Vet Blog

A dog’s lifestyle and age determine what vaccinations it requires and how frequently boosters are needed.  The best resource for determining what vaccine schedule will best protect your pet is your own veterinarian.  He or she can talk to you about your dog’s individual risk factors and vaccination history.  That said, most veterinarians follow some general guidelines that I will spell out for you here.

Healthy puppies need to start their vaccination series when they are around seven to eight weeks of age.  A total of three visits each occurring roughly three weeks apart is necessary for a puppy to receive all of its vaccines and the boosters that will provide protection for the next year.  Approximately one year after the last puppy shots are given, the first annual health check-up should occur.  In most cases, all the vaccines that were given to the puppy will be boosted at this visit.  An adult dog with a questionable vaccine history will usually need two sets of shots roughly three weeks apart to provide them with their initial immunity.

From this point on, adult dogs should be seen for a check-up at least once per year.  Some vaccines can be boosted every three years while others require annual revaccination to remain effective.  Dogs that are at extremely high risk for kennel cough may need a Bordetella booster every six months.  Some veterinarians offer vaccine titers in lieu of repeat vaccinations against certain diseases.  The titer is a blood test that determines whether a dog has high levels of circulating antibodies against a particular disease.  Veterinarians may also choose to stop vaccinating pets with serious, underlying health problems.
 
The following vaccines should be given to all dogs except those that have had known, severe adverse reactions to them in the past:  rabies, distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis), and parvovirus.  Some vaccines combine protection against several different diseases in a single shot.  These are often given an acronym that indicates which diseases are included (e.g. DAPP for distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and parainfluenza)

Most dogs, except perhaps those that have very little contact with other dogs, benefit from receiving Bordetella and parainfluenza vaccines that offer protection against some forms of kennel cough.  Dogs at high risk for Lyme disease or leptospirosis can also be vaccinated against these diseases.  Other canine vaccines are manufactured, but they either offer little proven protection against disease (e.g. Giardia and Coronavirus) or are so new that I can’t recommend them to most pet owners.

Post by:
Jennifer Coates, DVM graduated with honors from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999.  In the years since, she has practiced veterinary medicine in Virginia, Wyoming, and Colorado and is the author of several short stories and books, including the Dictionary of Veterinary Terms, Vet-Speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian.  Dr. Coates lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of pets.