"Quality Care for Your 4-Legged Friends"
3355 E. Conner St.
Noblesville, IN 46060
(317)773-3283
Diseases Puppies are Vaccinated for:
- Distemper
- Measles
- Infectious Hepatitis
- Leptospirosis
- Lymes Disease
- Parvovirus & Caronavirus
- Parainfluenza & Bordatella
- Rabies
Distemper
• What does it do? This is a virus that attacks every tissue in the body.
• How is it spread? It is spread to other dogs by breathing the same air, nasal secretions, feces, urine and saliva. It is highly contagious, especially to young, unprotected dogs. Foxes, wolves, raccoons and minks are susceptible to the virus and, therefore, can spread the disease.
• What are the signs? Runny eyes and nose, coughing, sneezing, diarrhea, weakness and sleepiness.
• What about treatment? With treatment the patient may only partially recover. While the disease is temporary, it is usually followed by serious, life-threatening occurrences, such as nervous disorders and convulsions. Death is very common.
Return to top Measles
A measles vaccine is given along with the first distemper shot to give additional protection to your puppy. Measles, which is only a human disease, is a virus that is very similar to the antibodies that puppies get from their mother. This measles injection will stimulate the pup to produce its own antibodies against measles. The measles antibodies will attack the distemper virus because of the similar make-up of measles and distemper.
Infectious Hepatitis
• What does it do? It is an adenovirus (group of viruses causing upper respiratory infections) that usually affects dogs less than 1 year of age. The virus invades many organs, but especially the liver, kidneys and eyes.
• How is it spread? Contact with saliva, nasal secretions and urine.
• What are the signs? Cornea of the eyes turns blue, congestion, high fever, lack of appetite, vomiting, and/or diarrhea with or without blood. In sever cases the dog will suddenly become sick and die within a few hours.
• What about treatment? Depending on the severity of the disease, a dog can recover from this completely, while some dogs may be plagued with chronic illness for the rest of their lives.
Leptospirosis
• What does it do? The liver and kidney are the primary target organs.
• How is it spread? Urine of an infected dog and/ or sexual contact. It is contagious to humans.
• What are the symptoms? Weakness, lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, high fever, labored breathing yellowing of the skin.
• What about treatment? Treatment options with lepto are not very good. Dehydration often occurs even after fluids are constantly administered. Those that do survive become carriers for the disease and shed the organism into the environment from the urine.
Lymes Disease
• What does it do? The Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria causes inflammation of internal linings, which in turn causes inflammation of the joints, stomach and intestinal linings and lymph nodes.
• How is it spread? The deer tick is the most common carrier of the disease, although other ticks have been discovered as carriers. Infected ticks attach themselves to a variety of hosts, which include mice, deer, raccoons, rabbits, cattle, horses, dogs and humans.
• What are the signs? Usually the only sign seen is reluctance to move, and the joints become swollen, warm and painful. Some dogs have a fever, loss of appetite and swollen lymph nodes.
• What about treatment? Treatment is very difficult, especially because it is so hard to detect. It takes the disease one to two years to clear out of a dog's system, and even then the dog is not immune to future infection. Tick prevention and lymes vaccination are the key!
Parvovirus & Caronavirus
• What does it do? Both of these viruses attack the small intestine. They are most dangerous and severe in puppies.
• How is it spread? The viruses are shed in the feces, so it is spread through contact with fecal matter. Although this does not sound very likely, think of how many times your puppy goes in the backyard to run around and play. Fecal matter can be picked up on the pads of the puppy's paws or nose from sniffing around on the ground.
• What are the signs? Both are characterized by diarrhea. Parvovirus is the most severe because puppies develop a severe, bloody diarrhea, which is life threatening. Corona usually causes a watery, yellow diarrhea that can also cause death, but not very often.
• What about treatment? Recovery is possible with both diseases, but intensive veterinary care is required and full recovery is rare. Unless the infection is caught very early, death is likely.
Parainfluenza & Bordatella
• What does it do? The Parainfluenza virus and Bordetella bacteria attack the upper respiratory system, including the nasal passages, throat and trachea. These two infectious agents are often found together.
• How is it spread? Parainfluenza and Bordetella are spread through the air and are highly contagious.
• What are the signs? A dry cough is the most common (this is why it is commonly referred to as “Kennel Cough”), although pneumonia sometimes develops.
• What about treatment? Treatment is available, but the dry cough and potential pneumonia can become recurrent.
Rabies
• What does it do? The rabies virus affects the nervous tissue of all mammals, causing inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
• How is it spread? The virus is shed into the saliva of an infected animal and is then transmitted through a bite wound.
• What are the signs? Most commonly behavioral changes, such as lack of appetite, nervousness and apprehension, uncharacteristic aggressiveness and unexplained paralysis.
• What about treatment? The disease is almost always fatal. The vaccine is required by Indiana state law and should be given for your and your pet's protection. If your dog happens to bite a person and has not been vaccinated for Rabies, the dog must be euthanized.