This blog post is mainly in the context of Singapore and what the core and common non-core vaccines cover. Different countries/geographical locations will have different regulations and requirements (such as rabies vaccine is a core vaccine in US but not in Singapore) so do call your nearby veterinary clinic to enquire.
Core Vaccines
Core vaccines for dogs protect against canine adenovirus, canine parvovirus and canine distemper virus.
How are the viruses spread?
Dogs would be infected with parvovirus, distemper virus and adenovirus from secretions and bodily fluids of infected dogs and wildlife. Listed below are some of the ways the viruses may be spread:
- Fecal (stools)
- Urine: Dogs that have recovered from the hepatitis disease may shed the adenovirus in their urine for up to 6 months!
- Saliva
- Respiratory secretions (cough and sneeze)
- Blood
- Contact with infected surfaces
- Through the placenta, from mother to puppies
Can humans get canine adenovirus, parvovirus or distemper virus?
They are non-zoonotic diseases and would not be transmitted to humans! We have our own form of the viruses and they are not cross-transmittable between dogs and humans. However, we can be contact carriers of the virus. For example, when we clean up the poop of an infected dog or have been lovingly licked by an infected dog, we might be contact carriers of the viruses when we do not disinfect ourselves or clothes thoroughly. The virus, which has been having a good and free ride on us, would be passed on to another healthy dog. The viruses are very stable and resistant in heat, cold, humid, and dry areas, and can survive almost anywhere for long periods of time.
Canine Adenovirus/Hepatitis
It is caused by adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1 for short). This virus targets the dogs’ spleen, kidneys, lungs, liver, lining of blood vessels and sometimes other organs. It can be transmitted via body fluids such as saliva or urine. It may be transmitted via respiratory secretions in the air.
Clinical Signs:
In the mild form, the dog may merely have a decreased appetite, appear depressed and have a mild fever. Some dogs develop opacity (cloudiness) of one or both corneas of their eyes (so-called blue eye) one to two weeks later. Dogs may have respiratory signs such as eye and nasal discharge and a cough that is indistinguishable from other forms of upper respiratory tract infections or kennel cough.
In severe cases, usually in young puppies, along with the fever, depression, and loss of appetite, there is abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, edema (fluid swelling under the skin) of the head and neck, and possibly jaundice (yellowing of the skin/whites of the eyes). Such cases are often fatal.
Can cats get canine adenovirus/hepatitis?
It is generally not contagious to cats. Cats have their own form of feline hepatitis.
Canine Parvovirus
It is caused by canine parvovirus type 2 and its variants (CPV-2a, CPV-2b, and CPV-2c). The virus affects dogs’ gastrointestinal tracts.
Parvo in puppies also affects the bone marrow and lymphopoietic tissues (tissues that produce white blood cells), and in some cases can also affect the heart. It is transmitted through direct contact with infected fecal material or indirect contact with fecal contaminated surfaces.
Clinical Signs:
Infected dogs may develop lethargy, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and bloating, fever or low body temperature (hypothermia), vomiting, and severe, often bloody, diarrhea. Persistent vomiting and diarrhea can also cause rapid dehydration. In severe cases, it can be fatal.
Can cats get canine parvovirus?
Cats also have a type of parvovirus that causes severe disease, known as feline panleukopenia (or feline distemper).
While dogs cannot get feline parvovirus from cats, cats can become infected with canine parvovirus. They most often have much more mild clinical signs than dogs do, but there is a strain of canine parvovirus that can cause severe illness in cats.
Canine Distemper Virus
It is caused by canine distemper virus and its variants. The virus attacks dogs’ nervous systems. You can think it as the virus is causing a disorder to the temperament (and thus the nervous system) of the dog – Canine Distemper. It is shed through all body fluids of any infected dog, such as saliva and urine. It is mainly transmitted via airborne exposure, such as through coughs and sneezes.
Clinical Signs:
Infected dogs may develop watery to pus-like eye discharge, fever, nasal discharge, coughing, lethargy, reduced appetite, and vomiting. Other signs include circling behavior, head tilt, muscle twitches, convulsions with jaw chewing movements and salivation, seizures, and partial or complete paralysis. The virus may also cause the footpads to thicken and harden, leading to its nickname “hard pad disease.”
Distemper is often fatal, and dogs that survive usually have permanent, irreparable nervous system damage.
Can cats get canine distemper?
Luckily, no! Domesticated cats have their own form of feline distemper virus, known as feline panleukopenia (caused by a feline parvovirus). But, fun fact! Though it cannot be passed to your domesticated cats, it can be transmitted to large cats like lions and tigers.
What is the prevention?
Prevention is your best bet at protecting your dog from these viruses. Yearly vaccination is highly and strongly recommended. Core vaccines are readily available at most small animal clinics, all you have to do for your little animal friend is to ring up a veterinary clinic to enquire and book an appointment!
When encountered with an infected dog, wear gloves and handle any discharge from the dog carefully. Washing your hands thoroughly with soap would remove the virus. Thoroughly clean surfaces with diluted bleach (1:20 dilution readily kills the viruses).
What is the treatment?
Seek veterinary advice immediately as soon as you notice any symptoms listed above, even if your dog is up to date with yearly vaccinations. Though annual core vaccination has been very effective, it is not a 100% prevention. The faster the veterinary intervention takes place the higher the chance of survival for your dog.
As with most viral infections there is no specific treatment. Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses, but may help to treat secondary bacterial infections. Treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms and giving time for the dog’s immune system to respond. This includes hospitalization, intravenous fluids, and medications to reduce the severe symptoms.
After recovery, some dogs may develop chronic kidney, liver or eye issues as the virus may have caused permanent damage to the various organs.
Non-Core Vaccines
Some common non-core vaccinations for dogs in Singapore are to guard against leptospirosis and kennel cough. Non-core vaccines are recommended on a case to case basis, by veterinary professionals, depending on the dog’s lifestyle.
Leptospirosis
Leptospira bacteria targets the dog’s entire body, reproducing in the liver, kidneys, central nervous system, eyes, and reproductive system.
The bacteria are shed in the urine of infected animals. Transmission is primarily via direct contact with infected urine through skin or mucous membranes, or indirect contact with urine contaminated surfaces. Rodents are known to play a part in the spread of disease.
The bacteria survive well in warm and wet climates (that’s Singapore’s weather right there!), and also survive better in stagnant than moving water (do the mozzie wipeout, it helps!). The bacteria is vulnerable to diluted bleach and 70% ethanol.
Clinical Signs:
In mild cases, dogs may show little or no signs of illness and the disease may go undetected. However, they may be carriers of the bacteria, meaning they do shed small numbers of the bacteria in their urine. Even dogs who have recovered may still have a small number of bacteria present in their kidneys and will also be carriers of the bacteria.
These are some of the common signs of leptospirosis.
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Increased thirst and urination
- Severe weakness and depression
- Stiffness
- Severe muscle pain
Can cats get leptospirosis?
Unfortunately, yes they can get it from infected dogs and other animals. But they do not have their own vaccination to guard against the bacteria.
Can humans get leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis is zoonotic and can spread to humans. Therefore, careful handling of any discharges (urine, nasal, vulva, penile etc) and thorough disinfection is necessary.
What is the prevention?
Yearly vaccination is recommended, especially for dogs that interact with other dogs or go outdoors. Though cleaning surfaces with disinfectants such as dilute bleach solution and 70% ethanol may be helpful, vaccination is still highly recommended as you never know exactly when and where rodents would shed urine on the surfaces your dog sniff or walk on (unless you have microscopic eyes then sure!).
There are over 250 strains of the bacteria but vaccinations available in Singapore and most countries guard against only 4 of the strains. As the knowledge about the different strains present in Singapore is not complete due to insufficient studies and tracking, there could be strains present that are not covered by the vaccine. Dogs who are vaccinated against the bacteria are known to have milder symptoms of the disease (even if the strain they got is not present in the vaccine), thus it will be less fatal to the dog.
What is the treatment?
Antibiotics are usually very effective in treating leptospirosis. In severe cases when the dog’s liver or kidneys are damaged, hospitalisation may be required for intravenous fluid treatment and other therapies.
Kennel Cough
It is a respiratory disease caused by several bacterial and viral organisms, such as Bordetella bronchiseptica (most common), parainfluenza virus, canine influenza virus (CIV) and others. The organisms are mainly found in respiratory secretions. Transmission is through direct contact with infected dogs via inhalation (e.g. aerosol droplets from cough or sneeze) or indirectly via contaminated environments. The organisms are vulnerable to common disinfectants such as dilute bleach solution (1:30 dilution) and potassium peroxymonosulfate (e.g. Virkon).
Clinical Signs:
- Kennel cough in dogs sounds like a loud “honking’” or “hacking” cough. It might sound like the dog has something “stuck” in its throat and is trying to cough it up. As the cough progresses, a dog might hack up liquid or foam (which looks very similar to vomiting).
- Tracheal sensitivity (the vet may palpate the dog’s throat to stimulate the cough)
- Wheezing
- Gagging/retching
- Sneezing/nasal discharge
- Teary eye or eye discharge
- Lethargy, decreased appetite, and/or a fever in more severe cases
- Breathing difficulties in severe cases (to seek immediate veterinary care!)
- Pneumonia (often fatal at this point)
Fortunately, kennel cough is not a fatal disease and most dogs recover quite well with appropriate veterinary care.
Can cats get kennel cough?
Yes, kennel cough can be transmitted from dogs to cats and vice versa.
Can humans get kennel cough?
Yes, the main bacteria, bordetella, can be spread to immune-compromised persons. Even then, it is very rare.
What is the prevention?
Vaccination is one of the best ways to prevent kennel cough, especially for dogs who socialise or go to shared doggie areas such as dog parks, grooming or boarding. There are different kennel cough vaccines available such as a combination vaccine against both bordetella and parainfluenza, or just a CIV vaccine against canine influenza virus. Do speak to your vet on what is recommended for your dog.
It is still possible for a vaccinated dog to develop kennel cough because the vaccine does not cover all strains of the different disease-causing organisms. Nonetheless, vaccination will still greatly reduce the risk, resulting in milder symptoms and thus more manageable for the dog.
Other ways you can reduce the risk of your dog contracting the disease is choosing the right boarding facilities with the right measures in places such as requiring all dogs to be vaccinated before boarding.
What is the treatment?
In milder cases, the vet may prescribe take-home medications. Antibiotics treat Bordetella bacteria directly and also prevent secondary (opportunistic) bacterial infection due to the weakened immunity caused by initial viral infection. Cough suppressant, mucolytic and/or anti-inflammatory may be prescribed to soothe the throat and nasal airway.
For more persistent cases, nebulisation may be recommended as additional treatment for faster recovery.
For severe cases such that it leads to pneumonia, hospitalisation is required for aggressive treatment.
Side effects:
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Swelling/pain at site of injection
These signs should not last for more than 2 days. If it extends past the 2 days, do let your veterinarian know.
Allergic reaction:
- Swollen face
- Rashes and hives
- Breathing difficulties
- Vomiting, diarrhoea
- Collapse
- Seizures
Allergic signs normally appear very soon after the injection. It could appear as soon as a few minutes and up to 48 hours after administering the vaccine. When this happens, inform your veterinarian immediately and head down to the clinic as soon as possible for emergency treatment.
Allergic reactions to vaccines are extremely rare (about 10 in 10,000 vaccines given). The benefits of vaccination far outweighs the risks of allergic reactions. If your dog has a history of an allergic reaction to vaccine(s), do speak to your vet on what is recommended. It is usually not worth exposing it to the same allergens again.
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Disclaimer:
This does not serve as any medical diagnosis or treatment plan. Do seek veterinary attention as necessary when you notice any animal showing any abnormal symptoms.
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