As with humans, vaccination is an important part of the early life of dogs. Vaccines can help protect your dog against a wide range of life threatening diseases as they help to prepare your dog's immune system to defend itself. Vaccines contain either live or dead viruses that are introduced to the immune system thereby allowing the immunes system to develop antibodies so it can fight the virus if your dog contracts it naturally. The methodology behind vaccination is the same among all species, humans included, so it's not surprising that vaccinations have become the source of some controversy in recent years.
There are myriad opinions with respect to the efficacy and benefits of regular vaccinations for your dog. While some veterinarians recommend regular vaccinations against some of the most common viruses such as rabies, hepatitis, parvovirus, Lyme disease, and giardia, others warn against the disadvantages associated with frequent and repeated vaccinations. So what do you do to protect your dog? First, let's discuss some of the pros and cons of vaccines for dogs.
Pros
Without question, proper vaccination of dogs has played a major role in keeping dogs healthy and improving public health. For example, if we just consider the rabies vaccine, there is a growing body of evidence that has demonstrated that rabies vaccinations not only reduce your dog's likelihood of contracting the disease, but that this vaccine has also reduced the prevalence of rabies in North America. Most importantly, there are some vaccines that have been shown to be safe and effective for providing dogs with immunity from deadly diseases. Rabies, distemper, parvo, and Lyme disease are just a few examples where exposing dogs to small amounts of a virus during vaccination can build protection against that virus. For most dog owners, the level of protection provided by vaccinations justify any possible risks associated with the treatment.
Cons
Two of the major concerns associated with vaccinating dogs are the risk of over vaccination and the risk of allergic reactions. Some veterinarians are concerned that vaccinating pets can weaken the immune system's response to other diseases. As such, instead of improving the immune response, these experts believe that over-vaccinating (multiple, frequent vaccinations of your dog) may lead to chronic health issues. Degenerative joint disease, immune mediated disease, and cancer at injection sites are just a few health concerns that have been associated with vaccinations. While a causal link between these conditions and vaccinations has not been proven, pet owners and vets alike have become more cautious about vaccinating.
Allergic reactions are another reason vets and pet owners are skeptical about vaccines. Allergic reactions to a vaccine can be quite serious and may cause seizures, labored breathing, facial swelling, respiratory distress, and even death. As such, some pet owners are not convinced that vaccines are beneficial for their pet's health.
Recommendations
When deciding whether to vaccinate your dog therefore, you should consider a variety of factors. Pets should only be vaccinated for diseases they are likely to encounter. Frequent and excessive vaccinations should be avoided, but it is still a good idea to vaccinate your dog against common illnesses such as rabies or parvovirus. Ideally, you want to speak to your veterinarian and choose the best course of action for your dog.
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