Canine Diseases and Prevention

VACCINATIONS SCHEDULE GUIDELINE

• 8 WEEKS - Distemper, Parvo, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza and Corona Virus
• 12 WEEKS - Distemper, Parvo Adenovirus, Parainfluenza and Corona Virus
• 16 WEEKS - Distemper, Parvo Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, Corona Virus, Bordetella and Lyme Disease*
• 4 MONTHS - Rabies
• 1-YEAR (12 mos) - Distemper, Parvo Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, Corona Virus, Bordetella and Lyme Disease*, Rabies

*Lyme Disease: If your dog is a house-pet, you live in the city and you never take your dog outside the city limits (fields or woods), then you do not need to administer the Lyme Disease Vaccine.

PROTECTION FROM THE MOTHER
A newborn puppy is not naturally immune to diseases. It does, however, have some antibody protection which is derived from the mother's blood via the placenta. The next level of immunity is from antibodies derived from the first milk. This is the milk produced from the time of birth and up to 48 hours after birth. This antibody-rich milk is called colostrum. The puppy only receives anitibodies until two days of age. All antibodies from the mother, either via her blood or colostrum are called maternal antibodies. NOTE: The puppy will only receive antibodies from diseases from which the mother has been recently vaccinated against or exposed to. That is to say that any canine disease the mother has not been vaccinated against or exposed to would open up a susceptibility in the puppy immunity.

WHEN SHOULD YOU BEGIN VACCINATIONS FOR A PUPPY?
The immunity that a puppy has at birth begins to diminsh sometime between 6-12 weeks. This is the time to begin initial vaccinations which are to be repeated once a month until the puppy is about 3 to 4 months old. There after the dog will require repeat vaccination annually or as recommended by your veterinarian.

CANINE DISEASES TO VACCINATE AGAINST

Canine Distemper
Vaccination against this often fatal, hard-to-treat disease is absolutely necessary. It is highly contagious and spreads from discharges from the noses and eyes of infected dogs. Symptoms can include listlessness, fever, coughing, diarrhea and vomitting. Convulsions and paralysis may occur in the disease's final stages. The virus attacks many organs, including the nervous system, which may be permanently damage, even if the dog recovers.

Canine Tracheobronchitis (Canine or kennel cough)
Much like the common cold in humans, this respiratory-tract infection is easily transmitted so vaccination is imperative if your pet will come into contact with many other dogs in such situations as obedience classes, boarding at a kennel or multi-dog households. Caused by various airborne bacteria and viruses, including Canine Parainfluenze virus, Canine Adenovirus Type II and Bordetella Bronchieseptica, you will first notice it's onset by our dogs' dry, hacking cough.

Canine Parvovirus
Very Contagious, debilitating and widespread, this disease is caused by a virus first emerged in many parts of the world in 1978. Spread through contact with infected feces, the highly resistant virus can remain in the environment for many months. Symptoms include high fever, listlessness, vomiting and diarrhea. Vaccination is the ONLY certain method of preventing this potentially fatal disease. This disease is most severe in young puppies and elderly dogs.

Rabies
This INCURABLE viral disease affects the central nervous system of almost all mammals, including humans. It is spread throuch contact with the saliva of infected animals (which can include skunks, foxes, raccoons and bats) through bites or any break in the skin. Vaccination will provide your pet with much greater resistance to rabies if he is exposed to the disease, but you must be aware that there is NO CURE once it occurs. For this reason, many municipalities absolutely require that all dogs receive rabies vaccinations on a regular basis. You will have to prove that your dog is vaccinated if you travel with him whether nationally or internationally.

Infectious Canine Hepatitis
Caused by the Adenovirus Type I, this disease is transmitted among dogs by contact with secretions such as saliva, infected urine or feces. Symptoms are similar to those of earlier stages of distemper. Causing liver failure, eye damage and breathing problems, the course of this disease can range from mild to fatal. Vaccination remains the best protection.

Other Vaccinations
After evaluating your dog's particular situation and risk factors, your veterinarian may also recommend vaccination against other infectious diseases. These Might Include:
Leptospirosis a bacterial disease which attacks the intestinal system
Canine Coronavirus which attacks the intestinal system
Lyme Disease transmitted by ticks to bothe dogs and humans resulting in chronic arthritis and sometimes death. This disease is most common in northern parts of the United States.

Do Rat Terriers Bite?

All dogs have the potential to bite if put into the right situation.

Injuries: Any dog will bite when in pain from an injury and great caution should be taken when attempting to handle an injured dog. Even your life-long pal might bite you if he is injured. It might be shock or fear of further harm - it is simply a defensive reaction.

Fear Biting: Fearfulness that leads to biting may be the result of poor confidence due to lack of socialization, poor training or even an inherited trait. Most Rat Terriers do exhibit caution when approached by strangers or strange objects and they are quite suspicious of sudden moves but this caution is a natural instinct of survival and should not result in biting. A Rat Terrier will be curious and investigate these same strangers and objects with confidence and caution until he can dismiss any possible threat. This process just takes seconds in a well adjusted Rat Terrier.

Nipping: Another form of biting is nipping usually when kids are running or a person is walking away. This is can be a very serious problem - It is a Rat Terriers way of testing his place in the pack. Such nipping may be a sign of overly aggressive Rattie behavior or simply poor training. Puppies will go through a natural stage of nipping and they have to be trained that this is not acceptable behavior.

Hormones: It is quite common for an intact male Rat Terrier to not get along with other males when there is a female in heat particularly if he is a dominant personality. New mother's may be protective of their young pups and might react with sudden movements or threatening gestures.

The Pack: Rat Terriers have a strong inherited social hierarchy referred to as a pack and leadership is often fought over. These fights are generally noisy displays unless a dog has not been socialized with other canines. If this is the case then fights can become serious because he won't know how to respond to another dogs aggressive display and may over react.

Alpha or Beta? Alpha behavior is a technical term for an inherited behavior to become pack leader. Beta behavior refers to those dogs that tend to follow a leader. All but a few Rat Terriers will try to climb to the rank of leader and a few will pursue leadership at any cost - these are the alpha dogs. Alpha Rat Terriers may make very good pets but require extra care in training and socialization. A knowledgeable breeder will be able to pick out puppies which tend to display alpha behavior and place them in appropriate homes. Pack behavior may seem unfair at times but it is an absolutely normal and necessary function to keep peace and order in a multi-dog environment.

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