A lot of people do not believe in giving their protection dogs all the vaccinations that are available, and most animals can be raised completely healthy without them. However, before making this decision for your protection dog, it is imperative that you conduct your own research to make sure you know everything you need to know to make an informed decision.
What Are Puppies Susceptible To?
Susceptibility to disease is rarely discussed by veterinarians, but it is possible. Knowing how it works is extremely important in understanding how to prevent contagious disease. This prevention is one of the main reasons behind giving animals vaccinations. In general, there are four primary considerations that must be considered about the state of susceptibility:
- Geographical Location
- Age of the Animal
- State of Immune and General Health
- Exposure to Others
1. Geographical Location
We are not always sure why, but not all diseases are a threat in every area. For instance, rabies in the United States is extremely rare, but for other countries, it is common. It is important to know what diseases are common in your area to be better informed on what vaccinations your protection dog puppy might need. To find out this information, you should be able to find it at your state’s epidemiologist website or the CDC website.
2. Age of the Animal
Age is extremely important when considering vaccinations. When a dog reaches maturation, at around 6 months, they begin producing various hormones that help to boost their immune system. This is something to consider when thinking about spaying or neutering your protection dog. Even at the start of puberty, a dog’s immune system becomes supercharged, which can help in deceasing their susceptibility to a lot of different ailments and disease.
3. State of Immune and General Health
Just like in humans, having a healthy immune system will be able to fend off disease invaders a lot easier. A few ways that an immune system can be compromised is by having too many vaccinations, poor nutrition, or living in an unclean environment. If an animal isn’t suffering from any of these factors, they are more than likely to have a strong immune system. It is a good idea to keep their bodies nourished and detox to make sure that they will be able to fight off enemy invaders.
4. Exposure of Others
Being exposed to animals who have an illness or have been vaccinated for one makes them at higher risk of contracting it. A lot of people don’t realize that their protection dogs can contract an illness even from animals that have been vaccinated for them. Homebody animals are less likely to catch an illness, while animals who are exposed to others like at shows or parks have a higher chance.
Just like babies, keeping your protection dog at home during the first couple of months will increase the likelihood that he will not be exposed to any illnesses. However, having a rambunctious puppy can way on your patience.
Ways to Protect Your Puppies
At this point, you should have done a lot of research, and it is time to pick the best type of protection available that matches your personal situation. Below are four of the most popular ways of rearing a puppy:
- Limited Vaccination
- Natural Nakedness
- Homeopathic Nosodes
- Natural Exposure
Limited Vaccinations for Family Protection Dogs
The average dog generally receives around six vaccinations when they are a puppy. Sometimes there are a couple more, but that depends on the area in which they live. A few of the common vaccinations that puppies usually receive are rabies, parvo, parainfluenza, and distemper. The way vaccinations work is it introduces a low dose of the disease into the system to allow the puppy’s immune system to build up antibodies to counter this. This is a popular way of taking care of a puppy, but it can decrease the overall health of the puppy.
Natural Nakedness for Personal Protection Dogs
In this case, naked merely means that a puppy does not receive any type of vaccine. If you decide to go this route, you can raise your puppy using one of six natural rearing principles that were designed to support puppies’ bodies.
- Daily exercise
- Healthy emotional environment
- Fresh, clean water
- Wholesome nutritional supplements and herbs
- Fresh, raw food diet
- Clean physical environment
These might seem simplistic, but they are natural ways to help build up your protection dog puppy’s immune system. Providing these things for your puppy will increase the chance of keeping them healthy. After all, how do you think people and animals survived before vaccinations were created.
Homeopathic Nosodes for Personal Protection Dogs
If you prefer homeopathic remedies, there are some available for all contagious disease that can be caught by kittens and puppies. Veterinarians have been using these types of remedies since the 1920s. However, it is still unclear exactly how they work but they are known for being very effective and economic.
These nosodes work well with the six natural rearing principles that are listed above. It is excellent to use parvo and distemper until your protection dog puppy is close to a year old. However homeopathic nosodes for Bordetella can be used anytime they have been exposed, but its best to consult your veterinarian to make sure it is being administered properly.
Natural Exposure for Family Protection Dogs
Just like human chicken pox, it could be beneficial to expose a puppy to a dog that has parvo. Light exposure could work just like a vaccination without the harmfulness of it being injected into your protection dog puppy. It might be scary, but your puppy will get the benefits of a lifelong immunity to the disease. If you choose to go this right, it is smart to work with a holistic veterinarian. This will help to minimize the effects of the disease.
One way to expose puppies is to take them to a park where wild animals have been confirmed to have cases of distemper. Basically, you will let your protection dog puppy run around for five to ten minutes, and repeat this once or twice a week to let them be exposed to the area and the disease without directly putting them close to an animal with the disease. You should do this for three weeks. Research has shown, that after three weeks’ puppies show a susceptible amount of immunity to the disease. It might sound strange, but this is something that we do as humans naturally. It is literally the same thing. This technique has even been used by award-winning breeders.