Keeping Up with Vaccines and Preventatives
There is no sweeter feeling than bringing your newly adopted dog home. But as your dog settles in, we know there's a lot to think about. Figuring out what standard medical care your dog will need moving forward can feel overwhelming. It's best to start a conversation with your vet about some key items that will start your dog on a healthy path: vaccines and preventatives.
In this blog post, we give you a breakdown of common vaccines and preventatives, so you can give your (current or future) dog the best care by being proactive, cautious and informed.
Vaccines are crucial in keeping a dog’s—especially a puppy's—immunity strong. Many vaccines are time-sensitive, with most requiring follow-up doses yearly or sometimes boosters within 2 to 4 weeks after the first dose is given. For puppies, it is especially important to stick to the vaccine schedule suggested by your vet, otherwise they may need to restart a full vaccine series from the beginning.
While vaccine requirements vary by state, there is a group of vaccines that are the basis for strong immunity against highly contagious, and sometimes fatal, viral illnesses. This group of vaccines are typically administered together. You may know them as DHPP or DAPP. Here is what they protect against:
Distemper: a respiratory infection that affects airways and the nervous systems
Hepatitis/Adenovirus: an infection of the liver that may lead to serious kidney damage
Parvovirus: extremely contagious/sometimes fatal illness. Puppies (who are the most at-risk) and dogs will have consistent vomiting and bloody diarrhea resulting in extreme dehydration
Parainfluenza: a contagious virus causing coughing, loss of appetite, lack of energy, nasal discharge, and fever
Two other important vaccines are the Bordetella, commonly known as kennel cough, and Rabies vaccines. These two vaccines need to be administered as directed by a vet. Not only are they required in the state of New York, but they are also required by many doggy day cares and groomers.
Three additional vaccines we suggest you look into are for Lyme Disease, Leptospirosis, and Influenza. While these vaccines are often considered "lifestyle vaccines" that can be opted into, the side effects for each of these illnesses are potentially fatal and affect key organs in dogs. They’re also easily transmittable and some are very contagious. We recommend having a conversation with your vet to determine which of these is most beneficial to your pup when discussing your dog's vaccine schedule.
Along with vaccines, preventatives are key in protecting your dog from unwanted illnesses. Here are the basics:
Flea/Tick preventatives: protects your dog from attracting fleas and ticks, which can commonly result in tick-borne illnesses
Heartworm preventatives: protects your dog from heartworms, which can be transmitted by a mosquito carrying the disease. Treatment for a dog who tests positive for heartworms takes months, is very expensive, and requires the dog to be kept on restricted activity for a large portion of the treatment
Preventatives come in many different forms (chewable, topical, injectable, etc.), and there are so many brands available on the market. Most preventatives are effective for about one month before needing the next dose, but there are some options that last for three or even six months.
Helpful tip: You can save money on preventatives by ordering them on websites like Chewy.com with a script from your vet.
