Running boarding kennels we insist on all dogs having vaccinations before there are allowed to stay. This is to stop transmission of any disease throughout the rest of the dogs, but what and when should a new puppy have them.

The quick answer is after about six to nine weeks your new puppy should have it’s first injection and then a booster after 2-4 weeks. Every year your dog will need a booster to make sure that it’s immune system is fine.

The vaccination covers a number of different diseases these being Distemper (Hardpad), Parvovirus, Leptospirosis,  Hepatitis and Kennel Cough. Let’s look at each one.

Distemper

Distemper if caught and untreated is usually fatal for your puppy. It’s also known as hard pad as the pad of the foot gets hard and often cracks. It affects the nose, lungs, eyes, skin, stomach and intestines, resulting in sore eyes and noses, pneumonia, diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration. In around about half of the cases the nervous system can be affected too which can cause fits.

Parvovirus

This highly infectious disease is passed directly from contact with other dogs or their faeces, the same as distemper. It can cause inflammation of the heart in very young puppies and also the intestines. Although the severity of the disease can alter in dog to dog it could cause death in less than 24 hours in some cases. Severe vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, dehydration and collapse are the signs of infection.

Leptospirosis

Again this is passed directly from dog to dog in the form of a bacteria but is often caught from the urine of infected dogs through cuts or scrapes. Foxes and rats are also carriers. Leptospirosis can effect damage to the liver, kidneys or blood vessels causing jaundice, haemorrhaging, vomiting and black diarrhoea which will lead to severe dehydration. If untreated death could be with 2 days. Rather worryingly we can be affected by it and could cause a serious illness or in some cases death.

Hepatitis

Although a little less common it is passed from dog to dog  with the virus being spread in the bloodstream. This then affects liver, where it destroys the liver cells, resulting in the organ becoming enlarged and inflamed. It causes jaundice, acute abdominal pain, be aware of vomiting or blood-tinged diarrhoea and dehydration. The bacteria can  also affect both the eyes and the kidneys.

Kennel Cough

This is the most highly infectious of them all being passed on by contact and through tiny air-bound droplets. It’s equivalent to the human flu and likewise is rarely fatal but is very unpleasant for your dog. It causes sneezing, nasal discharge and coughing. Being highly infectious kennels usually make sure that the vaccination has been given at least a week before entering kennels or it could easily be passed throughout  every unvaccinated dog.

It is essential for your puppy to be vaccinated against these diseases and to have a booster every year. Not only because of possible infections boarding kennels but also for your new puppy’s well being.