MEDICAL CORNER

There was a time when owning a pet meant feeding the pet the leftovers and leaving him in the backyard to play- just a showpiece in the house. Times have changed and pet owners have become aware of the responsibility of keeping a healthy pet, which in turn means regular vaccination or inoculation of the pet.

Unlike in humans, dogs have to be vaccinated against a wide array of diseases every year. This is because these diseases can occur at any age, as there is a constant risk of exposure. Dogs have to be immunized against rabies, distemper, canine adenovirus type 1&2, parvovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis and caronavirus. Although the list is dreadful, most of these diseases are fatal and it is much wiser to prevent them by regular vaccination.

DISTEMPER:

This is a highly contagious viral disease affecting the respiratory, gastro-intestinal and nervous systems. The signs include high fever, discharge from eyes and nose, pustules on the abdomen, vomiting and loose motions, coughing, twitching of muscles and convulsions. Distemper can occur at any age, but is most commonly seen in young puppies and is highly fatal.

CANINE ADENOVIRUS TYPE 1 AND 2(CAV 1 AND CAV 2}:

CAV 1 causes liver kidney damage. The signs are jaundice, anemia and a bluish opacity of one or both eyes. CAV 2 causes respiratory infection and continuos debilitating cough (called kennel cough).

PARVOVIRUS:

This disease causes severe vomiting and loose motions with blood in dogs of all ages, but is especially fatal in pups. A lesser known fact is that the disease also affects the heart muscles of pups who survive the disease and these pups may later show signs of heart problem and die.

PARAINFLUENZA:

This virus is partly responsible for 'kennel cough' in dogs, and infection can be very severe in young pups.

LEPTOSPIROSIS:

This is a urinary bacterial disease which dog's contract from infected animals. It is caused by two types of bacteria and results in jaundice, hemorrhages around the eyes and in the mouth and in abdominal pain.

RABIES:

The most deadly of animal diseases, rabies is transmitted by bites from dogs or other animals. This virus attacks the nervous system and is always fatal. Signs of rabies include salivation, behaviour changes, paralysis and furious behaviour (mad-dog syndrome) in the last stage.

AGE FOR VACCINATION:

The vaccination schedule is variable depending on factors like type of vaccine used, age at first vaccination, risk of exposure and maternal protection. An ideal vaccination schedule would call for repeated boosters every two weeks after the first vaccination at six-eight weeks.

The following vaccine chart can be consulted:

The medical requirements for each breed vary and so when you meet the vet you can discuss your problems in our workshop.