Vaccinating dogs is a must.
A dog’s well-being depends on its owner. It is often not enough to feed the dog, take it for a walk and give it a roof over its head. It is the owner’s responsibility to take care of their pet every day and to monitor it to keep it healthy and lively.
Vaccinations
The dog needs to be protected against the main canine diseases. An unvaccinated dog can easily become infected when playing outside and interacting with other dogs.
Small puppies are particularly susceptible to infections, so it is advisable not to take them outside until they have had all the necessary vaccinations. The first vaccination should be given between the sixth and eighth week.
Vaccinations should be given against catarrh, hepatitis and both forms of leptospirosis. Further vaccinations are given when the puppies are twelve weeks old. Adult dogs are vaccinated once a year.
Vaccination against:
Qatar. A viral disease affecting the respiratory, digestive and nervous systems. Vaccinated every three weeks until 12-14 weeks of age and re-vaccinated annually.
Paravirus, withcauses the so-called “kennel cough”, an analogue of the human common cold, and is included in the Qatar vaccine, canine hepatitis. A viral liver disease. included in the catarrh vaccine.
Parvovirus, a dangerous and sometimes fatal intestinal disease. included in the Qatar vaccine.
Leptospirosis, an infectious disease affecting the liver and kidneys. Included in the Qatar vaccine.
Rabies. A fatal viral disease of the nervous system, common in all mammals, including man, often difficult to detect.
First vaccination at three months, repeat at 9-12 months, then every 1-3 years.
The dark side of vaccines
Every medicine, every intervention in the body has its pros and cons. It goes without saying that there is also a debate about vaccinations – whether they are really necessary, whether they harm dogs’ bodies as much as the very diseases they protect against
The most frequent speakers on the subject of vaccination damage are the proponents of natural or homeopathic treatments. They advise against vaccinating animals at all. Unfortunately, while there is a great deal of strong evidence of the harm caused by vaccination, there is no reliable evidence of the effectiveness of homeopathic or similar remedies in trying to protect against disease.
It is argued that there is no immunological need to vaccinate a dog against the same diseases every year. Resistance to viruses is maintained over a longer period of time – even for the lifetime of the dog. The immune system has a “memory” – even if the puppy is vaccinated at a very young age. After a few years have passed and the pathogens have entered the body, antibodies against them will be produced.
New annual vaccinations are of no benefit, as the dog’s immunity already has antibodies from previous vaccinations, so the dog will not become “more” protected. It is argued that the main reason for the agitation for annual vaccinations is the desire of veterinarians to make a profit.
Annual vaccinations are detrimental to health and even to immunity itself. According to some immunologists, it is worth vaccinating an animal only a few times in its lifetime, as annual vaccinations are of no benefit and even lead to disease. Some vaccines are ineffective or unnecessary (vaccines against coronavirus, adenovirus-1, etc. have not been proven to be effective) and some are even dangerous. Sometimes the problems they cause “resurface” years after vaccination.
If you choose to vaccinate less frequently, you need to take better care of your animal’s overall health, especially if you feed it well. Small puppies and kittens should not be vaccinated until at least 12 weeks of age. Vaccinate them against distemper and parvoviral distemper at 12 to 15 weeks and against rabies at 6 months. Vaccination against leptospirosis or Lyme disease is not recommended if it is not prevalent in the area of residence. Some breeders give homeopathic remedies for parvovirus, distemper, panleukopenia or ‘kennel cough’.