1. Preparation
2. Feeding
3. Grooming
4. Training
5. Health
5. Health
THE FIRST DAY
When you pick your puppy up from the breeder, bring a lead,
and--if you are driving--a crate. Don't forget paper
towels in case of an accident. For the first 24 hours after
bringing the puppy home, try to stay home and keep visitors and
noise to a minimum. Observe your puppy and get to know him or
her better. If puppy seems fine during that time, then start
having fun. Take him/her places, let everyone visit,
expose him/her to as much as possible.
For that first day you may offer your puppy some food, but don't
push it. Put it down and if the puppy does not immediately start
eating the food, quietly remove it and wait until the next day.
By that time the puppy should feel more secure, be more settled,
and should be very hungry and is quite likely to want to eat.
The puppy will obviously be stressed by the sudden changes in
its life and may not want to eat at first--so don't worry about
it. If you do, you may start a viscous cycle of you trying to
get your puppy to eat, and your puppy refusing. Best to wait
until the puppy is really hungry and have a successful first
feeding. You both will then feel more confident.
VET
Besides the regular vet visits for other reasons, always have a
thorough checkup done on your Cavalier every March or
April. This should include a stool and body check for parasites,
a heartworm test, a temperature check, the vet must listen to
the heart and lungs for any murmurs or abnormalities, check the
patellas to be sure they are tight, look carefully in the ears,
at the eyes, check the condition of the teeth and color and
condition of the gums, check the abdomen for hernias or masses,
and check all lymph nodes for swelling.
SPAYING/NEUTERING OF PETS
All Cavaliers sold as pets are sold on a Restricted from
Breeding Contract and Pedigree through CKCSC and a Limited
Registration through the AKC. Please be sure to get him/her
neutered or spayed. It is now STRONGLY suggested that you not
spay a puppy much before 2 years of age. The very earliest
should be about 15 months for girls and 18 months for boys.
Please either Google to find out why or visit this site:
https://www.akcchf.org/news-events/news/health-implications-in-early.html.
You can still show your spayed or neutered Cavalier at CKCSC
shows or matches or in obedience or Children's Handling classes
if you wish to do so--anything but AKC Conformation
Classes. Dogs spayed or neutered before their growth plates are
closed WILL grow taller and leggier than those spayed or
neutered later. And this will result in several negative
changes in regards to joint issues and hormonal issues, as well
as cancers.
VACCINATIONS
Read and reread the information on vaccinations. This is of
utmost importance! Humans do not get vaccinations every
single year for the rest of their lives--why should your dog?
It is absolutely NOT necessary and DEFINITELY unhealthy for your
puppy. Be prepared when your puppy visits the vet. Download or
copy the information supplied on this site and show it to your
vet, be knowledgeable and discuss with him/her why you want your
puppy vaccinated this way. Reassure your vet that you have your
puppy's best interests at heart.
The following is an excellent article regarding a summary of the
latest information on vaccinations. It explains a lot of the
reasoning for fewer vaccinations. I left this article pretty
much as is despite the fact that it is older and newer protocols
are now in effect. I follow Jean Dodd's
PROTOCOL of Distemper/Parvo at approximately 9 weeks of age,
13 weeks of age and after 18 weeks of age--again 1 year later and
the last one about mid-life (7-8 years)--and discontinuing after
that. Rabies--by state law. Others are chosen only when and if
necessary. Note this article is quite old, but full of common
sense.
NEW APPROACH TO VACCINATION
OF THE CANINE
by Leanne Bertani, MD (posted with permission from the
writer)
For
years, it was believed that annual vaccinations for viral
diseases were necessary to keep our beloved companions out of
harm's way. But we have recently come to a turning point in
vaccination of the canine. While we are grateful for protection
from diseases such as distemper and parvovirus, there is growing
realization that vaccination is not always benign.
In
1996, a study was published suggesting an association between
vaccination and autoimmune disease, specifically autoimmune
hemolytic anemia, an often fatal destructions of red blood
cells. (1) This was followed by another study that demonstrated
that dogs may develop an autoimmune response after vaccination.
(2) In 1998, the American Association of Feline
Practitioners responded to the increasing incidence of
vaccine-induced fibrosarcomas in cats by changing the
recommendation for feline parvovirum vaccination from annually
to every three years.
These
events, coupled with the knowledge that some vaccinations for
viral diseases may protect for seven or more years, have caused
veterinarians and dog breeders alike to begin to ask, "Are we
vaccinating too much?"
DURATION OF IMMUNITY FOR COMMON VACCINES
Studies have shown that, once fully immunized, more than 90% of
canines retain immunity to Parvovirus-2 and Adenovirus-2 for
more than seven years. (Full immunization may not take place
with vaccinations administered prior to 16 weeks [this was
recently updated to 20
weeks), due to interference by maternal
antibodies.) Immunization to Distemper may last up to 15
years, and immunization to Coronavirus probably lasts a
lifetime. Immunization to Rabies and Parainfluenza lasts
about 3 years in about 80-85% of dogs. Note that proven duration
of immunity may vary dependent on the type of vaccination used;
for instance, modified live parvovirus demonstrated a long
duration of immunity than killed virus; one strain of distemper
tested for a longer duration than another. New recombinant
vaccines may be more efficient and produce a longer-last
immunity.
Other
vaccines, particularly the bacterial ones, are less
durable. Some vaccines such as Bordatella may last less than a
year and are probably only effective in about 70% of
dogs. Sufficient data of Leptospira, Borrelia (Lyme) and Giardia
vaccine is not available to suggest immunization lasting much
longer than a year. (4)
PROGRESS IN THE VETERINARY COMMUNITY
The American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Biologic
and Therapeutic Agents published immunization recommendations
for dogs and cats in 1989, suggesting annual revaccination. The
companies that produce the vaccines also suggest annual
revaccination. A study published in 1998 found that 27% of
vaccinated dogs had a less-than-protective CPV titer [parvo],
and 21% of dogs had a less-than-protective CDV titer
[distemper], and summarized that the current practice of annual
revaccination of dogs against CPV and CDV infection should be
maintained. (5) (Critics of that study argue that authors
used CDV antibody titers that are inconsistent with sterilizing
immunity and don't take into consideration that those dogs with
lower titers will be protected from disease but not
infection.) With the above in mind, it was understandable that
veterinarians were reluctant to buck tradition, as the legal
community generally compares medical practice to the "standard
of care".
But
the vaccination revolution received a couple of big pushes in
2001. The January 2001 issue of The Veterinary Clinics of North
America (Small Animal Practices) featured revaccinations and
discussed the need for reconsidering traditional annual
vaccinations. A chapter author, Dr. Ronald Schultz, Professor &
Chair at the University of Wisconsin, says that their Veterinary
Medical Teaching Hospital has been on an "every three or more"
year vaccination schedule for cats and dogs for over four
years. "The goal for the future should be to vaccinate more
animals than are now vaccinated, but to vaccinate those animals
less often and only with the products that the animal needs,"
says Dr. Schultz.
Another advance came in April 2001, when the American Veterinary
Medical Association Executive Board approved the Council on
Biological Therapeutics new "Principles of Vaccination." This
statement was published in the Journal of the American
Veterinary
Medical Association on September 1, 2001. The principles state
that "unnecessary stimulation of the immune system does not
result in enhanced disease resistance and my increase the risk
of adverse post-vaccination events." It recommended that
veterinarians create "core" and "non-core" vaccination programs
(see below for examples), and that vaccine schedules should be
tailored to the needs of each specific animal.
HIGH
PRIORITY ("CORE") VACCINES
The high-priority vaccines are those protecting against diseases
that are of greatest risk to the dogs or to public health, and
those that carry a large benefit-risk ratio. Possible
vaccines that might be included in many core programs would
include:
1.
canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2)
2. canine distemper virus (CDV)
3. infectious hepatitis, controlled by canine adenovirus-2
(CAV-2)
4. rabies (RV) - a priority in all but the "rabies-free"
countries
At
this time, most products intended for vaccinating for CAV-2,
also includes Parainfluenza (PI), so vaccinations for
Parainfluenza may be included by default.
Rabies vaccine is almost a "no-brainer", as it is considered a
core vaccine in most areas, and is high priority and governed by
state law in the United States. Although there appear to be some
rabies-free areas in Canada, most dogs in the U.S. should
receive a rabies vaccine between 4 and 6 months, with a booster
a year later and then every three years. There are a few states
with a high rabies incidence that may required an earlier
initial vaccine, and yearly revaccination.
MINIMALIST APPROACH
Like many decisions, the vaccination decision comes down to risk
versus benefit. The absolute minimum requirement would be
vaccination with the high priority vaccines at least one time
after the age of 4 months, and revaccination with rabies vaccine
according to area law. Using this minimalist approach, a dog
living in a rabies-free area may only have one injection in its
entire life. This approach might be useful in families of dogs
that are at risk for adverse reactions to vaccines such as
anaphylaxis or autoimmune disease.
But
the minimalist approach is risky. Knowing that the parvovirus
vaccine is over 90% effective is not much comfort if you are in
the small percentage whose dog is unprotected and that dog
brings it home to your puppies. Then there is always the worry
that some puppies will contract disease between the ages of 6-12
weeks, when protection by maternal antibodies begins to
wane. And there are some breeds that don't appear to "immunize
easily" (Dobermans, Rottweilers). There is concern that the
initial vaccines may not be effective due to poor handling or
other reasons, and that extra vaccines are necessary for
"insurance". There is also concern that without the vaccines to
draw pet owners in for annual veterinary visits,
life-threatening conditions may go unnoticed.
TITERS
Titer tests (blood tests to attempt to determine the dog's level
of immunization) are also becoming more common, but are
inconvenient and expensive in some areas, and remain somewhat
controversial. As yet, there is no consensus on the usefulness
of titers. Critics point out that there have been no studies to
determine what levels actually confer protection from disease,
or if there is even a correlation between antibody levels and
susceptibility to disease. Some maintain that there is a
difference between protection from infection, and protection
from disease. Also somewhat suspect is the lack of
standardization for tests determining antibody concentration.
Dr.
Richard Ford, of North Carolina State University, states, "The
risk lies in the fact that a single serum sample divided three
times and sent to three different laboratories is quite likely
to yield three different titers, and quite possibly three
different interpretations. What may be deemed 'protective' by
one laboratory could well be labeled 'susceptible' by
another. Furthermore, it is important to note that a vaccinated
dog or cat that does not have a significant concentration of
antibody may, in fact, have excellent immunity. A 'negative'
antibody titer does not necessarily correlate with
susceptibility to infection. Likewise, the presence of antibody,
even at high levels, does not guarantee immunity subsequent to
exposure. (6)
At
this point, the biggest role of the titer may be merely to
convince boarding clinics or show committees that the animal
doesn't require its annual vaccination. It is likely that titer
testing will receive greater utilization in the future, but
further studies are obviously needed.
SAMPLE CORE PROTOCALS: 1998 COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
PROTOCOL
Some universities have already developed new vaccination
programs. One of these is Colorado State University. (7) Their
1998 core recommendation is a standard three shot serious at 8,
12 and 16 weeks of age, including parvovirus, adenovirus 2,
paraninfluenza, and distemper. A rabies vaccine was recommended
after 16 weeks of age. Following the initial puppy immunization
series, dogs would be boostered one year later and then every
three years thereafter for the above diseases. Bordetella
vaccine was recommended at least 72 hours prior to possible
exposure (dog show, trip to boarding kennel) and could be
repeated every two to four months. The summary is below:
8-9,
12-13 & 20 weeks: parvo, adenovirus, parainfluenza,
distemper
After 16 weeks: rabies (Imrab 3) One year later and every
1 or 3 years according to your state
Midlife (7-8 years—updated): parvo
Bordetella as required
DR.
DODDS
Some veterinarians, such as Jean Dodds, DVM, recommend that
vaccines be given separately, if possible, to minimize the
consequences to the immune system. This is presently
difficult, as most vaccines in the United States are only
available in combination (polyvalent) vaccinations - sometimes
seven or more in one injection! But there are a few that
are available in smaller combinations; her recommendations (as
of April, 2000) for dogs prone to autoimmune disease are below.
(8) Dr. Dodds also recommends that vaccination be avoided
during estrus, pregnancy or lactation.
9
weeks MLV Distemper/Parvovirus only (e.g. Intervet Progard
Puppy)
12-13 weeks MLV Distemper/Parvovirus only (e.g. Intervet Progard
Puppy)
After 18 weeks MLV Distemper/Parvovirus only (e.g. Intervet
Progard Puppy)
24 weeks or older, if allowable by law Killed Rabies Vaccine
1 year MLV Distemper/Parvovirus only booster
1 year (give 3-4 weeks apart from Distemper/Parvo booster),
Killed 3 year rabies vaccine
(MLV = modified live virus)
After
1 year, annually measured serum antibody titers against specific
canine infectious agents such as distemper and parvovirus. Bordetella,
corona virus, leptospirosis or Lyme only if endemic in the area.
These
are only sample core schedules, and recommendations for any one
particular dog should be made by a veterinarian with a valid
patient-client relationship.
BREEDERS' COMPROMISE
Because of the fear of puppy mortality from distemper and parvo,
many breeders still give annual distemper and parvo vaccinations
to dogs and bitches being bred or shown, but more and more are
choosing to discontinue vaccinations for viral diseases at the
time the bitches are retired, with the exception of rabies where
required by law.
THE
LOWER-PRIORITY (non-core) VACCINES
Again it comes down to risk vs. benefit. Killed vaccines are
more risky in the short term, i.e. more likely to cause
immediate adverse reactions (anaphylaxis/anaphylactic shock)
than live vaccines, and bacterial vaccines more risky than viral
ones. Those generalities would denote Leptospira (killed
bacterial) as the most likely of the commonly used vaccines to
cause anaphylaxis, followed by Borrelia/Lyme's Disease (killed, recombinant bacterial),
and Rabies (killed viral), Corona and Bordetella. Corona
is available as modified live viral, but the killed viral
preparation is commonly used. Bordetella bronchiseptica is a
bacterial vaccine, available as a modified live and killed; the
nasal preparation is thought to have the highest benefit-risk
ratio.
The
Leptospirosis vaccine is a controversial one. Leptospirosis is
an important disease because it can be transmitted to man and
some other animals, and can cause severe kidney disease. As
mentioned above, it is one of the vaccines most likely to cause
a fatal anaphylaxis in puppies, so many breeders just don't give
it. Until recently, the vaccine only covered two serovars and
was effective in less than 50-75% of dogs that received the
vaccine. But two more serovars have been recently added, and
leptospirosis has become endemic in some areas. Therefore, the
decision to include Leptospira will have to be made on the basis
of its presence in the dog's area, as well as the future
performance of the two new serovars.
The
value of the Canine Coronavirus vaccine is also
controversial. Some authors go as far as to say that it is not
needed. Corona is a highly contagious virus, but one that rarely
causes death in an adult dog. It may cause protracted diarrhea,
though, and can be fatal to puppies, so the decision on whether
or not to vaccinate for Coronavirus probably depends on how much
exposure your dogs have to outside dogs, and also whether or not
you raise puppies in your home. Many breeders choose to
vaccinate their adults just one time in hopes that it will
decrease the possibility that they will bring the Coronavirus
home to their puppies.
Vaccinations for Borrelia/Lyme's Disease and Giardia are
generally not necessary for the large population of toy dogs
that spend most of their time on the couch. But some of the
sportier toys and those in endemic areas may be vulnerable, so
it is best to consult with your veterinarian and possibly the
Public Health Department in making decisions regarding
Leptospira, Borrelia, Corona and Giardia vaccines.
Bordetella bronchiseptica is a bacteria that causes infection of
the trachea and bronchi; the infection is commonly called
"kennel cough", and is kin to the human "whooping cough".
The Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccine is often given when dogs
are likely to be exposed to large numbers of other dogs, such as
a dog show or boarding kennel. It is available both as injection
and as a nasal inhalant. The inhalant vaccine is thought to be
less likely to cause a severe reaction, and also to have less
interference by immunity from colostrum. Immunization to
Parainfluenza and CAV-2 is thought to enhance the protection of
the Bordetella vaccine. Unfortunately, the Bordetella
vaccine is not one of the more efficient ones, having a short
duration and about a 70% protection rate, but I expect we will
have more efficient vaccines in the future.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR TOY BREEDS
It does appear that toy breeds may have more adverse reactions
to vaccines, so a less-frequent vaccination schedule may be of
particular benefit to this group. The most frightening response
is severe anaphylaxis, most common after killed bacterial
vaccines such as leptospirosis. There are some vets who will not
give a leptospirosis vaccine to a dog under ten pounds for this
reason.
The
one milliliter dose volume listed on most vaccine labels is
recommended because that was the volume tested during the
licensing process. During the efficacy testing, the issue of
breed was ignored. Consequently, we really don't have studies to
tell us if the Toy Poodle should get the same volume as the
Great Dane. Although a natural inclination would be to halve the
dose for toy breeds, there is little or no scientific data to
back up that recommendation.
Human
studies, though, advise against decreasing dosage on basis of
size. In a study of premature babies given half of a DTP
vaccination, those babies did not appear to develop an adequate
immune response to Pertussis.(9)
A
common compromise used by breeders is to halve the dose of the
vaccination during the initial puppy series, giving a full dose
after 16 weeks. Leptospirosis is usually omitted until after a
year of age, or omitted entirely, unless there is local concern
about the disease. This may change after the performance of the
new vaccine is evaluated.
THE
FUTURE
The veterinary community is somewhat hampered by lack of
adequate funding for the research needed, but the future should
bring more efficient vaccines. Instead of modified-live virus,
we will probably have vaccines available made from recombinant
DNA. We may also see more nasal vaccines, which may be less
likely to cause adverse reactions. Hopefully, more work will be
done to correlate antibody titers with immunization to clinical
disease. It would also be nice to see some studies done
comparing the prevalence of autoimmune disease between groups of
annually-vaccinated dogs, and dogs vaccinated less frequently
under the new proposals. And of course, there will need to
be more studies regarding the actual duration of immunity
following vaccination. We can help by encouraging our breed
clubs to contribute to funding of veterinary research.
------------
The
above article is merely an exploration of changing trends in
vaccination and should not be misconstrued as advice.
Consult your veterinarian before making changes in your
vaccination program.
References:
(1) Duval, D., Giger, U.. Vaccine-induced immune-mediated
hemolytic anemia in the dog. J Vet Intern Med 1996.
(2) Hogenesch, H., et al. Vaccine-induced autoimmunity in
the dog. In: Schultz, R.D., ed. Advances in Veterinary Medicine
41: Veterinary Vaccines and Diagnostics. San Diego: Academic
Press, 1999; 715-732.
(3) Schultz, R.D.. Duration of Immunity to Canine
Vaccines, Canine Infectious Disease Workshop, James A. Baker
Institute, August, 1999.
(4) Recent Advances in Canine Infectious Diseases, L.
Carmichael, Editor. Baker Institute for Animal Health, College
of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York,
USA.
(5) McCaw, D.L.; Thompson, M.; Tate, D.; Bonderer, A.;
Chen, Y.J., Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery,
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri,
Columbia, J Am Vet Med Assoc., 1998, Jul, 213:1, 72-5.
(6) Vet. Clin. North.Am.Small Anim. Pract. 2001 Jan., p.
442.
(7)
http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/vth/savp2.html
(8)
http://ighawaii.com/naturally/doddsvac.html
(9) Pediatrics, 1989, April 83(4), 471-6. Half-dose
immunization for diptheria, tetanus, pertussis: response of
preterm infants. Bernbaum, J., Daft, A., Samuelson, J.,
Polin, R. A.
MVD, SM, HD, PA, etc.
Please see the pages of this site regarding the different health
issues of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Social media is also
great for those whose Cavalier has developed one of these
issues. Facebook and others have special groups for these
people. The very latest information is usually available there.
HELPFUL LINKS
Dr. Dodd's site: https://hemopet.org/
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