Some Food for Thought on Vaccinations

As our Lady nears her final round of vaccinations (something of which my husband is so very happy for as it means I will allow her to be paraded around town and shown off as he has been so anxious to do) I felt it would be a good time to share some info on here for our future puppy owners regarding some vaccination info I've learned over the years thru owning a few puppies as well as having worked as a veterinary assistant. 

Puppies receive 4 rounds of vaccinations after birth, the first beginning at 6 weeks of age, and continuing on at an average of every 2-3 weeks until the 4 round series is completed.  (Note: Honey Bee Bullies will all have received their first round of vaccinations and a health check before they move on to their forever homes)

That being said (and this is one that applies to ALL breeds, not just Bullies)...DO NOT parade your adorable young puppy all around town until they've received ALL their vaccines!!!  While it is extremely tempting to take your new adorable 4 legged friend all over town with you, this is something that is extremely dangerous to your fur baby, and something which can be a potentially fatal mistake. 

Now to explain....when puppies are with their mom, feeding on her antibody-rich milk, they are 'protected' from many of the common harmful bugs in the world without the aid of vaccines.  Once they stop feeding from mom however, this protection starts to wear off and they become susceptible to the many harmful and potentially fatal germs that are out there.  Unfortunately (and fortunately) mom's milk is very strong, and has the sole job of protecting those babies as long as it possibly can.  It varies from mom to mom and pup to pup just how long these antibodies will remain active for, and as long as they are active, not even the vaccines are able to trigger a puppy to build their own immunity.  This is why puppies receive multiple rounds of vaccinations before the vets give them the 'all clear.' (So basically that first round of shots your puppy got may not have even worked bc of the left over antibodies of moms milk fighting it off.)

Now, keeping that in mind, you must also take into consideration the fact that you never know where a sick puppy has been & left behind harmful germs! One of the most harmful viruses a puppy or person may have unknowingly left behind, is the Canine Parvovirus (which you may click that link to read more on.) Parvo virus is one which causes many awful symptoms to your animal, symptoms which can potentially even lead to death.  Parvo virus is originally transmitted from the feces of an infected animal, however this virus is a 'hearty' one and can survive under even the most unfavorable conditions.  This being said, parvo virus can be introduced to areas the sick puppy hadn't even visited by people's shoes, other animals feet, etc.

Having personally watched several ill puppies come into the vet's office too dehydrated and weak to be saved, the thought of Parvo alone is enough for me to miss out on the fun of taking my 8 week old puppy out around town, and it is also important to remember that parvo is one of MANY bugs out there you do not want your puppy or wallet to have to go thru.  In our house puppies are kept home (or in other controlled environments such as our parents homes) until they have been fully vaccinated, and I highly recommend the same to any new puppy parents.

Just something to keep in mind and be aware of and something I wanted to share with my future-puppy owners as I am very passionate about the dangers out there. (And yes all my puppy owners will go home with a nice little hand out on this as well!) :)  

Our Lady