Pet health
Vaccinations
All puppies need to be vaccinated to protect them against infectious diseases. Our recommendations for vaccination are based on the North American AAHA Vaccination Guidelines.
These guidelines recommend that all puppies be vaccinated against distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, and rabies. These diseases can be highly contagious, very serious (even fatal) or, in the case of rabies, a public health risk.
In addition, we recommend bordetella (kennel cough) for most puppies, and leptospirosis to those at risk. Bordetella is similar to whooping cough in children, is highly contagious and can lead to pneumonia in severe cases. We like all puppies to receive basic immunity to this disease. Adult dogs continue to receive the vaccine only if they are considered at risk.
Leptospirosis causes kidney and liver damage. It is spread through the urine of raccoons, skunks and other animals and can also infect people. The organism proliferates in damp soil and following heavy rainfalls. In the last 10 years, Ontario has seen the number of cases increase from 250 to over 1,200 annually.
Before determining what to recommend for vaccines, we review your puppy’s lifestyle, previous vaccines, and consider his age, breed, and health status. Most puppies receive vaccines between two and four months of age, again a year later, and then through life at an interval determined by the vaccine. For instance, rabies and distemper/parvovirus/hepatitis are given every three years to adult dogs, whereas those dogs receiving leptospirosis or bordetella require annual revaccination. For pets spending time in tick-endemic areas, we may also recommend vaccination against Lyme disease and tick control.
For those owners wishing to use titers in lieu of vaccination, we provide this service also. While becoming more popular, reliance on titers has some limitations that we will discuss with owners.
We can accommodate specific vaccine schedules if requested by the owner or breeder, as long as the owner understands the risks and benefits to changes to currently accepted schedules.