You probably would have been told by your Vet that vaccinations are essential for your dogs health. You are told your puppy needs to be vaccinated a number of times to be fully protected. Now the question is "How does this work?"
Knowing the reason for vaccination and how it works could really mean alot to both you and your pet.
What is Vaccination?
The use of vaccines to "boost" your pet's immune system hereby preventing virus and diseases from attacking your pet.
There are different vaccines for specific infections and viruses, but over time these vaccines have been combines to reduce the frequency of vaccines your dogs take over a period of time. line the "DHLPP" and other combines vaccines.
What is DHLPP?
(D)distemper
(H)hepatitis
(L) leptospirosis
(P)parainfluenza and
(P)parvovirus
Puppies automatically obtain Immunization from the first milk they taste from their mother. This strong immunization is constantly active and nullifies any given vaccination as long as its still active. It stays active for a couple of weeks.
Puppies should get their first vaccine at 8weeks of age, then two subsequent vaccines at 3-4weeks interval, as your Vet advises.
How does Vaccines work?
Now here's the BIG QUESTION.
A virus is created in a laboratory. This virus imitates an Actual Virus but does not cause harm to your pet like the Actual Virus would.
Now, This virus injected in your dog has the same behavior as the actual virus. on getting into your pet, its body system recognizes it as a strange element. Then activates its defense system to fight this stranger.
The body system has an in-built defense system, but needs to be activated. If this is activated by the actual virus, the response time might be slow as it is its first time of encountering such strange element. Some elements of the virus would sneak in and infect your pet.
The body system also has a memory. It remembers what happened when last this strange element was introduced, and defends the body system as at last memory.
Some vaccines have reactions in pets such as drowsiness, weakness and such, while some have no effect at all.
The frequency of vaccines depends on the type of vaccine administered. Speak with your Vet on when next your pet needs to be vaccinated.
