They’re certainly well intentioned – businesses that put out that inviting water bowl to welcome you and your dog. But letting your dog drink from it may not be the best idea according to veterinarians.
Canine cough (erroneously called “kennel” cough) is a highly contagious disease that’ll leave your dog coughing so terribly he’ll sound like he’s choking on something. Commonly known as Bordetella, canine cough is caused by a bacterium called Bordetella bronchiseptica m. And Fido can catch Bordetella from that water bowl. The cough sounds terrible, and yet while WebMD reports most of the time it is not a serious condition and most dogs will recover without treatment, it’s best to simply prevent it. If you can prevent your own illness, why not your dog’s too?
A vaccination against Bordetella, tops our list of recommended vaccines to keep your dog healthy and potentially save her life:
- Bordetella
- Distemper
- Canine Parvovirus
- Leptospirosis
- Infectious Canine Hepatitis (aka adenovirus)
- Rabies
While the Rabies shot may be the single vaccination required by law in most areas, the others are highly recommended as each of these conditions are very serious and often fatal, according to The Dog People.
“There is no known cure for distemper,” according to The Dog People. “Dogs with parvo typically need intensive hospital treatment and could still be left with lifelong problems. Rabies progresses so quickly, unvaccinated dogs will often die within a week. This is why the core vaccines are not considered optional.”
When Lucky & Lady® opens it’s doors to the very best pet day care and boarding in Atlanta, we’ll require all of these vaccines and we’ll highly recommend another to guard against canine influenza (dog flu).
Unfortunately, canine influenza is becoming more common with incidence throughout the U.S. The symptoms are similar to human influenza – runny nose, cough, and fever. Dog flu can be fatal.
Vaccines for animals work just as they do in humans – antigens (which mimic the disease) are introduced to mildly stimulate your pet’s immune system and prepare her to fight off the real thing.
We recommend having a discussion with your veterinarian to determine what’s best for you and your four-legged family member.