DHLP-P Vaccines

Canine Distemper

This is the D in the series. This is for Canine Distemper, a highly contagious and usually fatal disease. It is caused by the paramyxovirus . A healthy dog coming into contact with the discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected dog transmits it. It is also suspected that the virus can live in the soil from six months up to a year.

Symptoms

Loss of appetite, a slight dry cough are the first signs. A thick yellow or green discharge from the eyes or nose, vomiting or diarrhea as well as an increase in temperature are also possible signs. There are some cases where these symptoms appear and then disappear with nothing else happening until suddenly neurological symptoms appear.

The neurological symptoms will often start with just a twitching, shivering or even a chewing gum- like activity. These mild activities will often turn into full seizures that are really traumatic to the family members. The convulsions will at first be sporadic and then progress to nonstop, screaming types of seizures. Eventually, the seizures will become so bad, the heart stops or the respiratory system fails.

Unlike many of the canine diseases, Canine Distemper is not species specific. Dogs, wolves, coyotes, ferrets and raccoons are all at risk.

Canine Hepatitis Virus

Canine Hepatitis is the second disease covered by the DHLP-P vaccine. It also is a highly contagious disease. It can be spread by contact with contaminated saliva, urine or stool from an infected dog. The virus itself affects the abdominal organs including the liver.

Symptoms

Increased temperature, as well as discharges from the eyes, mouth or nose. Sometimes the eyes will actually become red or the dog will hump his back and try to rub on the floor to relieve the pain. As the disease progresses, the animal becomes lethargic, stops eating and often becomes comatose.

Within six to ten days the infected dog will usually die or makes a quick recovery. For those few dogs that do survive the infection, a temporary opacity of the eyes appears.

Leptospirosis

This spreads through contact with urine from an infectious dog and is a serious bacterial disease.

Symptoms

The disease itself causes the dog to become lethargic and weak. Some of the other symptoms include abdominal pain, increase in water intake as well as a marked increase of urination, painful sores in the mouth, on the gums and tongue. The tongue may also form a thick, brownish coating. Other symptoms may include bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and a change in the color of the whites of the eyes.

Due to the extensive damage caused to the digestive tract, liver and kidneys, leptospirosis is often fatal. For those who do survive, recovery is very slow.

Parainfluenza

Canine parainfluenza is a viral disease that contributes to tracheobronchitis in dogs. The common name for tracheobronchitis is kennel cough and it must be noted that the parainfluenza virus is not the only one that can cause the disorder. A separate Bordetella vaccination can be given against the bacterial cause of kennel cough, Bordatella Bronchiseptica.

Parainfluenza and all forms of kennel cough are highly contagious. They can be transmitted by nose-to-nose contact or sharing of dishes between a healthy dog and an infected dog. It can also be contagious by becoming airborne.

Symptoms

A mild raise in temperature, usually around 102 103F and an ongoing, deep sounding, hacking cough. This cough can be apparent during the day but owners most often take notice of it during the quiet evening hours. Most of the dogs appear healthy other than the cough but its continuation for weeks on end can wear the dog down.

Veterinarians will usually prescribe a form of antibiotic to prevent the chance of a secondary infection and some type of medication to end the spasmodic coughing spells. He will also sometimes recommend over the counter, human cough medications. Check with your veterinarian to see which ones are safe for the dog.

Dogs infected with any version of kennel cough should be kept totally isolated from other dogs and in a warm, humid environment. Many owners find the bathroom or laundry room a perfect place for their pets.

Parvo virus

Parvo is a relatively recent disease. Its first reported cases occurred in 1978 and killed large numbers of the canine population.

Parvo is a highly contagious viral disease. Contact with the feces or vomit of an infected dog is the source of the infection but tracing it back to the contagious dog is extremely difficult.

A puppy can come into an environment in which a contagious dog was in up to six months previously. Strays can spread it by sniffing with another dog through the fence. In 1978, humans were and still are one of the main carriers of the disease. Dog breeders at that time

were often wiped out as entire litters as well as their adult dogs became infected with the disease. These buyers would come into contact with an infected dog and carry the disease to each stopping place along the way on their hands, clothes or even shoes.

Today, parvovirus normally attacks younger dogs. With infection, the disease will often take one of two forms: the diarrheal and the cardiac form.

Symptoms

The diarrheal or enteric parvovirus comes suddenly: vomiting and bloody diarrhea, lethargy, lack of appetite as well as an increase in temperature. Puppies not treated for the disease will often dehydrate and die quickly. The estimated mortality rate for untreated puppies is approximately 80-85%. This rate is slightly higher in Rottweillers and Dobermans due to a prevalence of the blood clotting dysfunction called Von Willebraun’s disease.

In its cardiac or myocardial form, it can cause congestive heart failure even in those puppies that survive the disease. Congestive heart failure in itself will cause the premature death of the One of the oldest and most reliable tests is to simply do a white cell count. If there is a marked decrease in these cells, it means parvovirus is present.

Puppies that have had one or two in the recommended schedule of vaccines will often have an advantage over those without in actual chances of recovery.

The build up an immunity against parvo and all the other diseases, veterinarians recommended vaccination schedule is a loading dose at six weeks, a follow up four weeks later and another given four weeks after that. Six months after the last DHLP-P is given, a follow up parvo vaccination is given and then an annual injection that is usually given.

The vaccines are fairly inexpensive and can be gotten not only through a veterinarian but also through feed and even some drug stores. They are injected under the skin with few puppies having reactions.