Protect your dog from disease through Vaccination and Preventative Medication

Bringing home a soft, sweet little puppy is a wondrous and happy experience. Looking past the joy a puppy brings, it is important to understand that this little fuzzball now depends entirely on you for everything. Beyond ensuring your pet gets fed, bathed, and showered with attention, vaccination concerns must also be addressed. 

Pet owners in the Wesley Chapel, Florida area, have been bringing their pets to the Pavilion Crossing Animal Hospital for their vaccination needs. Given below is some information about canine diseases that can be prevented through vaccination.

Kennel Cough (Bordetella bronchiseptica)

Kennel cough is a highly contagious bacterial disease that produces symptoms such as forceful coughing, vomiting, sneezing, and seizures — it can also cause death in severe cases. Both injectable and nasal spray vaccines are available for prevention, which may prove essential if you plan to board or send your dog to group training classes or utilize doggy daycare.

Canine Distemper

Canine distemper is a contagious and severe viral disease that targets dogs’ respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. The virus is spread via airborne transmission when an infected animal sneezes or coughs and can also be transmitted through shared food and water. Symptoms of canine distemper include:

• Eye and nose discharge
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Coughing
• Diarrhea
• Seizures

There is no cure for canine distemper, but it is preventable through vaccination.

Heartworm Disease

Your dog should be able to start heartworm treatment around 12 to 16 weeks of age. This disease actually does not have a vaccination, but it is preventable through regularly administered heartworm medication. Heartworms are worms that lodge themselves in the right side of the heart and can travel throughout the rest of the body, causing possible damage to the kidneys and liver. They can grow up to 14 inches long and can prove deadly.

These are just a few diseases that can be prevented through vaccination or medication. Speak with your veterinarian about starting a vaccination plan for your dog. If you are looking for comprehensive preventative care for your pet or would like to find out more, please reach out to the Pavilion Crossing Animal Hospital by calling (813) 670-8881 today.

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