What No One Tells You About Canine Vaccines — Part 3, Hepatitis

What is Canine Hepatitis?

Canine hepatitis is a contagious disease of dogs. It is also seen in foxes, wolves, coyotes, bears, lynx, and even some seals. In recent years, hepatitis has become uncommon where immunization is done, however periodic outbreaks occur in wildlife.

Signs are:

• Apathy
• Anorexia
• Thirst
• Conjunctivitis
• Serious discharge from the eyes and nose
• Possible abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Hyperemia (excess of blood in vessels supplying an organ and other body parts
• Enlarged tonsils may be seen
• Swelling of the head, neck, and trunk

How Do Dogs Get Hepatitis?

Hepatitis virus is spread through urine and discharges from the nose and eyes of infected materials. Infection happens after direct contact with these materials.

There have been no documented clinical cases of infectious canine hepatitis in North America for at least 12 years  ~ W. Jean Dodds, DVM 

Puppies and young dogs are most at risk and signs usually occur within two to five days after exposure. However, it can take as long as 14 days. Older dogs that contract the disease may go unnoticed or may be mild and resolve without medical treatment.

Hepatitis Vaccine

Most veterinarians recommend getting the DHPP vaccine annually. The DHPP vaccine includes a vaccine for Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus.

What’s in The Vaccine for Hepatitis?

While we don’t know specific ingredients in an individual vaccine, as that information is proprietary, we do know some vaccines contain some, or all, of the following:

• Very small amounts of the culture material used to grow the virus or bacteria used in the vaccine, such as chicken egg protein.
• Aluminum gels or salts of aluminum which are added as adjuvants to help the vaccine stimulate a better response. Adjuvants help promote an earlier, more potent response, and more persistent immune response to the vaccine.
• Antibiotics which are added to some vaccines to prevent the growth of germs (bacteria) during production and storage of the vaccine. No vaccine produced in the United States contains penicillin.
• Egg protein is found in influenza and yellow fever vaccines, which are prepared using chicken eggs. Ordinarily, persons who are able to eat eggs or egg products safely can receive these vaccines.
• Formaldehyde is used to inactivate bacterial products for toxoid vaccines, (these are vaccines that use an inactive bacterial toxin to produce immunity.) It is also used to kill unwanted viruses and bacteria that might contaminate the vaccine during production. Most formaldehyde is removed from the vaccine before it is packaged.
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and 2-phenoxy-ethanol which are used as stabilizers in a few vaccines to help the vaccine remain unchanged when the vaccine is exposed to heat, light, acidity, or humidity.
• Thimerosal is a mercury-containing preservative that is added to vials of vaccine that contain more than one dose to prevent contamination and growth of potentially harmful bacteria.
• (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm)

Should Your Dog Get The Hepatitis Vaccine Annually?

This is where you as your dog’s advocate comes in. Many veterinarians now believe that vaccinations should not be a one size fits all for all dogs. See: What No One Tells You About Canine Vaccines-Introduction

We will continue with this series with our discussion of the next vaccine in the DHPP vaccine; Parvovirus

Did you miss previous posts in this series?

See: What No One Tells You About Canine Vaccines – Introduction

Dr. Karen Becker, DVM on over-vaccinating our dogs and titering:

Vaccinations are life-saving. This series is simply to give you the tools and knowledge you need to know so you can be your dogs health advocate.

It is a good idea to have this on hand