(under Philippine conditions..ehheehe...seryoso nga pala..sury)
VACCINATION
The vaccines available for doggies are for
Canine distemper
Canine parvovirus
Canine viral hepatitis
Leptospirosis
Rabies
Parainfluenza
Combinations contain distemper, hepatitis, and leptospirosis (DHL), with or without parvovirus (DHLP) or parainfluenza (DHPL). The initial, "P", for parvovirus may cause confusion. So make sure you know what the P means in your doggie's vaccination certificate. You may think it is for parvovirus, when it is only for parainfluenza (sayang pa tuloy ang ibinayad nyo..eeheehee)
Heniways, there are vaccines for these diseases because of one or several of the following reasons:
Unang una, THEY HAVE NO CURE. (no way!! ). Uh, huh, yes way...all diseases mentioned, except leptospirosis, are caused by viruses. There is no effective, specific cure for most viral diseases. While leptospirosis has a cure, it is part of the regimen for other reasons below.
Pangalawa, THEY ARE HIGHLY FATAL. (gosh, takot akow). Leptospirosis has a variable mortality rate (read: bihira ang namamatay), but the diagnosis may come TOO LATE for treatment. Rabies is 100% as in 100% fatal...*walang nabubuhay sa rabies*...
Ikatlo. THEY ARE HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS. Oo mahatsingan ka lang ng asong ulol magiging ulol ka na din...ehhehhe...bero lang...
Ikaapat. THEY CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE. Dogs may recover from canine distemper (because of the owner's tender loving care and because of people like yours trulily...naks...) BUT may retain nervous system lesions manifested by muscle twitching, convulsions, or progressive paralysis. Recovery from hepatitis may cause some irreversible kidney damage leading to progressive renal failure. Kidney and liver damage also result from leptospirosis (....wawa pa din si doggie ano?.......*singhot* *singhot*)
At ang ikahuli, THEY ARE OF PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE. Rabies and leptospirosis may affect humans...and their prevention in pets would reduce the exposure and risk to humans (oo nga....matitigan ka lang ng asong ulol magiging ulol ka na din...eheheee..bero ulet..eheheh)
The ideal vaccination program for dogs that received colostrum (gatas ng ina) is:
Unang ineksyon/First shot at 6 weeks of age
Booster shots every 2 weeks, until
Last shot ( of the sseries) at 12 week of age, then
Booster shot once a year
You can change this initial program according to your needs (read: bitin ang budget mo....err.. medyo mahal ang bakuna eh). However, do not neglect the shot after 12 weeks of age.