What many dog lovers or dog owners should know is that bringing your dog to get vaccinated is very important for the dog's health. Because this vaccine will help prevent various serious diseases that may occur. It also reduces the chances of contagious diseases. For those who are confused about when and what vaccinations your dog should get, let's take a look at the information we have brought for you.
Why do dogs need to be vaccinated every year?
The dangerous period that can easily cause the death of puppies is around 3 months old because immunity from mother's milk (yellow milk) that every dog receives during birth will decrease when the puppy is 2 months old and will continue to decrease until it cannot prevent disease. Therefore, we must increase immunity by taking the dog to get vaccinated and get booster shots every year, once a year.
Things to know before bringing your dog to get vaccinated
Before bringing your dog for vaccination, we should check his health to make sure he is healthy and not sick with any diseases during that period to ensure that his body can fully build up immunity after receiving the vaccine.
For dogs that are at risk of contracting the disease, such as puppies born to weak mothers, puppies that do not receive colostrum immediately after birth, or dogs living in areas where the disease is endemic, all of these dogs must be vaccinated.
When should I bring my dog for vaccinations?
The first vaccination for dogs should be given at 8 weeks or 2 months of age, which is when puppies’ mother’s immunity levels are reduced to the point where they cannot protect against disease. During this time, puppies may be exposed to germs and become sick. Vaccination should not be given too early because the immunity level that the puppy still has will be resistant to the germs in the vaccine and will not develop immunity. Therefore, we should give puppies vaccinations when they are around 2 months of age, which is the best time for vaccination. Adult dogs should be vaccinated once a year, with the following vaccination schedule:
Dog Vaccination Program
| Age (weeks) | Types of vaccines |
| 6 weeks | Deworming and health check |
| 8 weeks | 5-in-1 vaccine (CDV, CAV-2, parainfluenza, CPV-2 and leptospira) Needle 1 |
| 12 weeks | 5-in-1 vaccine (CDV, CAV-2, parainfluenza, CPV-2 and leptospira) Second needle Rabies vaccine Needle 1 |
| 16 weeks | 5-in-1 vaccine (CDV, CAV-2, parainfluenza, CPV-2 and leptospira) 3rd dose and repeat injection every year Rabies vaccine 2nd dose and repeat injection every year |
| Every year | Combined vaccine Rabies vaccine |
Combined vaccine 5 diseases
Canine Distemper (CDV) / Canine Hepatitis (CAV-2) / Canine Parainfluenza (parainfluenza) / Canine enteritis (CPV-2) / Leptospirosis or rat urine disease (leptospira)
** In puppies that did not receive MDA and were at high risk for infection. Start the first dose of combined vaccine at 6, 10, 14, and 18 weeks of age, respectively.
- Deworm every 2 weeks until 3 months of age, then every 3 months thereafter.
- Prevent heartworm disease from age less than 6 months (starting at age 4 months)
“Vaccinate your dog annually.
It will make your pet healthy and have a good quality of life.”
Vaccination is the safest and best way to build immunity in your dog, giving him immunity to various diseases. However, owners should also take care of keeping their dog’s environment clean to reduce the risk of infection.
Side effects that can occur from vaccination
Side effects in dogs that can occur after vaccination include swelling, redness, or a rash at the injection site (within 24 hours). Some dogs may become lethargic, lethargic, or have a fever (within 24-72 hours).
Other possible allergic reactions to vaccines include vomiting, diarrhea, and red or inflamed eyes.
Post-vaccination care for dogs
1. Observe symptoms for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
After vaccination, the dog should be allowed to rest and be observed at the veterinary hospital for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to ensure that the symptoms are normal before being taken home.
2. Avoid bathing for 7 days.
When you bring your dog home, you should avoid bathing it for 7 days. Then, carefully observe your dog's symptoms because each dog will respond to the vaccine and build immunity to disease differently. It depends on many factors such as age, breed, type of vaccine, and the dog's general health. After vaccination, if your dog is lethargic, has a low fever, or has no appetite, this is normal. However, if after 48 hours the symptoms persist, you should consult a veterinarian immediately.
3. You should not take them out of the house often.
Before the puppy is fully vaccinated according to the prescribed program, we should prevent the puppy from having the opportunity to be exposed to diseases. Do not take the puppy out of the house often or bring it to be in contact with sick animals.
4. Get a booster shot every year.
Puppies need at least 5-7 days to develop immunity to a disease after being vaccinated, and they need at least 1-2 more vaccinations to reach a sufficient level of immunity. If an infection occurs before the immunity level is high enough to fight off the disease, a vaccinated puppy can still develop the disease.
Many dog owners believe that if their puppies are vaccinated since they are young, their immunity will last a lifetime. But in fact, it is not like that. We need to give them booster shots regularly. If we do not give them booster shots every year, the dog will not have immunity to some serious diseases. And most of the time, we find that pets die from serious diseases regularly. Which is sad because these diseases can be prevented just by taking the dog to get vaccinated every year.
For those who raise dogs, don't forget to bring your dog to get vaccinated every year. Our dogs will be healthy and not easily sick. Taking care of your dog's health is not difficult if the owner does not neglect vaccination.
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References
Dr. Oraya Prapanpoj (Dr. Nun), Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Surgery and Department of Cardiology, Talingchan Animal Hospital
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