We spoke with Kevin (our vet) last week about this drug & have just found a bit of information on it, if anyone wants a read it's quite interesting & i know quite a few of you were interested after Hobgoblin produced pups with it.
Vets words "It certainly stacks the odds in your favour".
It costs £70 for the 2 injections which isn't really OTT if you get a nice healthy litter at the end of it.
Anyway here's the bumph, some might be a bit repetative but you get the jist.
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An inactivated vaccine is now available from veterinary surgeons in Europe (not USA), produced by Merial. The vaccine, Eurican® Herpes 205, has been shown to significantly improve weaning rates, increase puppy birth weights and reduce early puppy death.
There even appears to be a trend to larger litter sizes, indicating a protective effect on the unborn pup.
Even bitches that already have the virus can be vaccinated.
Two doses of the vaccine are given to the bitch, the first dose at or soon after mating and the second dose six to seven weeks later, i.e. mid - late pregnancy. This stimulates the bitch to produce high levels of protective antibody to CHV, which she then passes to the puppies in their first feed of colostrum.
The vaccination schedule must be repeated at each pregnancy, i.e. two injections.
The vaccine will not interfere with PCR or virus isolation tests.
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Breeder success stories
Field trials of an innovative new vaccine
In April 2003, Merial Animal Health Limited launched the world’s first and only vaccine against canine herpes virus (CHV). Amongst the first to use this vaccine was Lincolnshire championship dog breeder Jolli King, and her experiences will be of interest to anyone involved in dog breeding.
History
Pankington Kennels is a successful breeding kennels, boarding kennels and cattery, and grooming parlour. Some 200 dogs may be present on site, and the strictest hygiene measures are in place to control disease spread, including boot dips, isolation wards and regular cleaning with bleach-based products.
Despite all these measures, CHV appears to have entered the kennels around March 2002, and puppy losses increased dramatically. Previously, pre-weaning losses had been less than 20%, with no more than one or two pups per litter affected. Suddenly, mortality rates had increased to more than 50%, and entire litters were being lost. Changes consistent with CHV, including bleeding under the skin and eye infections were noted.
Vaccination
Vaccination was introduced in February 2003, with all pregnant bitches receiving vaccine. Some bitches in mid-pregnancy only had time to receive one dose of vaccine. Even in these cases, a reduction in mortality was seen. However, those bitches receiving the full licensed course of two vaccinations – the first at heat and the second in mid-pregnancy – showed dramatic improvements.
The results are summarised below:
Results:
Four bitches only received a single vaccination, due to late stage of pregnancy. Mixed success, overall weaning rate 55%.
Twenty-three bitches received two vaccinations. Dramatic improvement in survival rate 76%.
Other findings:
Improvement in birth weights
Significantly increased litter size 30%
These dramatic results demonstrate the impact of CHV in breeding kennels, and the efficacy of the new vaccine in preventing losses. The effects can be measured not just in monetary terms, with many more valuable puppies born, but more importantly as the first significant weapon against this well-known but previously unstoppable and soul-destroying virus.
Jolli King says: “ this has been such a tremendous help to me being able to use the vaccine and see such dramatic results. I think probably the worst part about having this virus was having apparently healthy if somewhat small puppies born and then watching them die one by one over the next few days. Whereas now our babies are born looking much more "positive" and each day they grow instead of fading. I have had three litters born that are [now] a week old….so far 100% alive and growing evenly, a year ago that was an impossibility”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CANINE HERPES VIRUS - New vaccine for Canine Herpes Virus. Meriel Drug information says that Canine herpesvirus (CHV-1) is a virus that has been largely ignored for many years. It is highly infectious and a recent study showed that more than 80% of dogs in England have been exposed to the virus at some time in their lives.
For most dogs CHV was not thought to cause significant problems so has been ignored by breeders and Vets. It is now clear that CHV can be a significant cause of death in young puppies and also smaller litter size and weight.
In the unborn puppy CHV attacks the placenta of the mother, starving the foetus of nutrients. This can lead to abortion, stillbirth or re-absorption of the foetus (seen by breeders as infertility).
In the newborn puppy if affected before birth and survives, it may be underweight and have a weakened immune system, making it vulnerable to early puppy infections. If the puppy is infected soon after birth, CHV is known to be one of the factors in “fading puppy syndrome”, in which the pup fails to suckle, loses weight and fades away despite intensive care.
In the adult dog CHV can cause painful lesions on the genitals. In the bitch, there may not be external signs but the bitch could be infertile or give birth to undersize and weak litters. In both males and females, CHV is also known to be a cause of kennel cough.
There is no cure for an animal that has CHV; infection is probably lifelong and can flare up repeatedly during periods of stress. Antiviral drugs do not appear to be effective and are very expensive.
The new vaccine for prevention is Eurican Herpes 205. It cannot prevent infection but if given during pregnancy it has been shown to significantly improve fertility rates and reduce early puppy deaths and bitches that have already had the virus can be vaccinated Meriel Animal Health states.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vets words "It certainly stacks the odds in your favour".
It costs £70 for the 2 injections which isn't really OTT if you get a nice healthy litter at the end of it.
Anyway here's the bumph, some might be a bit repetative but you get the jist.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An inactivated vaccine is now available from veterinary surgeons in Europe (not USA), produced by Merial. The vaccine, Eurican® Herpes 205, has been shown to significantly improve weaning rates, increase puppy birth weights and reduce early puppy death.
There even appears to be a trend to larger litter sizes, indicating a protective effect on the unborn pup.
Even bitches that already have the virus can be vaccinated.
Two doses of the vaccine are given to the bitch, the first dose at or soon after mating and the second dose six to seven weeks later, i.e. mid - late pregnancy. This stimulates the bitch to produce high levels of protective antibody to CHV, which she then passes to the puppies in their first feed of colostrum.
The vaccination schedule must be repeated at each pregnancy, i.e. two injections.
The vaccine will not interfere with PCR or virus isolation tests.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Breeder success stories
Field trials of an innovative new vaccine
In April 2003, Merial Animal Health Limited launched the world’s first and only vaccine against canine herpes virus (CHV). Amongst the first to use this vaccine was Lincolnshire championship dog breeder Jolli King, and her experiences will be of interest to anyone involved in dog breeding.
History
Pankington Kennels is a successful breeding kennels, boarding kennels and cattery, and grooming parlour. Some 200 dogs may be present on site, and the strictest hygiene measures are in place to control disease spread, including boot dips, isolation wards and regular cleaning with bleach-based products.
Despite all these measures, CHV appears to have entered the kennels around March 2002, and puppy losses increased dramatically. Previously, pre-weaning losses had been less than 20%, with no more than one or two pups per litter affected. Suddenly, mortality rates had increased to more than 50%, and entire litters were being lost. Changes consistent with CHV, including bleeding under the skin and eye infections were noted.
Vaccination
Vaccination was introduced in February 2003, with all pregnant bitches receiving vaccine. Some bitches in mid-pregnancy only had time to receive one dose of vaccine. Even in these cases, a reduction in mortality was seen. However, those bitches receiving the full licensed course of two vaccinations – the first at heat and the second in mid-pregnancy – showed dramatic improvements.
The results are summarised below:
Results:
Four bitches only received a single vaccination, due to late stage of pregnancy. Mixed success, overall weaning rate 55%.
Twenty-three bitches received two vaccinations. Dramatic improvement in survival rate 76%.
Other findings:
Improvement in birth weights
Significantly increased litter size 30%
These dramatic results demonstrate the impact of CHV in breeding kennels, and the efficacy of the new vaccine in preventing losses. The effects can be measured not just in monetary terms, with many more valuable puppies born, but more importantly as the first significant weapon against this well-known but previously unstoppable and soul-destroying virus.
Jolli King says: “ this has been such a tremendous help to me being able to use the vaccine and see such dramatic results. I think probably the worst part about having this virus was having apparently healthy if somewhat small puppies born and then watching them die one by one over the next few days. Whereas now our babies are born looking much more "positive" and each day they grow instead of fading. I have had three litters born that are [now] a week old….so far 100% alive and growing evenly, a year ago that was an impossibility”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CANINE HERPES VIRUS - New vaccine for Canine Herpes Virus. Meriel Drug information says that Canine herpesvirus (CHV-1) is a virus that has been largely ignored for many years. It is highly infectious and a recent study showed that more than 80% of dogs in England have been exposed to the virus at some time in their lives.
For most dogs CHV was not thought to cause significant problems so has been ignored by breeders and Vets. It is now clear that CHV can be a significant cause of death in young puppies and also smaller litter size and weight.
In the unborn puppy CHV attacks the placenta of the mother, starving the foetus of nutrients. This can lead to abortion, stillbirth or re-absorption of the foetus (seen by breeders as infertility).
In the newborn puppy if affected before birth and survives, it may be underweight and have a weakened immune system, making it vulnerable to early puppy infections. If the puppy is infected soon after birth, CHV is known to be one of the factors in “fading puppy syndrome”, in which the pup fails to suckle, loses weight and fades away despite intensive care.
In the adult dog CHV can cause painful lesions on the genitals. In the bitch, there may not be external signs but the bitch could be infertile or give birth to undersize and weak litters. In both males and females, CHV is also known to be a cause of kennel cough.
There is no cure for an animal that has CHV; infection is probably lifelong and can flare up repeatedly during periods of stress. Antiviral drugs do not appear to be effective and are very expensive.
The new vaccine for prevention is Eurican Herpes 205. It cannot prevent infection but if given during pregnancy it has been shown to significantly improve fertility rates and reduce early puppy deaths and bitches that have already had the virus can be vaccinated Meriel Animal Health states.
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