will usually be vomiting and diarrhea, which may then progress to pneumonia. There is no cure for distemper, so dogs will have to be vaccinated. It is recommended that a distemper shot be given prior to a dog being exposed to other dogs. After the first series of four shots, a dog will need boosters after the first year and then one every three years.
- Parvovirus
Transmitted via feces, parvovirus attacks the dog’s white blood cells and intestinal tract. Even in cases where it is not fatal, parvovirus can cause lifelong heart problems. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. The vaccine is administered as a series of shots every three to four weeks from when the puppy is six to eight weeks old to when it is 16 weeks old. After that, there will be a one-year booster and then boosters every three years.
- Rabies
Aside from ensuring pet safety, vaccines can also protect the health of people in your household. Rabies is a deadly virus that attacks the nervous system and can be transmitted from dogs to humans. The initial vaccine may be administered to dogs as young as three months old. There will be a one-year vaccination along with annual boosters. Rabies is fatal for dogs 100 percent of the time.
You should note that every dog’s lifestyle and environment is unique; not every dog needs the same set of vaccinations. Take your dog’s risk factors into account when coming up with pet safety measures.