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Vaccinations |
Vaccinating your dog against the most common canine diseases is one of the best ways to provide him a long and healthy life. The immunization received from his mother through the milk begins to disappear between the 6th and 12th week. Therefore this is the time to start vaccinating him every month, until he reaches the age of 3-4 months. Then, your dog should be vaccinated regularly throughout his entire life.
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Common Diseases |
Parvovirus
This widespread viral disease is very contagious and debilitating. It is transmitted by contact with the stool of an infected animal. This disease is very resistant and may survive in the environment for several months. Signs of the disease are: Heavy fever, apathy, vomiting and diarrhea.
Canine Distemper
Extremely contagious, this disease is transmitted by nasal and eye secretions.
The signs of this disease are: Apathy, fever, coughing, diarrhea and vomiting. At the terminal stage, the disease may show signs of convulsions and paralysis. Even if your dog recovers, it may have after-effects in several organs and/or in its nervous system.
Adenovirus
(Also know as infectious hepatitis) A viral disease that affects the liver and cells lining the blood vessels, causing high fever, thirst, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, liver damage, and hemorrhage. This disease is transmitted by contact with secretions, such as saliva, urine or stool of an infected dog.
Leptospirosis
An extremely contagious bacteria disease that spreads through contact with nasal secretions, urine or saliva of infected animals, and can affect humans as well. It causes swollen kidneys, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and blood in the urine. Liver damage can also occur.
Canine infectious tracheobronchitis (kennel cough)
Disease of the upper respiratory tract. Caused by several viral and bacterial agents transported by air, such as parainfluenza and adenovirus, which are easily transmitted from one dog to another. The early signs are coughing fits.
Parainfluenza
This virus is one of the causes of kennel cough or infectious tracheobronchitis as well as other respiratory disorders.
Coronavirus
A highly contagious viral infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, high fever and dehydration.
Rabies
A fatal viral disease that attacks the central nervous system and is a potential health risk to all warm-blooded mammals, including humans. The disease spreads through the saliva of an infected animal, through a bite or by contact with a skin lesion. Skunks, foxes, raccoons and bats are often carriers of this disease. If exposed, rabies vaccination will allow your dog to resist this virus. It is important to know that there is no known method of curing a rabies infected animal. This is why many cities require that all dogs be regularly vaccinated against rabies.
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