The cliche an ounce of prevention
is better than a pound of cure also applies to your Jack Russell
Terrier. Don’t wait for your Jack Russell to get sick. Have your
Jack Russell Terrier vaccinated against diseases. Vaccinations
are cheaper than having your pet treated for disease.
Veterinarians agree that the immune system of your dog has
to learn to recognize an infection so it can produce the required
antibodies to combat it. Only vaccination can do this. Unvaccinated
Jack Russell Terrier’s can become very sick when attacked with
a virus or bacteria because their immune system failed to respond
faster. Vaccinations teach the immune system to react faster
before the infectious agent can do damage.
When the mother dog is nursing, she is giving antibodies to
her pups. These antibodies will protect the young ones but not
for long. Once the antibodies from the mother are gone, the
pup becomes an open target to many diseases.
Maternal antibodies, though, when still present in a pup’s
immune system, makes vaccinations useless. For this, vaccinations
must be made in a series. Shots should be made 3 to 4 weeks
apart. Vaccinations at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age plus annual
boosters guarantee good health for your pets.
Recommended for dogs is the standard DAAPPL and for cats, FVRCP.
DAAPPL combats distemper, leptospirosis, parvovirus, parainfluenza
and hepatitis in dogs. Cats are protected by FVRCP from calicivirus,
panleukopenia and feline viral rhinotraceitis. These diseases
are fatal and your pet needs to be vaccinated against them.
Of course, rabies is a big concern too and vaccination is important.
At 16 weeks, your pup or kitten should be given rabies shot
followed by an annual booster. Depending on the vaccine, the
shot can be given every 3 years. The law requires that you have
your pets vaccinated for rabies.
But even if the law doesn’t require rabies vaccination, it
is always best to have your Jack Russell Terrier vaccinated
because it will not only protect them from rabies but will also
protect you from legal issues. There are some cases when an
otherwise healthy animal has to be euthanized because it was
unvaccinated but later bitten by an unvaccinated animal.
Also, as a responsible Jack Russell owner, be mindful of your
dog’s lifestyle. The kind of lifestyle it leads exposes it to
diseases in varying degrees. If you always enter your dog in
dog shows or if your dog goes to boarding kennels, vaccinations
for corona and bordetella will greatly benefit the animal.
