A pet dog that's safe from a particular pathogen has natural substances in his system called antibodies that attack and destroy that pathogen before it may cause disease. Whenever a dog becomes ill by having an infectious disease, his immune system makes antibodies against that particular pathogen. These antibodies protect your dog against reinfection. Your dog has acquired active immunity.
Active immunity is self-perpetuating; your dog is constantly on the make antibodies long afterwards the condition went away. Whenever your dog is subjected to that particular pathogen, his immune system will produce more antibodies. The amount of active immunity varies, depending on the pathogen and also the dog. Following natural exposure, active immunity often persists for a lifetime. In general, immunity to viruses lasts longer than immunity to bacteria.
Active immunity may also be induced by vaccination. Your dog is subjected to heat-killed pathogens, live or attenuated (antigens that happen to be treated to make them less infectious) pathogens rendered not capable of causing disease, or toxins and pathogen products that will even stimulate an answer by the dog's immune system. Just like natural exposure, vaccination energizes the manufacture of antibodies that are specific for that particular pathogen in the vaccine.
However, unlike natural exposure, the amount of protection might be limited. Accordingly, to keep high amounts of protection, booster vaccines are recommended. How often your dog will need boosters depends on the antigen used, quantity of exposures towards the pathogens, the dog's own immune response, and also the kind of vaccination used. Vaccination schedules need to become customized for each individual dog.
Vaccinations might not be successful in most dogs. Rundown, malnourished, debilitated dogs might not be able to answering an illness challenge by developing antibodies or building immunity. Such dogs shouldn't be vaccinated at that time, but should be vaccinated if they are in better health.
Immunosuppressive drugs, for example cortisone and chemotherapy agents, depress the immune system as well as avoid the body from making antibodies. Another kind of immunity is known as passive. Passive immunity is passed from one animal to a different. The classic example may be the antibodies newborn pups absorb in the colostrum of the mother.
Puppies would be best in a position to absorb antibodies using their mother's milk throughout the first Twenty four hours of life. The immunity persists only so long as the antibodies remain in the puppies' circulation.
The amount of immunity depends on the power of antibodies in maternal milk once the pups were born. Dams vaccinated just before these were bred possess the highest antibody levels and therefore are able to protecting puppies for approximately 16 weeks. However, some veterinarians believe this additional booster is unnecessary.
Puppies younger than 3 weeks old might be not capable of developing antibodies in reaction to vaccination due to physical immaturity or interference by passive maternally acquired antibodies. Maternal antibodies can bind the antigen in the vaccine and ensure that it stays from stimulating the immune system. These passive antibodies disappear at between 6 and 16 weeks of age.
Therefore, when vaccinating very young puppies, the vaccine should be given more frequently to make sure that the vaccine will stimulate immunity the moment maternal antibody levels decline and may no more hinder the vaccine. Another supply of passive immunity can happen having a transfusion of blood products with antibodies right into a dog having a serious infection or immune problem. This isn't done frequently, but could be considered a life-saver for many dogs.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Charles Peterson at 05092011
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