Canine Vaccines: The Diseases That They Prevent

You know that you get your dog vaccinated, but do you know what the vaccines are for?

Vaccines work by introducing the virus or bacteria to the body in a very small amount, so that the body's natural immune system will develop antibodies to the virus.  Once your dog's body does this, if the actual virus or bacteria is contracted, your dog's body will recognize it as a threat and will respond with an immune response to eradicate it.

There are two main kinds of vaccines:  Core (usually legally required) and Non-Core (optional)

Core vaccines include Distemper, Parvo, Canine Hepatitis, and Rabies.
Non-Core vaccines include vaccines against bacteria such as Bordetella bronchiseptica, Borrelia burgdorferi and Leptospirosis.


Core Vaccines:


Distemper is a virus with no known cure.  It's similar to the measles virus in humans.  Early symptoms of an infection are fever (103.5+), red eyes, watery discharge from nose and eyes, lethargy, and anorexia.  persistent coughing, vomiting, or diarrhea are also common symptoms.
Parvovirus (parvo) is highly contagious and is dangerous, particularly to puppies and very old dogs.  Poor appetite, vomiting, diarrhea (with or without blood) are common symptoms.  Parvo can attack the heart muscle and bone marrow function as well, and is often lethal. Many shelters will euthanize dogs with Parvo instead of trying to treat it due to the high mortality rate and because it is highly contagious.
Canine Hepatitis can be fatal. It starts by causing an upper respiratory infection, and then attacks the liver, eyes, kidneys, and then the bloodstream.  It's a nasty virus.

DAPPv is also known as the canine distemper combination. It is a four-way vaccine that protects against distemper, andenovirus (Canine Hepatitis), parvovirus, and parainfluenza. Vaccination should begin at 8 weeks of age. Boosters are given every 3-4 weeks until the puppy has reached 16 weeks of age or older. After the initial series the vaccine is boosted in one year, and every three years after that.

Rabies is often fatal, and is very serious.  It affects the dog's central nervous system and gray matter of their brain.  There are two kinds of rabies, furious and paralytic.  Furious rabies includes the type of rabies you hear about or see on movies and features increased and overt aggression, biting Paralytic rabies is also sometimes called dumb rabies, and features loss of coordination and weakness.  Furious rabies usually lasts a few days, followed by paralytic rabies.  The virus moves quickly and early treatment is necessary for recovery. Rabies can be transmitted to humans and is very dangerous.

The Rabies vaccine can be administered to puppies as young as 3 months of age.  It's usually recommended for a puppy to get a one year vaccine, followed by another one year vaccine, then a three year vaccine.

Non-Core Vaccines

Bordetella is also called kennel cough. Your dog will need this vaccine if she or he is going to be boarded at a canine daycare or boarding facility, or otherwise around other dogs.  It's a highly contagious respiratory infection, with the most common symptom being a persistent cough.  A dog with kennel cough may also have watery nasal discharge, and in cases that have been left untreated, symptoms can progress to pneumonia, fever, lack of appetite, lethargy, and death.  Dogs often show symptoms 3-4 days after exposure.

The Bordetella vaccine for dogs is administered either as an injection under the skin or via nose drops every 6-12 months.  A vaccinated dog may still contract Bordetella, but the case is often less severe.  Most dogs can be vaccinated every 12 months, but your vet may recommend more often if your dog is frequently exposed to other dogs (such as those in dog daycare).

Borellia burgdorferi is also known as Lyme Disease and is spread by ticks, especially black legged ticks. Some Flea prevention products also work against ticks, as I talked about in this post about Flea & Tick prevention, but there is also a vaccine available.  Lyme Disease causes joint pain (this may be lifelong!), tiredness, fever, and loss of appetite. There can also be less common symptoms like sudden onset lameness.  My dog Otis had Lyme Disease when I adopted him, which is part of why flea and tick prevention is so important to me.

The Lyme Disease, or Borellia burgdorferi, vaccine is usually given in two doses the first time, with each dose two to four weeks apart and annual re-vaccination. Puppies must be at least 9 weeks old to receive the vaccine.  

Leptospirosis is something I had not heard of before until a friend of mine from Brazil told me how her dog had died from this, so I looked it up and found out that this bacteria causes infections across the world, particularly in warm and rainy areas, and is very serious.  Common risk factors for leptospirosis in dogs residing in the United States include exposure to or drinking from rivers, lakes or streams, dogs that are around other dogs.  Some infected dogs do not show any signs of illness or infections, some have a mild and transient illness and recover spontaneously on their own, while others develop severe illness and death. 

Signs of leptospirosis may include fever, shivering, muscle tenderness, reluctance to move, increased thirst, changes in the frequency or amount of urination, dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes), or painful inflammation within the eyes. The disease can cause kidney failure with or without liver failure. Dogs may occasionally develop severe lung disease and have difficulty breathing. Leptospirosis can cause bleeding disorders, which can lead to blood-tinged vomit, urine, stool or saliva; nosebleeds; and pinpoint red spots (which may be visible on the gums and other mucous membranes or on light-colored skin). Affected dogs can also develop swollen legs (from fluid accumulation) or accumulate excess fluid in their chest or abdomen. Soon after this bacteria infects your dog, fever and bacterial infection of the blood develops. The bacteria reproduces in the liver, kidneys, central nervous system, eyes, and/or reproductive system.  While a healthy dog's immune system may be able to clear out most of the infection, often some bacteria is left in the kidneys which then infect the urine.  This bacteria can be passed between dogs and animals.  Dogs can become infected and develop leptospirosis if their mucous membranes (or skin with any wound, such as a cut or scrape) come into contact with infected urine, urine-contaminated soil, water, food or bedding; through a bite from an infected animal; by eating infected tissues or carcasses; and rarely, through breeding. It can also be passed through the placenta from the mother dog to the puppies.

There is a Leptospirosis vaccine available, and it is adminstered annually.  You may have to ask your vet for this vaccine, as they may not offer it to all dogs.  If your dog is frequently around other dogs, or has access to woods or water (lakes, ponds, streams) you may want to seriously consider this vaccine.

Remember:  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Source:
ASPCA
PetMD
PetsWebMD
VetStreet
AMVA

Aug 28: Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

August 28th is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.

I have felt the loss of a beloved dog (and cat) who has gone to the rainbow bridge.  While the poem says that your beloved pet will wait to cross the bridge, many also refer to an pet's passing as "crossing the rainbow bridge".

Whether of find this post on August 28 or any other day of the year, know that I am sorry for your loss no matter how long ago it happened.  Please feel free to post a comment here to tell me about your furbaby that has gone to the rainbow bridge.  If you'd like to post a picture along with your story, please check out our Facebook Page.

Source:
Dog Tipper

How Often Do You Wash Your Dogs Bowls?

How Often Do You Wash Your Dog's Bowls?

If your answer is everyday, then congratulations!  You are treating your dog like family and washing his or her bowls as often as you should!

If you said once in awhile, not often, once every few days, or anything else it's okay!  You should wash them more often but the good news is that this is something that's easy to change.

Think about it.  Do you use the same plate (or bowl, or cup, or fork) every day, for every meal, without washing it in between meals?  Probably not!  Your pup shouldn't, either.

If you are using exclusively dry food, it's okay to wipe out the bowl in between meals and wash with soap and water at least every other day.

But, if you feed wet food (or wet in combination with dry, or dry food that has water or broth added) then you should wash the bowls with soap and water after every meal.

You definitely want to to remember to periodically wash the water bowl, too!

While we are talking about dog bowls and food, you might want to consider washing your hands before and after handling dog food.  This will help prevent the contamination and/or spread of salmonella.  I don't always remember to do this myself, but am making more of an effort!

REMEMBER! It doesn't matter how much Rover licks the bowl, it's not clean unless you wash it with soap and water!  Many bowls are dishwasher safe (except some plastics) and can be washed in the dishwasher with your dishes to make the job easier.


Sources:
FoodSafety.gov
VetStreet

National CHECK THE CHIP Day is August 15!

 WHAT?  You've never heard of this fabulous day?!?!

Here's the deal: August 15th is National Check The Chip day, as in MICROCHIP.  It's a good idea to annually review the information you have on file with the microchip company, and to make an appointment to get your pet micro-chipped if he or she isn't already.

My two boys were adopted from Love Mutts Rescue and were micro-chipped before I adopted them, but Remy was adopted from the SPCA and was not.  I meant to get her chipped at her last annual exam, but I had Remy and Otis at the vet together by myself and forgot to ask for it!  I'm using Check The Chip Day as my own personal reminder to get Remy chipped, too!


You can use the Universal Microchip Lookup Tool to check your pet's registration info.  The following microchip companies participate:

• 24PetWatch​
• AKC Companion Animal Recovery (AKC-CAR)    
• EIDAP  
• Found Animals 
• HomeAgain (includes Banfield chips)  
• InfoPet 
• Microchip I.D. Systems
• PetKey 
• PetLink    
• Save This Life   
• SmartTag Microchip

DID YOU KNOW?

• a micro-chip is about the size of a grain of rice
• the microchip only contains your dogs registration or microchip number, which can then be looked up on the Universal database.  This is why it's so important to make sure your info is up to date with your microchip company.
• a lost dog without a microchip only finds it's owners around 21% of the time.  Dogs with microchips are re-united more than twice that, around 52% of the time.
• getting your dog microchipped is easy, and can be done at a regular office visit.  It's inserted with a hypodermic needle, and is no more painful than a normal injection.
• you should have your vet scan your dog at his annual exam to make sure the microchip is still functioning and can be detected.
• Many shelters and most rescues microchip adoptable dogs, but if yours isn't micro-chipped, it usually costs no more than $25-35 for your dog to be micro-chipped.

Sources:
AMVA

Have You Seen A SERVICE DOG?

Have you ever seen a dog in a store or restaurant that was wearing a service vest?  You probably already know that it's a service dog, but do you know the different kinds of service dogs and the etiquette that should be observed when around one?

There are three main types of dogs in service:

• Service Dogs: these dogs are trained to perform tasks that the human handler is unable to do (or unable to do without great difficulty) due to their disability. Almost all establishments must allow service dogs on the premises, except the federal government.  Types of service dogs include:
• mobility dogs, which help with stability while walking.  They wear a special harness with a counterweight to assist the handler with balance.  They can also be trained to do things like retrieve or pickup items and open or close a door. These dogs also serve as guides for the blind.
• hearing dogs, who assist their deaf or hard of hearing handlers to sounds such as a baby crying, smoke alarms, doorbells, etc.
• seizure/alert dogs, whoare trained to do things like roll over their handler (to avoid an obstructed airway during seizure), pressing an emergency call button, block their handler from falling down stairs, and alerting their handler of when a seizure is imminent. Diabetic alert dogs also fall under this category, and can be trained to alert the handler when a child (in particular) is experiencing low blood sugar.
• autism dogs work a lot like hearing dogs, giving their handler an alert to things that require attention and focus.  They can also be trained to remove their handler from an overtimulating situation by either directing them home or to a particular person.

• Therapy Dogs & Emotional Support Dogs are personal pets that are not protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Therapy dogs often visit hospitals and nursing homes with the consent of the business, but neither therapy dogs or emotional support dogs are allowed in any business unless the business owner allows it.  Emotional support dogs often support people like soldiers who have seen combat or victims of abuse.  Neither of these kinds of dogs are allowed on the cabin of a plane or anywhere that the business owners will not allow.  Many of these dogs are rescue and shelter dogs that have been given a second chance at life.

Sources:
Please Don't Pet Me
Pet MD
Service Dog Central

Reverse Sneezing

A reverse sneeze  is an alarming thing to hear the first time you hear it!

Normally, when a dog sneezes, air is being expelled out.  A dog's head will move in a downward motion, and the air being expelled helps to remove the irritant from the dog's body.

But in a reverse sneeze, or paroxysmal respiration, a dog's head will often move up, and your dog will be sucking in air instead of expelling it.  It sounds terrible and the first time one of my dogs did it, I was scared something was really wrong with him!  The sound is usually like a loud snorting and gasping, and your dog may stand still while reverse sneezing.  Though it sounds awful, reverse sneezing doesn't hurt your dog or cause any long term effects.

Some dogs are more like to experience reverse sneezing, like those with pushed in faces or who have other respiratory issues.  Dogs with dental disease or who have mites in the nose may also experience reverse sneezing.  It's actually fairly common.

Treatment usually isn't required, but if the reverse sneezing keeps occurring, you should take your dog to the vet to rule out things like mites, collapsed trachea, nasal tumors, polyps, or infections, etc.  Treatment usually consists of soothing your dog, but for some cases, it's worsened by allergies and a medication such as benedryl or zyrtec may help.  Check with your vet before giving any medication.


Sources:
PetMD
VCA Hospitals

Do You Brush Fido's Teeth?

Many pet owners (myself included for awhile) don't give much thought to their dogs teeth.  My vet recommends that I brush my dogs teeth everyday.  I mean to, but I often collapse in bed without brushing their teeth.  I figure it's a good week if they get brushed three times.  I know it's not enough and am trying to get in the habit of doing it daily.

I've purchased toothbrushes and toothpaste.  I seem to have better luck using the finger brushes on my smaller dogs Otis and Lil' Bit, but I can use the regular toothbrush with Remy.
I tried a vanilla mint flavor, but unsurprisingly, it wasn't really enjoyed by my mutts.  So, I also bought a beef flavored toothpaste made by Arm & Hammer.  So far, all three dogs at least tolerate it.




Another thing I've been doing is giving my dogs dental treats that are supposed to help (at least a little) improve dental health.  I was giving them Virbac CET Veggiedent treats because they are VOHC accepted, which means the Veterinary Oral Health Council accepts the claim that the company makes.  Virbac CET Veggiedent treats claim to reduce tartar.  Having the VOHC accepted label means that this product has proven (in at least two trials) to help reduce tartar by 15-20%.  Unfortunately, though, these treats are also 3.4 kcal (calories) per gram, which for the size small treats (25g) means 85 calories per treat and for the large treats (35g) 105 calories per treat.  My dogs love these, and I highly recommend them if your dog isn't overweight.  In fact, I will likely still give these to my dogs, but less often or will break them in half so they get a smaller treat.  We are also going to try a couple of other dental treats that are VOHC approved such as Get Naked Low Calorie and Greenies Weight Management.  I am going to have my dogs try a dental treat that isn't necessarily low calorie or VOHC approved, but might help with their teeth, called Nutrident Complete, by Nylabone.  After they've tried them for awhile, I'll post a product review.



Some vets (especially a certain national chain) promotes annual teeth cleaning.  Depending on your dogs health, age, and tooth condition, you may actually need this.  I've never had a dog that needed it more than every other or every three years.  I am not a fan of annual cleanings for dogs unless the dog actually needs it, because your dog will need to be put under general anesthesia, and this should be done sparingly.  There are some vets who don't use general anesthesia, but this is not recommended by the AAHA or AVDC. This is because the teeth will not get properly cleaned if the dog is awake, and also your dog is more likely to be injured.  As I like to say, prevention is key, so do what you can to prevent or reduce the need for dental cleaning.  That being said, it is important for your vet to check your dog's teeth and gums for abnormalities or gum disease, which may then require treatment, including dental cleaning.  I'm not against dental cleanings for dogs, I just think they should only be done when they are actually needed.

Older dogs, as well as those that are smaller breed often need more cleanings than their younger or larger counterparts.  Older dogs naturally have had longer for plaque and tartar to build up, and gum disease to set in.  Smaller breeds often have crowded teeth, which leads to normal methods like dental treats and brushing to not be as effective.

3 yr old Remy with femur

8 yr old Lil' Bit with femur

Most experts don't suggest you give your dog animal bones, because your dog can chip or break her teeth on them.  I give my dogs bones, but they are supervised while they have them and the bones are taken away if the dogs chew too aggressively or if I start hearing sounds like they might crack the bones.  I am not a expert, but am not opposed to them as the chewing and rubbing does help keep my dog's teeth clean.  It also keeps all three of them occupied for awhile, which is a rarity!

5.5 yr old Otis with bovine femur

 So the takeaway is that your vet should examine your dog's teeth and gums annually, and you should follow their recommendation regarding dental cleanings.  You can lessen the frequency of cleanings by working to reduce the buildup of plaque and tartar by brushing your dog's teeth at least once a day and giving them dental treats designed to help.

Sources:
Pet WebMD
AVDC
VetStreet

4 Ingredient K9 Ice Cream Recipe

This is super easy and takes about 20-25 minutes to make (not counting cooling and freezing time).
I threw it together yesterday in between doing laundry and cleaning up the breakfast mess in the kitchen.

Easy 4 Ingredient K9 Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (can substitute butternut squash, too).  Should be about 2 cups when cooked.
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (can substitute sunflower butter if your dog is allergic to peanut)
• 2-3 Tbsp. Low Sodium chicken or beef broth (can substitute water if you don't have broth)
• 2 containers plain greek yogurt (can also use vanilla, but plain is best and is less likely to contain toxic artificial sweeteners)

plain greek yogurt

steamed and lightly mashed sweet potato

natural peanut butter.

Directions:

1. If you have a saucepan with a steamer bowl, fill pan enough to steam veggies.  This is usually a couple of inches of water.  Set it on the stove and turn it on. If you don't have a steamer, you can also boil the veggies for a few minutes to soften.
2. Meanwhile, cut the sweet potato into small chunks, about 1/2 inch (or smaller if you want them to steam faster) and add to the steamer.
3. Steam chunks for about 10-15 minutes, or until pretty soft (but not totally mushy).
4. After the sweet potatoes are steamed, lightly mash them.  You don't want to puree them, you want there to still be very small chunks.
5. Let them cool.  This can take around 20 minutes (this time doesn't count against the time it takes to make the ice cream, since you can leave the sweet potatoes and go attend to something else while they cool).
6. In a medium bowl, mix the two containers of greek yogurt, sweet potatoes, and peanut butter.  Add in the broth or water to thin it slightly.
7. Scoop into single serve size containers and freeze.  This makes a pretty good amount so make sure you have plenty of small containers.  I got a bunch at my local dollar store. It does take several hours to freeze and these should be only an occasional treat.

Depending on the size of your containers (and dogs!) you can get anywhere between 2-10 servings.

I would advise to use smaller containers - OR use one large container (takes longer to freeze) and then scoop out a tablespoon or two at a time for your pups.  Mine don't eat the containers, so this is a handy way to serve the ice cream.  Two of them pick up the containers and carry them out into the yard to enjoy.

a few of the containers ready for their lids and to be frozen.

Does your dog have allergies? This recipe is easy to change up and add substitutions!  I recently disocvered one of my dogs is allergic to chicken, so I can't use chicken broth.

Now, I made a version of the ice cream with 1 container greek yogurt, 1 very ripe banana, 1/2 cup peanut butter (substitute sunflower butter if allergic), and 2 cups of mashed steamed veggies (I usually use sweet potato, butternut squash, or pumpkin) but have also used beets, apples, or a mixture!  This one I just mix, pour into small containers, and freeze!