As many of us know, vaccines are an essential part of keeping our furry critters healthy. But could you tell me what they protect against? That’s a bit of a harder question! Here at Summer Street Animal Clinic, we offer a variety of vaccines, some being required “core” vaccines and some supplemental that we recommend based on the regional location and activity of your pet. Core vaccines for dogs include Rabies, Parvovirus, Distemper, Adenovirus, and most recently Leptospirosis/Leptospira. Additional vaccines include Bordetella, Lyme, and Canine Influenza. But what do these vaccines protect against exactly? Let’s find out!
Rabies
This is the single most important vaccine your dogs and cats can, should, and will get. It is required in Iowa and 38 other states, with the rest having at least some law with the vaccine. Did you know that over 70,000 people die from rabies each year? This is a disease that affects the central nervous system and is 100% FATAL to both humans and animals when symptoms start showing. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to, hallucinations, seizures, hydrophobia, paralysis, and/or coma. Rabies is contracted mainly through saliva, by passage of bites, scratches, or direct contact with eyes/mouth/open wounds. Just another reason we shouldn’t let our dogs and cats go after raccoons and other wildlife! If your pet contracts rabies, you and your family members and friends are at risk for contracting it, too. Another reason to make sure your furry friends are vaccinated from it? If your unvaccinated animal bites someone and they suspect it’s from rabies, they have a right to have your pet tested for rabies to make sure they are safe. Rabies testing is highly unpleasant, as it takes a portion of the brain to be able to test, meaning humane euthanasia for your pet. The good news? It’s preventable! So make sure your beloved 4-footed family members are up to date on their rabies vaccine😉.
DHPP
The DHPP vaccine covers Distemper, Hepatitis (Adenovirus), Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza. Distemper is an incurable and often fatal disease that affects dogs and wildlife, like the dang raccoons we talked about with rabies! It is an airborne virus but can be spread through sharing of toys, food, water bowls, and dog beds. Distemper affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems of dogs, causing symptoms like coughing, fever, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, stumbling, seizures, and paralysis. There is no cure, but dogs can recover with treatment from antivirals and hospitalization.
Adenovirus, or hepatitis, is also covered in this combination vaccine. Hepatitis is spread by sniffing or licking contaminated urine, feces, or saliva, and dogs can actually shed this virus for longer than six months, even after recovery. Symptoms of this disease include anorexia, lethargy, nasal and ocular discharge, abdominal pain and vomiting, blood in vomit, and excessive bleeding with the inability to clot. This disease damages cell membranes and makes them no longer viable, making normal functions impossible. Like distemper, there is no “cure” for this virus, but supportive care given in a hospital can be given to lessen and combat symptoms.
Parvovirus, or parvo for short, is a canine disease we likely have all heard of. Once again, this is a highly contagious disease and is spread by oral or nasal contact with infected dogs, their feces, or any surfaces that may have been compromised. Any puppy from 6-20 weeks of age and unvaccinated dogs are susceptible to contracting this disease. Did you know rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, bully breeds, German shepherds, and English springer spaniels are at higher risk than other breeds? We commonly see this nasty disease in vet clinics, and it is characterized by lethargy, anorexia, vomiting with severe, bloody diarrhea, and often fever or even hypothermia. Treatment is often intensive hospitalization for supportive care and antibiotics, and the disease can be fatal. Recently, an antiviral treatment for parvovirus was released. The catch? It is EXTREMELY expensive to make, let alone to use for treatment.
The last “P” in DHPP stands for parainfluenza. Once again, a highly contagious disease contracted by being around infectious dogs or having direct contact with one’s secretions. This virus infects the upper respiratory tract, which consists of the nose, pharynx, trachea, and bronchi, never actually reaching the lungs. This makes it extremely difficult to rid the body of mucous and allows secondary bacterial infections to reach the lungs. This virus is probably the least detrimental out of the diseases this vaccine covers because 20-50% of dogs will be able to clear the virus themselves. But for dogs that get hit harder than others, supportive care in a hospital setting is their fate to recover.
Leptospirosis/Leptospira
Leptospira, or “lepto” for short, is a bacteria found in contaminated water or soil, specifically in areas like stagnant ponds, river beds, slow-moving creeks, marshes, or even a large puddle. This bacterium can affect both animals and people and can cause kidney failure, liver failure, meningitis, difficulty breathing, and death. If contaminated, symptoms can be hard to distinguish from other diseases, such as fever, vomiting, jaundice, muscle aches, and rashes. This disease is treatable in both humans and animals, typically requiring around two weeks of an antibiotic, most likely initial hospitalization for fluid therapy, and supportive medications for nausea, muscle weakness, and nutrition. While full recovery is possible, treatment is often expensive and patients can have chronic kidney and/or liver damage because of this bacteria. In 2024, the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) added lepto to the list of core vaccines in regions of high contamination. Because our vet clinic is located in a river town, we strongly recommend this vaccine to you, knowing this bacteria thrives in wetland areas.
Bordetella
This is the first non-core vaccine, but it can be important if your dog is boarded while you go on vacation, at dog parks, or is frequently around other dogs not in the same household. Bordetella is a bacterial upper respiratory infection commonly referred to as kennel cough. This disease is spread with nose-to-nose contact of other dogs through aerosol contamination, by using contaminated water/food bowls or kennel runs of dogs who were infected with the bacteria. Symptoms can include running nose, loud, honking coughs, sneezing, lethargy, and decreased appetite. Unlike the other diseases I’ve discussed, Bordetella infection doesn’t typically require hospitalization unless puppies or older dogs contract it. Treatment usually will consist of antibiotics, a cough suppressant, and rest. Vaccination for this disease is left up to owners, but it's highly recommended if planning on using a boarding service or attending dog parks.
Lyme
Most of us have heard of Lyme disease because our mothers used to pick ticks off us after coming in from playing outside. Some (but not all) deer ticks carry a certain bacteria that, when released into our bodies after a bite, can cause a number of symptoms. For your dogs, this can include fever, anorexia, joint problems, lethargy, and swollen lymph nodes. This is not the case for all dogs, as some of them will never show symptoms of the disease. If untreated for a long period of time, the bacteria can reach the kidneys and cause permanent kidney damage, leading to kidney failure and, unfortunately, death. The difficulty with diagnosing this disease is that the in-clinic test we use to find it checks for antibodies against the bacteria. If your dog tests positive for antibodies and we have no previous records of Lyme disease, this means your dog could have had the disease before and we didn’t know it, or it could have the disease currently but we don’t know for how long. The Lyme vaccine is typically recommended for hunting dogs, pets that will go on long walks with owners, go on hiking trips, or farm dogs that have free roam of the area. With the vaccine, it’s still a good idea to brush the hair coat often and check for any ticks, pulling them off if they’re found. Staying up to date with your monthly heartworm/parasite/tick prevention will also help to prevent Lyme disease.
Influenza
The last vaccine we offer for dogs at Summer Street prevents canine influenza. This flu presents with a lot of the same symptoms we get when we come down with human influenza, like coughing, runny nose/eyes, fever, reduced appetite, and lethargy. The good news is that canine flu is not zoonotic but can be just as uncomfortable for our pups as it is for us when we’re sick. It can be spread by nose-to-nose contact, in boarding facilities, or contact surfaces if not cleaned properly. This vaccine is not considered a core vaccine because it’s not as prevalent as it is in human medicine. There’s no “flu season” per se, but we can see it break out locally from time to time. Canine influenza treatment consists mainly of supportive care, fluids, cough suppressants, and fever reducers.
TL;DR
Dogs require five up-to-date vaccines according to the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association), with three extras to be given at the owner’s discretion. Extra vaccines mainly depend on the dog’s lifestyle and social aspect, but talk to your veterinarian about recommendations - they’d be happy to go over it with you! You’ll notice a lot of these diseases present with the same symptoms, which require diagnostics to narrow down the options so your vet knows how to appropriately treat. Much like at our human hospitals, bloodwork, x-rays, and other diagnostics can be pretty pricey, and adding on treatment costs can add up pretty quickly. The moral of the story is this: it is way less expensive to PREVENT than it is to TREAT. And if dogs could talk, I bet they’d agree they’d rather feel down for a day or two due to a vaccine than to be down for 2 weeks with an awful disease. If you have any further questions, ask any one of your Summer Street staff and we’ll gladly direct you to someone who can answer them. We hope you’re enjoying the warmer spring weather, and give your dogs a hug from us! Cat owners - your vaccines are next!
Beth and your friends at SSAC
Meet the Author, Beth:
Beth has been seasonally employed with Summer Street for a few years, first starting as a Kennel Assistant while in high school and then as an intern prior to starting vet school. Most recently, Beth has been accepted into the College of Veteriary Medicine at Iowa State and began her next chapter this in fall of 2024. During her busy, busy time at school, she will continue to put together these informational newsletters to help us better educate our clients on many different and important veterinary topics.