Canine viruses and vaccination intervals*
By Dr Rob Miller
As vets we are making constant efforts to offer the best preventative care for your dog. We constantly review our vaccination protocol and as new vaccines come onto the market we assess their potential role in our hospital. In line with our principle of not over loading dogs with unnecessary vaccines this review discusses our approach at our Seaforth Vets. It is in full alignment with current ASAVA recommendations.
Vaccination Protocol Summary
C3 = Parvo, Distemper and Hepatitis.
C5 = Parvo, Distemper, Hepatitis, Bordatella and Parainfluenza.
Pups should have a course of 3 vaccines between 6-18 weeks of age. (C3 at 6-8 weeks, C5 at week 12, C5 at 16 weeks).
Annual booster:
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Parainfluenza and Bordatella, yearly.
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Parvo, Distemper and Hepatitis, every 3 years
Your vaccination visit to the vet also encompasses an important full clinical examination of your dog, and review of heartworm control.
The Viruses
Distemper (Canine Distemper Virus)
A highly contagious viral disease of dogs, affecting animals of all ages especially pups. Recovery form infection is unlikely. If they do survive they may be left with permanent brain damage.
Signs include fever, cough, sneeze, vomiting and diarrhoea with paralysis and fitting in later stages.
It is a major killer of young dogs in countries where vaccination is uncommon.
Highly effective vaccines are available. This is identified as a core vaccine requirement in all countries. In Australia we have generally moved from a yearly to 3 yearly vaccination protocol for distemper.
Canine Hepatitis (adenovirus type 2)
Extremely contagious and mostly fatal. Can affect dogs of any age but most are less than 2 years old.
Signs include fever, depression, inappetence, vomiting and diarrhoea and a painful abdomen.
Infection can lead to death within 24-36 hours.
Recovery if it occurs can leave the dog with chronic liver and renal problems. They can spread the virus for months after their recovery.
Highly effective vaccines are available. This is identified as a core vaccine requirement in all countries. In Australia we have generally moved from a yearly to 3 yearly vaccination protocol for Canine Hepatitis.
Canine Parvovirus
Causes a nasty bloody diarrhoea and difficult to control vomiting. It is accompanied by severe abdominal pain. It is a miserable disease and death often occurs despite intensive care.
The virus is quite persistent in the environment and requires isolation and good disinfection to control its spread. Parvovirus is still not uncommon during the Australian summer. Vaccination is the answer.
Highly effective vaccines are available. This is identified as a core vaccine requirement in all countries. In Australia we have generally moved from a yearly to 3 yearly vaccination protocol for Parvovirus.
Kennel Cough (Bordatella Bronchiseptica)
KC is initiated with viral (parainfluenza) infection and damage to the mucus membranes of the upper respiratory tract for dogs, which is then followed by a bacterial phase with bordatella. At this stage one sees the classic picture of a honking cough with retching and mucus pooling.
It can be very distressing for the dog and client alike., both getting little sleep. It can last from 2 weeks to many months if left untreated, and may even lead to chronic bronchitis or pneumonia.
Vaccines are fairly effective against this disease. The standard vaccine contains both a viral vaccine for parainfluenza, and a bacterial vaccine against bordatella. Due to the ability of parainfluenza viruses to mutate it is hard to produce vaccines that work against all strains. However there is always a degree of cross protection conferred and vaccinated dogs only ever get a mild form of the disease if they do contract it.
It is highly contagious and the dog's history usually includes having been boarding kennels or dog day care, but it can be contracted by non-contemporanial sharing of any air space.
Effective vaccines are available. This is identified as a core vaccine requirement in all countries. Kennel Cough requires yearly vaccination boosters.
Canine Corona Virus
Can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in young pups. It is likely to occur and go unnoticed in most dogs. It is not considered a disease that requires vaccination. They may be used in breeding kennels for added safety. It is not regarded as a core vaccination by the WSAVA.
Vaccines are available, but we do not and do not recommend routine vaccination against corona virus in Sydney.
Canine Leptospirosis
It is spread by the urine of rats leptospirosis can cause high death rates in areas it is an issue. Sydney is not one such place and we do not recommend or use Vaccines for leptospirosis. When I used to work in the UK it was an integral part of all vaccination protocols.