Vaccinations

The breeder should give you details of any vaccinations already given, but here are the basic rules of thumb.
ALL puppies should be vaccinated against four potentially fatal diseases:

Distemper, Parvovirus, Infectious Canine Hepatitis and Leptospirosis.

1st Vaccination when puppy is 8 weeks old.
2nd Vaccination when puppy is 12 weeks old.

Newer vaccines now available which can be started even earlier at 6 and 10 weeks.
Discuss this with your vet.
With the exception of trips to the vet, you should ensure that your puppy does not come into contact with any other dogs, nor should you walk puppy in areas where other dogs have been until the first vaccination course is complete. I usually advise that you should wait at least one full week after the vaccinations before taking puppy out in to the real world. There are those that think it very important to begin socialising puppy as early as possible despite these restrictions and this has led to some vet surgeries holding puppy parties, where healthy pups can mix together and learn basic obedience training and good puppy behaviour.
Seek your vet's advice.

"If In Doubt, Don't Take Puppy Out"

If puppy is already over 12 weeks

1st Vaccination anytime
2nd Vaccination 2-4 weeks later.

After the initial vaccination course, an annual booster is recommended to ensure that your dog remains immunised.

There are also other non routine vaccinations which you may choose to give to your dog.
Seek advice from your vet.

The Big Four Dog Killers

Canine Distemper
(Also known as "Hard Pad")

Although many people assume Distemper or "Hard Pad" as it is commonly called is a thing of the past, localised outbreaks still occur, with the disease spreading rapidly through unvaccinated dogs.
Distemper is also carried by foxes and, in urban areas in particular, this can be a source of infection for your dog.
The disease is transmitted through moisture droplets, with dogs usually picking it up when sniffing where infected dogs have been.
As the incubation period can be as long as three weeks, it is usually too late to vaccinate once any outbreak has begun.

Symptoms include:
A wet cough
Diarrhoea
High temperature
Loss of appetite
Sore eyes and a runny nose.
In some instances, the dog's nose and foot pads can become hard and cracked, hence common name "hard pad".
In severe cases, the disease can lead to pneumonia, fits, muscle spasms and paralysis.

Distemper is often fatal and even those dogs that survive can be left with brain damage and permanent disabilities such as deformed teeth, nervous twitches, epileptic fits and complete changes of personality.

Canine Parvovirus

Canine parvovirus first appeared in the late seventies, causing the deaths of thousands of dogs
Since then, regular outbreaks have been common throughout the UK, in areas where unvaccinated dogs are to be found.
It is transmitted through contact with infected faeces and can also be carried on the dog's hair, feet and feeding utensils.
The virus is extremely difficult to eliminate and can persist in the environment for many months.
Many normal household disinfectants will not kill the virus.
Although dogs of all ages can become infected, puppies are particularly susceptible to the disease.
Symptoms include:
Sudden onset of vomiting.
High temperature.
Foul smelling, bloody diarrhoea.

Dogs rapidly dehydrate, may collapse and can die within 24 hours of the symptoms appearing, even with hospital treatment.

Canine Hepatitis

Canine hepatitis is a disease which attacks the liver, kidneys, eyes and lungs of infected dogs. The disease can develop extremely rapidly, often within 24 to 36 hours, and can cause respiratory failure and death in a significant proportion of cases. Canine hepatitis is spread by direct contact with infected urine, saliva or faeces.
Symptoms include:
Fever
Abdominal pain
Diarrhoea
Vomiting.

Dogs which survive the disease sometimes suffer from clouding of the cornea (commonly referred to as Blue Eye) during recovery.
Many will become symptom less carriers of the disease for many months and be a potential threat to every other unvaccinated dog they come into contact with.
There are many causes of hepatitis in dogs.
They include bacterial and viral infection, parasites, drugs and other toxic substances
The most common is the canine adenovirus, and it is this particular, highly contagious form of hepatitis that vaccines are designed to prevent.

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease which occurs in two different forms in the UK often through dogs drinking from or swimming in canals and rivers inhabited by rats, or by chasing rats or sniffing where rats have been.
Symptoms include:
High temperature
Depression
Severe thirst
Lethargy
Vomiting
Serious liver damage in unvaccinated dogs and is frequently fatal.
This form of leptospirosis can also be transmitted to people
(just in case you needed an additional, compelling reason to vaccinate your dog against the disease)
The second form of leptospirosis can be contracted in the first year of life but the disease it causes usually only appears as the dog gets older, manifesting itself as kidney failure.

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