As the weather warms up, and dogs are out and about more, it's important to start discussing pet vaccination options with your veterinarian. Dr. Natalie Marks, a veterinarian, shares the latest information on transmission, prevention, and what pet owners should look out for to keep their dogs healthy and safe. Respiratory disease in dogs starts to ramp up in the spring, peaking between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with July being the peak month. Therefore, it's important to start thinking about and talking with your veterinarian about vaccine options for your pet. Diseases such as Canine Influenza Virus (CIV), Canine Parainfluenza Virus (CPIV), and Bordetella bronchiseptica are prevalent during the respiratory season. They can easily be transmitted through direct contact, contaminated surfaces like toys, leashes, or water bowls, and by respiratory secretions. Both diseases can quickly spread in daycares and kennels. As families plan to travel for spring break and consider boarding their pets, it's the perfect time to think about getting them vaccinated to avoid the spread of these diseases. While most cases are mild, with symptoms including cough, fever, runny nose, lethargy, and loss of appetite, persistent coughing can cause prolonged discomfort, and, in severe instances, these diseases can result in pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. Dr. Marks advises that the best strategy to protect your dog is prevention through vaccination. Merck Animal Health offers two preventive vaccines -- NOBIVAC(R) Intra-Trac(R) Oral BbPi and NOBIVAC(R) NXT Canine flu H3N2. NOBIVAC(R) Intra-Trac(R) Oral BbPi is the first and only oral vaccine that delivers dual protection against Bordetella bronchiseptica and Canine Parainfluenza Virus, two of the most common causes of kennel cough. It is administered orally by simply twisting the Immuno-Mist-R applicator until tight and misting toward the back of the mouth for can't-miss coverage. NOBIVAC(R) NXT Canine flu H3N2, which is now available in vet clinics across the U.S., is the first and only canine influenza vaccine built on Merck Animal Health's RNA-particle technology platform to protect against the critical influenza strain of concern of canine influenza virus circulating in the country. Learn more at merckanimalhealth.com and pet parents should ask their vet about protecting your dog against canine influenza with NOBIVAC(R).
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hi, I'm Dr. Natalie Marks. I'm a small animal veterinarian and I'm here today to talk to you
00:10about ways that you can help protect your dog from respiratory disease this season. Yes,
00:15respiratory disease season is upon us and really ramping up for your dogs. It starts to peak
00:20between Memorial Day and Labor Day and spikes in July. And so for the dog owners that are
00:25listing right now and watching, this is certainly a very different from humans because for us,
00:30we think about respiratory disease really ramping up in the fall and winter. That's why it's perfect
00:35time right now to talk to your veterinarian about your dog's risk and vaccination options so we can
00:40keep them as safe and protected this season. There's diseases out there like canine influenza,
00:46canine parainfluenza, and Bordetella bronchoseptica that are easily spread through things like direct
00:52dog-to-dog contact, contaminated surfaces like toys and leashes and water bowls, and through secretions
00:59from dogs coughing and sneezing. And we see these diseases easily spread at places like daycares and
01:04kennels but even outside our neighborhood walks. So if you're out there planning your spring break or
01:10summer travel and contemplating boarding your dog or you're just getting outside more as the weather's
01:15getting nicer, really important to talk to your veterinarian about vaccination options so that we can
01:21avoid the spread of disease. As we think about these big three, again canine influenza or dog flu, canine
01:28parainfluenza, and Bordetella bronchoseptica, they're probably the most common illnesses that we see that
01:34can be potentially harmful to your dog. The good news is that most of these diseases are mild, so we see
01:40cough, runny nose, fever, lethargy, or loss of appetite, but that persistent cough for your dog can be really
01:47uncomfortable. And in severe cases, these diseases can progress to pneumonia, which can be life-threatening.
01:54So when pet parents ask me what's the best strategy to keep my dog as free from respiratory disease as
02:00possible, it's always prevention through vaccination. And two preventative vaccines from Merck Animal Health
02:07that I really love and recommend are the Nobivac Intratrack Oral BBPI and the Nobivac Nex Canine Flu H3N2.
02:15And for a couple reasons, I want to go over each of these a little bit more. So the oral BBPI,
02:21as you can imagine, has two components to it. BB for Bordetella bronchoseptica and PI for canine
02:28parainfluenza. These are the two most causative agents for a syndrome that most dog owners have heard
02:34of, which is kennel cough. So I love this vaccine because it's super comfortable. It's administered
02:40orally through this immunomister applicator on the end of that syringe. We just gently miss the back of
02:46your dog's throat. It's a stress-free experience. Can't miss coverage. The other is the Nex Canine
02:53Flu H3N2. And this is a low volume preservative free vaccine that provides optimum protection against
02:59the most common canine influenza virus in the US, which is H3N2 without compromising comfort or safety.
03:07So if you want to learn more about these two vaccines or just vaccination options in general,
03:13you can visit merchanimalhealth.com. And don't forget, it's also equally important to talk to your
03:19veterinarian about your dog's risks and vaccination options so we can keep them as protected as possible
03:25as possible this season.