Caissie Canine Instruction: Understanding Your K9’s Vaccinations.

We begin this week with some Summer K9 FUN FACTS. Did you know…..

1.    Dogs have 3 eyelids. The third lid is called “haw” and keeps the eye protected and lubricated.

2.    Two different breeds have a fully black tongue. The breeds are a Chow-Chow, and Shar-Peis.

3.    Dogs can see colours, primarily blue, yellow, and gray. They are unable to distinguish between red and green.

4.    Dogs have excellent vision in dim light and are more sensitive to motion which make them fearless hunters.

5.    Dogs have amazing peripheral vision. Some breeds have a panoramic view of almost 240 degrees. (Humans 180)

Welcome to Doggie Dialogue

Vaccines work by introducing a harmless version of a disease-causing organism to stimulate the immune system, helping your K9 by preparing their body to fight off the real disease if needed.

Core vaccines that are recommended for K9’s is the rabies vaccine, which can be fatal if the rabies disease gets transmitted through a bite.

The distemper vaccine is also recommended as this can often be fatal should your K9 get this serious viral infection.

The parvovirus, which affects puppies, is a gastrointestinal disease, which is highly contagious. The vet often will administer this vaccine for most puppies between 6-8 weeks. Boosters every 2-4 weeks until around 16 weeks.

There are non-core vaccines that are often given and will help for other contagious and respiratory diseases such as kennel cough, Lyme disease, and K9 influenza.

Adult dogs need yearly vaccinations, however vaccines like rabies or distemper may be boostered every 3 years.

We recommend yearly check ups with your vet to discuss specific vaccinations needs.

While rare, some dogs may experience mild reactions to vaccines.