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Expert: - 2/21/2010


Question
we had a Rottwiler which died when he was 4 months old. The vet said that he died of catflue even though he was inoculated. A nother vet told us that he most probably died of a weak imunesystem and that is because his mother was not inoculated in the year he was born. Is it true that it is important for a strong imunesystem of the puppy that the mother should have been inoculated in the birth year?

Answer
The most common thing that Rottweilers die of here is parvo virus. I don't know about cat flu, we only have a canine flu here.

Vaccinations are tricky things Hilke. If the mother is not vaccinated, then the puppies don't get as good immunity as they should at birth. They are born with 'maternal antibodies' that help them fight off diseases.

If the mother didn't pass on strong ones, the puppies won't be as able to fight off viruses. If the mother does pass them on, then they can actually render the vaccinations you get for the dog useless while they still protect the puppy.

The problem is this: no one knows when the maternal antibodies wane or disappear. So what happens is that if the puppy isn't vaccinated every three weeks, then there can be a point when there is no maternal antibodies to protect AND there are NO vaccinations circulating to protect the dog- which leaves it wide open to get parvo or any thing else and die.

I know that is confusing but that is the way it works. Most puppies are born with pretty good immune systems even if the mother wasn't vaccinated, but the maternal protection will probably wear off faster in these puppies.

I am sorry about your puppy- I know it is hard to lose them even so young.
I hope that your next dog is much healthier. Half breeds are generally stronger dogs, so instead of encouraging breeders to produce inferior dogs, save the life of one in a shelter.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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