When young puppies suckle their mothers milk, protection against diseases is passed on to them, as long as the mother has been vaccinated herself. After weaning, the maternal antibodies start to decrease in number in the puppies' blood and their immunity to these diseases decreases.
At the age of 8 weeks, the immunity of the puppy has decreased significantly and it is now vulnerable to disease. For this reason, the puppy is vaccinated at this point, and then two-four weeks later in order to ensure complete protection. During this time, it is important that the puppy does not encounter the disease, so make sure that you keep him indoors, away from any potentially un-vaccinated dogs. Socialisation can still continue with other puppies and fully vaccinated adult dogs in 'clean' areas (NOT parks etc.).
Vaccinations contain a weakened or dead form of the disease which stimulates the puppy to mount an immune response against the disease, without developing illness. When the puppy subsequently meets the full-blown form of the disease, its body remembers it and can defeat the organism before it causes illness.
If a puppy is not vaccinated, it is very vulnerable to disease and may die if it encounters one.
After a puppy's first vaccinations, regular boosters are needed. These are normally performed once a year and your vet may send out a reminder when it is due. Boosters are essential if you wish to leave your dog in kennels or take it to shows or training classes. The annual booster also provides an opportunity for your vet to give your dog a thorough check-up and pick up any illnesses before they become major.
For more information about the different diseases, please click on the name.
The standard dog vaccination is against Canine distemper (Hardpad), Canine Parvovirus, Infectious Canine Hepatitis (adenovirus), Leptospirosis and Canine Parainfluenza (a component of Kennel Cough).
If your dog is to travel abroad, he should be vaccinated against Rabies as well. This is one of the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS).
A vaccination against Bordetella is also available. This is one of the bacteria involved in kennel cough. It is often a requirement for boarding kennels.
Lots of people are worried about side effects from vaccination, with some owners opting not to vaccinate because of their concern.
Mild side effects (such as a local swelling around the injection site and slight lethargy) can occur following vaccination. This is because the vaccination stimulates an immune response in the dog (that is how it works). This should only last for a day or two.
Some dogs will be allergic to a component of the vaccine, in which case vaccination may induce an anaphylactic shock. This is a very rare occurrence but, if it does occur, take your dog back to the vet immediately. This reaction will not completely preclude vaccinating again as long as proper precautions are carried out.
If you suspect that your dog has had a reaction to a vaccine, this should be reported to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). Your vet will have a Suspected Adverse Reaction (SAR) form that they can fill in to do this.
Overall, the risk of an adverse reaction is very small and the risk of disease caused by not vaccinating your dog is far greater.
Canine Distemper / Canine Parvovirus / Canine Adenovirus / Leptospirosis / Kennel Cough / Rabies
