If you’re planning some dog-free travel time and want to utilize a pet hotel, you’ll need to ensure your pup is flea and tick-free and current on his vaccinations. Even if you aren’t leaving your dog any time soon, it’s still smart to be up-to-date when it comes to these potentially deadly viruses.

DHLPPC

A combo vaccination that covers a number of diseases with one shot. You should get your dog vaccinated at six weeks, and then follow up with annual booster shots. The letters represent the following:

Distemper

A highly contagious and often deadly virus that affects a dog’s gastrointestinal, nervous, and respiratory systems. Your dog can catch distemper through contact with an infected animal—its feces or urine—though it can also be spread as an airborne infection. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and depression.

Hepatits (Adrenevirus-2)

A viral disease spread through contact with the urine and feces of infected by animals. Canine hepatitis causes liver and kidney damage, with symptoms including fever, lethargy, and diarrhea.

Leptospirosis

An extremely contagious bacterial disease that spreads through the fluids of infected animals (urine, saliva, and nasal secretions). Symptoms take a while to manifest, but unfortunately, an affected dog can still spread the disease. Leptospiros causes inflamed kidneys, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and occasionally liver disease.

Parainfluenza

A contagious virus that causes an upper respiratory infection, generally spread through contact with nasal secretions of infected dogs. The main symptom is a dry, hacking cough. Unfortunately, the vaccine is only somewhat protective.

Parvovirus (CPV)

A highly contagious viral disease that, like Coronavirus, spreads through the feces of infected dogs. Also similar to CCV, Parvo is much more dangerous for puppies. The virus attacks rapidly growing cells particularly bone marrow and the cells lining the intestine. Symptoms include bloody dehydration, vomiting, fever, dehydration, and suppression of the immune system.

Coronavirus (CCV)

A highly contagious virus that is similar to the deadlier parvovirus. Dogs contract Corona by ingesting feces of another dog that has it. While dogs will experience diarrhea (sometimes bloody) as their main symptom, puppies can develop dehydration and enteritis—inflammation of the small intestine.

Other diseases you need to protect your dog against include:

Rabies

A viral disease caused by a wild-animal bite. Rabies causes neurological damage, leading to temperament changes, increased salivation, inability to swallow, convulsions, and staggering. Any warm-blooded animal can be affected; once it reaches the brain, it’s 100 percent fatal. Standard protocol is to vaccinate your dog at three or four months old and then again at one year. After that, a three-year rabies shot is recommended.

Bordatella (Kennel Cough)

A cold for dogs caused by an airborne virus. Bordatella is rarely fatal, but it can lead to other diseases. Symptoms include a harsh dry coughing, gagging, coughing up mucus, and nasal discharge that changes color from white to green. Vaccination is not a guaranteed safeguard against kennel cough, as it only protects against 14 of 40+ known strains. Still, you should seek vaccination before leaving your dog in a pet hotel. Some experts recommend annual shots, while others advocate six-month vaccinations.

Lyme disease (Borreliosis)

An infection that’s transmitted through a tick bite, causing fever, malaise, arthritis, muscular disease, and neurological disease. Ticks themselves don’t cause Lyme disease; rather, the microscopic bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi, transmits it. Some experts argue that Lyme disease is too minor an infection to warrant a vaccination, however you should check with your pet hotel for their requirements.

Giardialamblia (Giardia)

A parasite that lives in the small intestines of dogs and cats and can be passed into the environment through the feces of infected animals. A large amount of Giardia can interfere with the absorption of food and cause diarrhea. If your dog lives primarily outdoors, comes into contact with ponds or creeks, or is a hunting dog, he’s at a higher risk. Talk to your vet about a vaccination, boosted after three weeks and then given annually.