Is Your Dog Immune Compromised?

Knowing whether or not your dog is immune compromised can make all the difference for them.  Whether your dog is able to fight off infections as well as a healthy dog will go a long way in helping you make important decisions with regards to their health.  So, with that said, in this blog we are going to cover some of the key points to help you understand whether or not your dog is immune compromised.

What is Immune Compromised?

Immune compromised means your dog’s immune system is not functioning as well as it should.  This leaves them susceptible to infections, and means they take longer to heal and it also means they are less responsive to vaccines.  This can affect them temporarily, it can be mild or it can be chronic.

Age and its influence

The strength of your dogs immune system will be different at their different ages and stages as well as dependent on their breed and their ‘mothers’ health.  Pitbulls, labradors and rottweilers can be more susceptible and so these breeds often need more ‘support’.  Here are some things to be aware of at different ages:

Puppies under 6mnths

Puppies naturally have immature immune systems.  This is normal.  At this young age they are still protected by their mother’s antibodies but it’s important to note that they are more susceptible to infections until they have received their initial vaccines.  Saying this it’s also important to not vaccinate too early with too many because their immune system is still developing.  So, leaving the vaccines till the mothers immunity has worn off would take you to approximately 14 weeks and due to this its wise if you choose to vaccinate to start at 14-16 weeks with a single Parvo shot – as opposed to any number of vaccines at this early age where the immune system is often not capable of adequately handling multiple vaccines.  You may wish to pay the higher price and have SINGLE vaccines, spaced out, so it is not so much of a challenge to your dogs immune system.  If this makes you too nervous, Dr Judy Morgan recommends vaccine DAP, * (distemper, hepatitis and Parvo) at 10-12wks  Do your homework and research would be our advice. 

Adult between 1-7yrs

In this stage of a dogs life they should have robust immune systems.  A dog with a compromised immune system at this stage usually indicates an underlying condition that needs to be investigated or it could essentially be showing you need to do everything you can to support and strengthen immunity in order to cope with life’s challenges.  A good probiotic with commensal probiotics and a species appropriate diet are the foundations and you can build on this from there, be it with our ‘superfood list’ see the blog link later on for more on that, and gut repair.

Senior 7 years and over

Immunity naturally declines at this stage and our dogs become more prone to infections and slower healing.  So, due to this it’s a really good idea to feed some ‘superfoods’ in addition to their species appropriate diet of raw food or home prepared food.

Do you think your dog could be immune compromised? Not sure? See if you can answer yes to any of these questions…

- Did your dog have to have a course of antibiotics in the last year?

- Was your dog prescribed steroids in the last year?

- Did your vet prescribe your dog anti-inflammatories in the last year?

- Does your dog have any current health issues and are they on medication for it?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then our best advice would be to allocate 20% of your dog's meal each night to be one of these greens: lightly cooked peas, lightly cooked green beans, lightly cooked silverbeet, lightly cooked kale.  Little tip – if your dog was foraging in the wild they gain their ‘vegetables and greens from the PRE-DIGESTED food in their prey’s stomach – so when we lightly cook the ‘greens’ it replicates this as closely as we can.  A little chopped parsley added is also great for kidney and liver function.  This will supply much needed nutrients, enzymes and phyto-chemicals to boost your dog’s immune system and help keep on top of their health.

Boosting your dog's immune system with some of these greens can provide essential nutrients, enzymes, and phyto-chemicals that help strengthen their immune response and protect against potential illnesses. By rotating one or more of these ‘greens’ into your dog's diet, you can help support their immune system and help to ensure they stay healthy and happy.  If your puppy is showing signs of immune-compromise you can use unflavoured, powdered colostrum, added to their food and you always want to work on gut function so a little commercial aloe vera juice added to their food can be helpful too.

More symptoms to look out for

Besides answering the above questions, here are some symptoms and signs that your dog may have a compromised immune system:

-            Recurring infections including skin infections, urinary tract infections and ear infections

-            Persistent cough

-            Slow to heal cuts

-            Poor coat condition eg. dull or patchy fur

-            Unexplained weight loss

-            Fungal infections

-            Reactions to vaccines that are more severe than usual

-            Change in appetite or thirst

-            Demeanour seems ‘off’

-            Chronic diarrhoea

Patterns are key

When we pay attention to our dogs patterns we tune in to their needs, and this gives us the power to take the necessary steps to improve their overall health.  We know our dogs, so when their behaviour is ‘off’ or they’ve had a recurring ear infection for example, we know we need to take action.  What we must learn to understand is where there are natural, healthy options at our disposal.

Maintaining optimum gut health

Here at MicroMed we recommend the regular use of our MicroMed probiotic spray to ensure optimum gut and thereby whole body health. Our Everyday Care oral probiotic, is safe and most pets love the taste. Always make sure you’re feeding your dog a high quality, species appropriate diet (which kibble is not, sorry) according to their stage of life and remember to maintain good dental hygiene and physical exercise.  There are a number of herbs or even a little ‘spirulina blue’ that can boost their immunity too, so check out our Superfoods blog for more info on this – here’s the link: https://micromed.org.nz/blogs/news/superfoods-and-your-dog

Plus, a stress-free lifestyle pays a larger role than you might think!  Boosting your dog’s immune system doesn’t have to be hard, and the benefits are so worth it!