Vaccines and Your Toy Poodles

You wouldn't want to see your Toy Poodles sick, would you? Just like a mother to her a child, every dog owner wants only the best for his dog - proper diet, exercise, regular grooming and protection against diseases.

Immunizing dogs against various diseases seem to be a simple and insignificant process. In fact, many dog owners chose not to vaccinate their dogs thinking that the animals will do just fine even without vaccines. Vaccinations however is one of the most effective ways to protect your beloved pet from various diseases be it a minor or a serious one.

Vaccination or immunization simply means that the immune system of the dog is stimulated to produce antibodies to the disease so that the dog is protected against harmful organisms in the environment. If the immunized dog is later exposed to antigen or infectious agent, the antibodies are produced to attack and destroy the diseases.

Veterinarians and pet health care providers recommend vaccines against canine distemper, parvovirus, rabies, hepatitis, parainfluenza, bordetella, leptospirosis, coronavirus and others. Puppies at high risk of parvovirus should be vaccinated at five to six weeks of age while vaccine against rabies is administered to puppies 12 weeks or older. However, some owners prefer to immunize their dogs at eight weeks of age.

But despite the protection our animals can benefit from these vaccines many questions linger on the minds of most dogs as well as cat owners. Is it really necessary to immunize dogs every year? Some owners and even veterinarians are concerned that dogs are being vaccinated too frequently - and too much vaccination may have adverse reactions on the animals. Vaccine manufacturers as well as many states and communities work hard to settle these controversies; manufacturers develop vaccines with at least three-year efficacy proven while communities have changed ordinances to allow for longer intervals between vaccinations. To prevent over or under vaccinating, a test can be done to determine the individual dog's level of immunity to a particular disease. This means vaccines shall only be given when the levels of immunity are inadequate and avoid unneeded vaccination.

In order not to risk your pet's health, ask for your vet's advice on what vaccine, how often and how much should be given to your Toy Poodles.