Dog Desk Animal Action CIC

Shelter Vaccinations

While all the homeless dogs in the immediate area are now spayed & neutered we do sometimes have pregnant mums come in & boxes of orphaned puppies dumped at the gates.

The pups are high risk of infectious disease. This natural threat is amplified in homeless dogs whose mothers often have weakened immune systems. In healthy dogs whose environment is good pups have sufficient antibodies derived from mum to protect them from nasties for the first few weeks of their lives. This is not the case with the pups who come to us.

Pregnant & nursing mums abandoned to us are given a private kennel to keep them & their babies safe. If pups come in orphaned they are also given a private kennel or if showing signs of poor health they are quarantined.

All puppies receive vaccinations.

The pups are vaccinated against common infectious disease

• Canine distemper.
• Canine parvovirus.
• Leptospirosis.
• Parainfluenza.
• Kennel Cough

The first dose is given at around eight – ten weeks with a second dose about four weeks later.

Rabies vaccines are also given

Rabies

Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease endemic in many countries all over the world. It is almost always fatal & according to The World Health Organisation over 99% of cases in humans have occurred because of a bite from an infected dog.

The rabies virus travels between hosts via saliva, attacking the nerves & brain once the host is infected. Dogs become infected by wildlife & other dogs.

There are two forms of rabies, furious & paralytic. The furious form causes hyperactivity & hydrophobia. The paralytic form gradually paralyses the dog. The dog eventually slips in to a coma & death follows.

In addition to being a threat to dog health, rabies understandably causes a great deal of fear in people who worry that a dog bite may result in them becoming infected with the rabies virus. This fear results in the dogs being persecuted & is sometimes a reason why districts order culling of dogs in their areas.

Rabies is totally preventable through vaccination. When travelling with our dogs & cats it is vital that they are fully protected from infection by vaccination. In many countries it is a rule for entry.

Rabies vaccination in stray dog populations is vital to eliminate the virus & prevent persecution of dogs by humans through fear. Further ways to mitigate the dog / human conflict is education regarding the avoidance of dog bites & information regarding medical care should a person be bitten by a dog.

Dog Desk Animal Action CIC funds rabies vaccination programmes for dogs in countries where rabies is endemic. The maps below illustrate the countries we have supported with grants for the purchase & delivery of rabies vaccinations to dogs.

if you would like to contribute to this work you can do so by making a donation using the donation box below the map gallery. Six pounds will vaccinate one dog against rabies.