It is extremely important that you get your puppy set up on a puppy vaccination schedule as soon as possible to ensure his health. As soon as your puppy is born, or as soon as your puppy comes home, contact your veterinarian to determine which puppy vaccinations your puppy will need.
Importance of Puppy Vaccinations
Puppy vaccinations are necessary for protection against disease. They will receive some antibodies from their mother; however, this will only last for up to a couple of weeks. This antibody protection is derived from the mother’s blood through the placenta. There is another level of immunity that is derived from the first milk. These antibodies are called maternal antibodies and can only protect your puppy if the mother has received the vaccinations.
When to Get Puppy Vaccinations
You cannot get your puppy immunized too early because high levels of maternal antibodies will not allow a vaccine to work. The maternal antibodies could be low or high, depending on the vaccinations the mother has had. Therefore, it is necessary to wait until a specific amount of time to prevent a blockage of the vaccine’s effectiveness. During this time, your puppy can contract a disease.
Because it is difficult to tell how high the levels of maternal antibodies are present in a puppy, the recommended age to start immunizations is six weeks. However, the earlier they are given the higher the possibility that the puppy still has maternal antibodies in her body. It is a possibility that the puppy may not need the immunizations yet; however, it is better that a puppy is protected than not protected.
Core Puppy Vaccinations
The core vaccines for dogs include:
- Distemper
- Canine Adenovirus – 2 (hepatitis and respiratory disease)
- Canine Parvovirus – 2
- Rabies
Noncore Puppy Vaccinations
Noncore vaccines for dogs include:
- Leptospirosis
- Coronavirus
- Canine Parainfluenza (cause of kennel cough)
- Bordetella Bronchiseptica (cause of kennel cough)
- Borrelia Burgdorferi (cause of Lyme Disease)
Basic Puppy Vaccination Schedule
The following is a possible schedule for the average dog. Some dogs that are susceptible to certain diseases because of where they live may need additional puppy vaccinations. Your dog’s veterinarian will know exactly what your puppy needs.
- 5 weeks – Parvovirus
- 6 – 9 weeks – Combination Vaccine without Leptospirosis
- 12 weeks or older – Rabies
- 12 and 15 weeks – Combination Vaccine includes Leptospirosis and Lyme.
- Adult boosters – Combination Vaccine includes Leptospirosis
A combination vaccine (5-way vaccine) generally includes: adenovirus cough and hepatitis, distemper, parainfluenza and parvovirus. A combination vaccine (7-way vaccine) generally includes: the 5-way plus Leptospirosis and/or Coronavirus.
Dogs that are low at risk for disease may not need to have a yearly booster for the majority of diseases. Talk with your dog’s veterinarian to determine whether your dog will need yearly boosters. The above puppy vaccination schedule is a basic schedule for dogs that will not be bred. A dog that is used for breeding may need special vaccinations.
If your dog is a show dog, is boarded regularly, or is used in field trials, it is recommended that you provide complete canine cough protection. It is recommended that your dog receive a vaccination every six months for protection.
Puppy vaccination cost is minute compared to the life of your pet. Your dog deserves to benefit from the protection that puppy vaccinations can provide. Your dog is precious and deserves to live the healthiest and happiest life possible that puppy vaccinations can help to provide.
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