Keep your pup ALIVE, vaccinate on TIME!

Are you aware of the danger’s of Parvovirus and Distemper?

These two diseases are the leading causes of death in young puppies and preventable with action by YOU the pet owner.

“Canine Parvovirus  is a highly contagious viral disease that can produce a life-threatening illness. The virus attacks rapidly dividing cells in a dog’s body, most severely affecting the intestinal tract.” ASPCA.org

Did you know that if you’re puppy contracts canine parvovirus it has a 50% chance of survival?
Distemper has about a 3% survival rate and is almost impossible for vet’s to detect and treat until it’s too late and the virus has attacked the central nervous system of the dog.

Now I am not posting this blog to scare you and send you into a panic as a pet owner, I am posting it to stress the importance of vaccinating your pet ON TIME.  One missed vaccine can mean the difference between your pet catching this terrible disease and not.

As a young pup, their immune system is very easily compromised, and just like us, building up immunity to these virus’s takes a series of the dormant bodies being introduced to the puppies system to create antibodies.  Just like when you’re younger you get your Tetanus vaccine once a year to build up your bodies antibodies, puppies too require a series of these vaccines to become fully immune.

Two methods of Vaccine series:

1) Three Vaccines given three weeks apart
2) Four vaccines given two weeks apart

Here is a question I get often: “So, I can’t have my puppy around other dogs?”
FALSE.

Just because you got a puppy doesn’t mean you have to post a “NO DOGS ALLOWED” sign on your front door.  Socializing your puppy at a young age is really important so if your friends have dogs, invite them over!  Just make it a point to insure that their dog is fully vaccinated AND hasn’t tromped through and infected area recently.

For example: Avoid having friends’ dogs over on their way home from the dog park, they can track infected fecal into your puppies safe haven.

So what can you do?
Be PROACTIVE, to avoid having to be REACTIVE!

If you’re puppy does not have all three/four rounds of DHLPP (Distemper/para flu/parvovirus) vaccines, keep your puppy from areas open to other potentially ill dogs:

• 
  Dog Parks
  


• Sidewalks


• Unenclosed yards


• Animal common areas


• Veterinary offices 

Until all three rounds have been administered in the proper time, it is recommended that you carry your puppy wherever you may go.

AND most importantly: VACCINATE ON TIME!!!