Vaccination is a sure way to protect your dog against viral diseases and ensure a longer happy life.
A mother dog protects her puppy around six to twelve weeks after birth. She has passed on her immunity mechanism to her puppies by providing disease-fighting antibodies in her first milk. This is called the Maternally Derived Antibody (MDA) or known as “passive immunity.”
After those weeks of immunity, MDA fades and the puppy is left to protect itself and soon, vaccination takes over the mother’s role in providing protection.
Immunity means that there is little or no risk of falling ill to a certain disease. In adult dogs immunity can result from either vaccination or the dog suffering and survived the disease.
Vaccination stimulates the dog’s immune system to produce its disease-fighting cells and proteins or what is known as antibodies to protect against diseases. Regular and repeated vaccinations are required. There are vaccination schedules for certain types of diseases for puppies and adult dogs.
For the first vaccination, a course of two vaccinations are usually given as a primary course. This may be administered starting from the sixth week of your dog.
The vaccination history of your dog is an important document. If you happen to not know the history, you may want to consult your veterinary surgeon regarding vaccination right away. A general check up will also be helpful to see if your puppy is in good health condition before giving the vaccines. Having a good health is an important factor to make the vaccines work for your dog or puppy.
Re-vaccination is also necessary as immunity loses its effectiveness after a time, leaving your dogs at risk. Regular boosters are available to maintain the immunity your dog needs. A certificate will be given to you after completing your entire vaccination program. In the certification, the record of vaccinations and the advice for the next booster are indicated. Things you have to remember are:
* that regular booster is necessary to maintain your dog’s vaccination;
* record of vaccination has to be kept in a safe place for reference;
* consult your veterinary doctor if your dog appears to be unwell.
Vaccinations are made for the protection of your dog from certain types of diseases. Be guided and keep an eye on the early symptoms.
Please note: This article is part of a collection of dog-related content that we purchased the rights to. Opinions expressed may or may not agree with those espoused by Master Dog Trainer Adam G. Katz. When in doubt, please refer to the advice given in Adam’s dog training book. This article is provided for your enjoyment, only. It’s relevance to real world working dog training may be limited.