What vaccinations are necessary for your puppy

Core vs non-Core vaccinations

All of the vaccines given to dogs fit into 2 categories: core and non-core vaccines.

Core vaccines are the ones most vets recommend your dog should have as a puppy. These vaccines all protect against dangerous viral diseases. They are: Rabies,Distemper,Parvovirus,Adenovirus (Canine Hepatitis)

The Non-Core vaccines include: Bordetella,Lyme Disease,Leptospirosis 4-way (this is sometimes included in combination vaccines with core vaccines, but it is a non-core vaccine and should be considered separately) Canine Influenza,Parainfluenza,Adenovirus Intranasal Several of the non-core vaccines (Bordetella, Lyme and Leptospirosis) are bacterial vaccines. Bacterial vaccines have low efficacy rates coupled with high incidence of adverse reactions. This means they should rarely be used, and then, only after careful consideration of all the risks of vaccinating vs not vaccinating against these diseases. But if you do plan to give your dog any of these vaccines (or you already have), you’ll need to know how long they last and how to protect him after. But that still doesn’t answer the question of which ones your dog needs. We’ll get to that shortly.

How long do vaccines last for dogs

Minimum Duration of Immunity of the Core Vaccines. Protection against disease from these vaccines has been proven by clinical studies to last from 7 to 15 years (depending on the vaccine). The core vaccine information is based on clinical studies by Ronald D Schultz PhD and you can read more about his work online. If your dog has had any of the core vaccines at 16 weeks of age or older, he’s most likely protected for life and doesn’t need to be vaccinated again. Your veterinarian may not agree with this. Unless your veterinarian is truly holistic, she will probably at least follow the AAHA guidelines. Some veterinarians may imply that the core vaccines are required by law. But, except for rabies, they’re not. Next, for non-core vaccines, you’ll see we’ve focused on the three main non-core vaccines that your vet’s likely to recommend: Bordetella (kennel cough), Lyme Disease and Leptospirosis. We don’t really recommend any of these vaccines unless absolutely necessary.

Why you shouldn’t over vaccinate your dog

Vaccinating your dog more often than necessary can be very dangerous for him. All vaccines have potential adverse reactions. These can range from fairly mild reactions like lethargy or soreness, to really severe ones like anaphylactic shock, autoimmune diseases and even death. The vaccine can also cause the disease it’s intended to prevent! When your dog is protected by the vaccines he’s already had, vaccinating him again does not make him “more immune.” Vaccines also contain other ingredients that are potentially harmful for your dog.

Ingredients in vaccines

Most vaccines include toxic ingredients that add to the risks of vaccinating your dog. Two of these are: Thimerosal This is a mercury based additive used as a preservative. Mercury toxicity is well known and repeatedly proven in studies. Yet it’s still contained in most veterinary vaccines today. Even some vaccines that claim to be thimerosal-free may still contain small amounts of thimerosal. That’s because it can be used in processing but not added as an ingredient, so the manufacturers don’t have to disclose it. Gentamicin This is an antibiotic. According to the FDA, antibiotics are in vaccines to prevent bacterial infection during manufacturing, So when your dog gets a vaccine, he’s getting antibiotics whether you like it or not. So it’s always a good idea to give your dog probiotics (soil based probiotics or S. boulardii are best) to help reduce gut damage caused by antibiotics and other drugs.

What to do at the Veterinarians office

For Core Vaccines, If your veterinarian presses you to over-vaccinate your dog with core vaccines, you can draw her attention to Dr Schultz’s research. Dr Schultz’s studies show the minimum duration of immunity that likely protects your dog for life once he’s had his core vaccines as a puppy or adult. If your vet needs more convincing, you can ask for titers to confirm your dog’s protected. Some vets charge an exorbitant amount for titers (perhaps because they really don’t want to do them) and some may even refuse. If that’s the case, you can ask your vet to draw the blood for you (usually about a $20 charge) and then send it yourself to Hemopet for testing. You can submit your titer request on Hemopet’s website. A distemper and parvo titer costs a little over $50 and you can ship the vial of blood cheaply via a US Postal Service Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box. For Non-Core Vaccines, Your vet is likely to recommend Bordetella and Leptospirosis vaccines, as well as Lyme if you live in a high tick area. All of these vaccines carry a high risk for your dog and don’t work very well. Bordetella: If you board your dog, try to find a kennel that doesn’t require Bordetella. If your kennel does, ask to sign a waiver accepting the risk of your dog getting kennel cough on their premises … that’s what they’re afraid of. Or better yet, have a pet-sitter come to your home and then you don’t need to worry about vaccination requirements. Leptospirosis: If you think your dog is at risk for lepto, make sure you find out from your local health authority what strains of lepto are in your area. The vaccine covers the L. canicola, L. icterohaemorrhagiae, L. grippotyphosa and L. pomona serovars. If these strains aren’t prevalent where you live, there is no point in taking the risk of vaccinating your dog.Also note that some vets give the Leptospirosis vaccine in conjunction with core vaccines. You may see a vaccine called something like DHLPP. That “L” is leptospirosis … make sure you know what vaccines your vet is using. Your dog could still get the lepto shot.