There are several dangerous diseases which dogs can contract from the environment, or from other dogs. Some are more common that others, but all are a potential risk.
Vaccinations will give your dog the best possible protection against disease, and your puppy should be vaccinated between 6 and 9 weeks of age. This is the point at which immunity, passed to the puppy in its mother's milk, is beginning to fade. A second vaccination is required a few weeks later to complete the primary course. Routine initial inoculations will give your dog full protection against distemper(hardpad), parvovirus, leptospirosis, adenovirus 1 & 2, and parainfluenza virus. In addition, we strongly recommend that dogs of all ages are vaccinated against infectious bronchitis(bordetellosis).This very common disease is more commonly known as 'kennel cough' - a misleading name because although the disease is most commonly picked up in kennels, your dog can pick it up anywhere through contact with an infected animal. Gagging, cough and flu-like symptoms can last from a few days to several weeks. Even when symptoms abate, your dog can remain infectious for up to three months. If every dog was routinely vaccinated against this nasty problem, the incidence would be greatly reduced.
Vaccination against rabies is not routine in this country, but is required for dogs traveling abroad. Just as with human vaccines, the immunity provided by each vaccine will wane over time. We therefore recommend regular booster vaccinations at the recommended interval.
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