The Importance of Vaccinating Your Puppy

You spent so much time trying to find the right the right breed for you and your family. Now that you have your new puppy, there are some things that you need to take care of before you start on the path to your new life together.

Remember that your puppy needs to be vaccinated very early on in life. These vaccinations will help your puppy's immune system fight off some major diseases, much like the vaccinations that you got when you were a child. Some of the core vaccines that your puppy should receive are the rabies vaccine, the parvovirus vaccine, the canine hepatitis vaccine and the canine distemper vaccine. These injections and the boosters that will come in years following will help to keep your puppy healthy and happy. Here are a few things about these diseases to show you why it can be so important to vaccinate your puppy.

Rabies is a virus that causes the brain to swell. Symptoms tend to include malaise, headache, fever, and later, acute pain, violent movements, an inability to swallow water, and finally mania, lethargy and possibly coma. The virus is easily spread, often through open wounds, and if your puppy is not vaccinated against it, the outcome is generally bleak.

Canine parvovirus 2, or parvo for short, is a very serious disease. Symptoms can include lethargy, excessive vomiting, fever, and bloody diarrhea. The vomiting and diarrhea will dehydrate your puppy, leading to some very nasty complications. These complications almost invariably occur, and lead to the death of the puppy. Unfortunately, parvo is not treatable in and of itself. The veterinarian has to treat the symptoms and hope for the best. This is why vaccination against parvo is so important.

Canine hepatitis affects the liver, much like the human strain. It is spread through feces, urine, blood, saliva, and nasal discharge. Symptoms can include fever, depression, loss of appetite, coughing and tender abdomen. If left untreated, complications such as jaundice, corneal edema, and bleeding disorders may occur.

Canine distemper virus is spread through aerosol droplets, and contact with infected bodily fluids. The infection tends to affect the lymphoid, epithelial, and nervous tissues. This generally leads to problems with lymphoid depletion, interstitial pneumonia, encephalitis, and hyperkeratosis of foot pads. The mortality rate depends on the dogs' immunity. For this reason, vaccination is extremely important.

It is incredibly important to the health of your puppy to get vaccinated. If you would like more information about vaccination, please contact your local Philadelphia Veterinarian Clinic by clicking here.