Photo credit: Natwick
Our annual Dog Run is coming up soon, which means it’s time to top up your working dogs’ vaccinations. Remember, it’s not just puppies that need protection!
Keeping your team healthy, happy, and ready for the job is a top priority. Following a simple vaccination programme is one of the most effective and straightforward ways to prevent serious diseases that can sideline your best animals.
There are two key vaccines that we recommend your team stays up to date with. These are what we call the ‘core’ vaccine and canine cough.
‘Core’ vaccine: Your shield against deadly diseases
The ‘core’ vaccine helps to protect against severe and often fatal diseases, including:
Canine distemper
Infectious canine hepatitis
Adenovirus respiratory disease
Parainfluenza
Canine parvovirus enteritis (parvo)
While we are lucky not to see many cases of parvo locally, thanks to good herd immunity, it remains a serious threat. In areas with lower vaccination rates, parvovirus outbreaks are common and can lead to high costs for treatment (often several thousand dollars per dog), with many not surviving despite intensive care.
Adult dog immunity can fade, so it’s crucial to maintain protection with boosters every three years after the initial puppy course.
Canine cough: More than just a nuisance
For a working dog, canine cough (previously known as kennel cough) is a significant problem. This highly contagious respiratory infection can spread rapidly from animal to animal, leading to weeks of lost work and the difficulty of managing multiple sick animals.
While not typically deadly, it causes a harsh cough and lethargy, making a dog unfit for work. An annual vaccination is the best way to prevent this disruption. For those dogs that are considered high risk, such as trial dogs, we recommend every 6 months.
Vaccination schedule
