Deciding whether or not to vaccinate your dog is one of the biggest things pet owners debate about. The injections used to vaccinate your pet contain a weak or man-made version of the disease. This triggers the body to produce antibodies to fight a disease. Dogs immune systems, just like humans, can easily catch an illness if the precautions have not been taken to avoid this.

In young pets, a “primary vaccination course” should be scheduled to completely protect them because their bodies are very vulnerable. Most vaccinations will require 2 rounds within a couple of weeks to fully protect them. Puppies are at a higher risk for serious illnesses and in the case that they did get sick, in most cases, this could cause lifelong health issues or become fatal.

Throughout their lifetime, dogs need booster vaccinations to maintain a level of protection. If vaccinations are not continued in a specific time frame through the years, you may need to start a “primary vaccination course” from the beginning to ensure that they are fully protected. Most vaccinations are annual with the exception of a few that are given every 6 months or every 3 years.

Core Vaccinations (Recommended for all dogs in the United States)

Canine Distemper: Contagious disease caused by a virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous system, in most cases caught airborne. Symptoms include watery pus-like discharge, fever, nasal discharge, coughing, lethargy, reduced appetite and vomiting. In bad cases where the disease effects the nervous system, dogs can develop head tilts, seizures, muscle twitches or paralysis.

Canine Parvovirus: A disease that affects the intestines or the heart. Once your pet catches this, the body will lose its ability to absorb nutrients and will cause them to quickly become dehydrated and weak. There is no known cure but is treated by curing the symptoms in a hospital environment. Unless caught very early, it is usually fatal. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, lethargy, anorexia, vomiting and weight loss.

Rabies: A disease that effects the brain and spinal cord. This is very contagious and is zoonotic (can affect humans). In most cases, it is spread by a bite or a scratch. Symptoms include extreme behavior changes, restlessness, aggression, fever and Irritability.

Non- Core Vaccinations (Recommended for social environments)

Bordetella (Kennel Cough)- Canine infectious respiratory disease. Inflammation of the trachea and the bronchial tubes, similar to a human cold. This is known to affect a high percentage of dogs at least once in their lifetime. Puppies and senior dogs are at increased risk of catching this and it can turn into pneumonia if left untreated. Symptoms include a dry cough, excessive coughing at nighttime, retching, watery nasal discharge, fever, lethargy, and lack of appetite.

Canine Influenza (Dog Flu): a Contagious viral infection that spreads quickly. Different strands can rise and affect different species. This travels airborne and spreads through coughing, barking and sneezing. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, runny eyes, fever, lethargy and difficulty breathing.

Leptospirosis: A Bacterial infection that is spread in water, soil, or urine. This is zoonotic and can cause severe damage in humans if left untreated. Symptoms include fever, shivering, muscle tenderness, reluctance to move, increased thirst, change in urine output, dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, jaundice or inflammation of the eyes.

If you do decide against vaccinating your dog, it is best to keep them out of social areas such as doggy daycare or the dog park. Unvaccinated dogs can be dangerous to other dogs.