Puppy Vaccinations
When a puppy is first born, its immune system is not fully mature yet. It is very easy for a puppy to become infected with a variety of illnesses. The mother offers them some protection initially by nursing and offering maternal antibodies, and this will initially help with the puppy’s immunity. How long this maternal antibody lasts in any given puppy depends completely on the individual. These antibodies against various diseases/infections wear off at different times and then the maternal antibodies are completely gone and the puppy must rely on its own immune system. This is where vaccines come into play!
Puppies receive a series of three sets of “DAPP” vaccines starting around 6-8 weeks of age. Each set of vaccines is given 3-4 weeks apart (6-8 weeks old, 10-12 weeks old, 14-16 weeks old). The DAPP [1] vaccine is considered a core vaccine[2] and covers the most common illnesses spread through dogs. Many of these illnesses can be deadly if not prevented (such as parvovirus). Your puppy will also need to receive a Rabies vaccine around 16 weeks of age. This vaccine is a requirement under public health bylaws.
If the vaccines are not given in puppyhood and in a series, we could leave these little guys quite vulnerable. It is best to wait to introduce your puppy to other dogs until they’ve completed all their boosters. To prevent interference with the socialization period, have your puppy play with dogs that you know and trust to be fully vaccinated.
Dogs may require additional vaccines depending on their lifestyle!
Lyme vaccine
This is generally for dogs who are exposed to ticks through roaming in long grasses and forested areas or who go camping or to cottages. However, these days we see an increasing number of tick bites in the city! Lyme disease is spread by ticks and can manifest itself as lameness, lethargy, fever, inappetence, swollen lymph nodes, etc.
Bordetella vaccine
This is for dogs who are in close contact with other dogs, particularly in but not limited to, daycare, grooming, dog parks, or boarding type situations. This is also known as kennel cough and leads to a severe “honking” cough.
Leptospirosis vaccine
This is for dogs who tend to drink from puddles and stagnant water or anywhere that disease-carrying wildlife may urinate. Leptospirosis is a type of bacteria that can harm a dog’s liver and kidneys. Leptospirosis is zoonotic which means it can also spread to humans.
[1] DAPP vaccine – DAPP stands for Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus.
[2] Core vaccines for dog are those that are strongly recommended to be administered to ALL dogs. The DAPP and Rabies are two core vaccine in dogs.
