Dog Vaccinations - Castle Veterinary Group
Emergency Service is Available 24 Hours, 7 Days a Week
Quick Links
We Accept All Major Cards
We are accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Click above for more info
Hills Pet Nutrition
Click above for more info
Eukanuba Dog Feed
Click above for more info
Pet Plan Insurance
Click above for more info
Website Sponsered By
Why Vaccination is important Why you need to vaccinate your dog regularly. How vaccines work Fatal diseases of dogs Booster vaccinations We know that you care for your dog and want to ensure that he remains happy and healthy throughout his life and will do all you can to achieve this. One easy way in which you can help to ensure that your dog is protected from infectious diseases is to ensure that he is vaccinated as a puppy and regularly throughout his adult life. Dogs can and do become seriously ill or die from infectious diseases that could have been prevented through vaccination every year. Regular vaccination can protect your dog from infectious diseases such as canine parvovirus, canine distemper, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, canine parainfluenza and rabies. This page contains information on each of these diseases. By preventing these diseases you ensure that your dog stays healthy and happy. For the first few weeks of life, puppies are usually protected against disease from the immunity they receive in their mother´s milk. However, this maternal immunity may also neutralise any vaccine given at this time. Gradually this protection decreases, and the maternal immunity declines to a sufficiently low level for the animal to no longer be protected. This also allows the animal to respond to vaccination and so at this stage it is possible to start the vaccination programme. Your veterinary surgeon will suggest a programme of vaccinations to fit in with your pet´s particular needs and the local disease pattern. Many people believe that if they have their pet vaccinated when they are puppies the immunity they receive will protect them for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately this is not the case. After the last injection, the immune level reaches a peak and then begins to decline. After a year, the level of protection offered to your pet may no longer be sufficient. Revaccination stimulates the immune response so that protection is maintained for another year. Without these yearly vaccinations, your pet´s immune system may not be able to protect it from serious, often fatal disease. Vaccines work by training the white blood cells in your dog´s body to recognise and attack the viruses or bacteria contained in the vaccine. This should prevent infection with that particular organism if your dog comes into contact with it again. There are four major infectious diseases affecting dogs today. Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis and Leptospirosis. All are highly contagious and difficult and expensive to treat. Parvovirus is perhaps the most common canine infectious disease. Parvovirus was first recognised in the late 1970´s and rapidly became an epidemic. Many hundreds of dogs died before an effective vaccine could be produced. Sadly, this disease remains a major problem. Outbreaks still occur regularly across the country. The disease is usually seen as bloody diarrhoea in young animals, with a characteristic offensive odour and severe dehydration. Many will die within hours of the onset of symptoms. Once a dog becomes infected by parvovirus, the virus invades the intestines and bone marrow. This leads to sudden and severe bleeding into the gut, resulting in dehydration and shock and damage to the immune system. Death is common and frequently rapid unless emergency veterinary treatment is received. Canine distemper, sometimes referred to as 'Hard Pad', is caused by a virus very similar to the measles virus, although it is not a risk to humans. Although less common than it was 20 or 30 years ago, outbreaks still occur, mainly in urban areas where a large unvaccinated population of dogs and foxes exists. These tend to be 'explosive' in nature, causing death or permanent brain damage. Transmission of the virus is by inhalation and direct contact. The distemper virus attacks most parts of the body, including the spleen and bone marrow. This makes it easier to catch secondary infections. As the disease progresses, the virus spreads to the lungs and gut, the eyes, skin and brain. The classical signs are of a dog with a high temperature, a discharge from the eyes and nose, a cough, vomiting and diarrhoea. Hardening of the skin may occur, in particular the nose and pads, hence the term 'Hard Pad'. The virus can reach the brain causing permanent damage, ranging from involuntary twitches to fits. Dogs that recover may be left with some permanent disability such as cracked pads and nose, epilepsy, and damage to teeth enamel. Once again, treatment is lengthy, expensive and most importantly, often unsuccessful. As the incubation period is long - often about three weeks - it is usually too late to vaccinate when an outbreak occurs.
Dogs Vaccinations Frequently asked vaccination questions & answers Your dog is your best friend Why Vaccination is important Why you need to vaccinate your dog regularly Primary Vaccination Annual Vaccination How vaccines work Fatal diseases of dogs Canine Parvovirus Canine Distemper
Click here for all opening times
Click a link for more info
The official website of Castle Veterinary Group. All Content & Photos copyrighted (c) to www.castlevetgroup.co.uk 2010
You are viewing the text version of this site.
To view the full version please install the Adobe Flash Player and ensure your web browser has JavaScript enabled.
Need help? check the requirements page.
