A Comprehensive Guide to Dog Vaccines

It's your responsibility to safeguard your dog's health and well-being. Vaccines are among the best ways to ensure your dog stays healthy and disease-free. At Walnut Valley Animal Health Hospital in Rowland Heights, CA, we offer unbeatable animal health services, including administering dog vaccines. 

Most dog owners fail to vaccinate their pets because they don't know when they should do it. Here's a dog vaccination schedule for you to follow.

Dog's Age	Recommended Vaccines	Optional Vaccines
6 to 8 weeks	Parvovirus, Distemper	Bordetella
10 to 12 weeks	DHPP (Vaccines for  distemper, hepatitis [adenovirus], parainfluenza, and parvovirus)	Bordetella, Leptospirosis, Influenza, Lyme disease as per the recommendation of the veterinarian and lifestyle of the dog
16 to 18 weeks	DHPP, Rabies	Bordetella, Leptospirosis, Influenza, Lyme disease depending on the lifestyle of the dog
12 to 16 months	DHPP	Lyme disease, Bordetella, Coronavirus, Leptospirosis
Every 1 to 2 years	DHPP	Bordetella, Leptospirosis, Influenza, Lyme disease depending on the lifestyle of the dog
Every 1 to 3 years (or as required by law)	Rabies

 

Let's explore some of the common dog ailments that vaccines can prevent. 

Canine Hepatitis

This highly contagious viral ailment affects a dog's kidneys, liver, spleen, eyes, and lungs. Symptoms include jaundice, pain around the liver, stomach enlargement, fever, vomiting, and mucous membrane congestion. You should know that canine hepatitis is unrelated to human hepatitis. Although canine hepatitis is not treatable, a vet can help manage the symptoms.

Canine Distemper

This severe and contagious viral ailment attacks the nervous, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems of dogs and other canines. The disease spreads through airborne exposure, whereby an infected animal coughs or sneezes. The virus can also spread by shared water and food bowls. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, fever, seizures, unusual discharge from the nose and eyes, and paralysis. You might also notice that the footpad of your dog has thickened.

Rabies

This viral ailment affects most mammals by attacking the central nervous system, leading to anxiety, headache, hallucinations, fear of water, excessive drooling, paralysis, and death. It's commonly transmitted through saliva when bitten by a rabid animal. It's vital you seek treatment immediately if a suspected rabid animal bites you. In most states, it's mandatory to vaccinate dogs against this ailment regularly,

Parvovirus

Parvo attacks the gastrointestinal system and causes appetite loss, fever, vomiting, and severe bloody diarrhea. The resulting extreme dehydration can kill a dog in 48 to 72 hours. Therefore, if you notice these symptoms in your dog, it's vital that you visit a veterinarian for treatment. 

Need Dog Vaccines in California? 

If you reside around Rowland Heights, CA, welcome to Walnut Valley Animal Hospital for exceptional animal health care services. Our vet has years of experience treating various pet health complications. Contact us today at 626-965-4941 for more insights on proper pet care.