What vaccinations does your dog need (and how often)?

Your dog is your special little guy. So you want to make sure he’s protected against any and all diseases that may hurt or kill him. But the question is which are most necessary and how often are they needed? If you are due for pet vaccinations in Harwood Heights, you’ve likely come across these questions yourself. The answers are as follows.

Core vaccines
These are the first vaccines your puppy will ever receive, as most vets highly recommend your dog receive these very early in life. They are vaccines for Rabies, canine hepatitis, parvovirus, and distemper. These vaccines typically last anywhere from 7 to 15 years, so you shouldn’t have to worry about your dog catching these diseases anytime soon. Especially if your dog received these vaccines very early in life, as then he’s basically protected for the rest of his life.

Non-core vaccines are meant for bacteria instead of disease. They have a reputation for low efficacy rates and certain health risks that come from the chemicals in the injections. However, they do work, but please be considerate of these factors and discuss it with your vet. These vaccines include Lyme disease, canine influenza, parainfluenza, and leptospirosis, among others. Non-core vaccines have a faster turnaround, lasting only between 3 months to one year. In the former case, which includes vaccines like leptospirosis, this means that several of these vaccines will require multiple doses per year to ensure protection. This also makes the health issues associated with non-core vaccines all the more likely. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take measures to ensure your dog doesn’t catch these diseases, it just means that you need to take it up with your vet to make sure your dog is safe.

One problem universal to vaccination is over vaccination. This is what happens when you have your dog vaccinated too many times, and the chemicals that these vaccines put in your dog, while purely beneficial in small doses, become harmful because of the over-abundance. Too much of certain medicines in your dog’s body can result in anything from mild soreness to anaphylactic shock.

Vaccines are a vital part of your dog leading a healthy lifestyle. They protect against diseases that they would’ve been helpless against mere decades earlier. And while, like with anything, too much of it at one time can be a problem, this is easily avoided, as your vet will be sure to warn you of this early on. So if you think your dog is due for his shots, chances are he is, and the sooner the better.  Contact Portage Park Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic for more detail.

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