[Wylie's Mom]

I get a lot of PMs asking for advice about vaccine schedules -- ie, when to vaccinate, what to vaccinate, how many as a puppy etcetera. I'm certainly no expert, but can share what is put out there by the experts and researchers.

It seems like there is a lot of confusion about the puppy shot series in general. So, here are some tidbits that may help clear up some confusion:

-- There is really no point starting puppy shots prior to 8wks old, as those vaccines are essentially rendered useless in the puppy's immune system due to the presence of circulating maternal antibodies.

-- The LAST distemper/parvo vaccine of the puppy shot series should be given between 14-16wks old - this is really NON-NEGOTIABLE. The scientific reason for giving the *last* round of the parvo/distemper shot series at age 14-16 weeks is that this is when the maternal antibodies stop interfering with the vaccine. Studies have demonstrated that if that last dose is at 14-16 weeks of age, at least 98% of puppies will get immunized, regardless of breed. Research shows that less than 50 percent of puppies will respond at six weeks; 75 percent at nine weeks; 90 percent at 12 weeks; and by 14 to 16 weeks, close to 100 percent will respond.

-- Should the puppy shots be a series of 3 sets or 4 sets of shots...? There is no evidence that it's beneficial to get a series of 4; a series of 3 is enough. And in fact, Dr. Schultz has said that it's fine to do no vaccines at all until they reach age 16 weeks - and then you could do just one set of shots and the immune response will occur properly (see comment above regarding immunity response at 14-16wks).

-- When is the best time to get rabies? There is no "best" time defined, per se, from a clinical perspective. However, state laws recommend the age for rabies vaccinations from 3-4 mths and up. Personally, I prefer to get rabies administered around 6-8mths.

-- Should rabies and other vaccines be given the same day? Many vets are fine with giving a bunch of vaccines on the same day. However, if there was a vaccine reaction - you would never be able to tell which vaccine it was from if they're all given together. Many / most pet owners (especially of small dogs, I'd venture) prefer to do distemper/parvo separate from rabies. AND, if you feel strongly that your dog should get the Lepto vaccine - which can cause quite a severe reaction in certain dogs - it may be safer to get Lepto by itself.

-- What can I do to avoid a vaccine reaction? There is nothing wrong with giving a dose of Benadryl about 45mins prior to every/any vaccine if there is a concern for a reaction (but, always check with your own vet and get clearance for your specific pet!). My vet said that in her 30 years of being a vet, she has never, ever seen a single vaccine reaction in a pet who was given Benadryl beforehand.

-- What if I missed the due date for the next shot in a puppy series, do I have to "start over"...? Essentially, no, you don't. See 2nd bullet point above, discussing immune response and a puppy's age. What you would do in this case is get the shots that are due, and then just continue with series - stopping once a vaccine is administered at the 14-16wk age.

-- If vaccines are good for 3+ years, why do I have to get "puppy boosters" around 1 year? Because of the immaturity of a puppy's immune system, it's essential to repeat the vaccines (distemper, parvo, rabies) 1 year from when they were last given in the puppy series.

-- What are the bare minimum vaccines I have to get? The "Core Vaccines" for dogs are : Distemper, Parvo, and Rabies - these are the vaccines you should always get unless there is a contraindication. ALL other vaccines are considered Non-Core Vaccines and are strictly elective. Prior to getting Non-Core Vaccines like lymes, lepto, kennel cough/bordetella etcetera -- it's always meaningful to research incidence and prevalence of the disease for which you're vaccinating. In the case of kennel cough/bordetella, it's important to understand that there are literally *hundreds* of bordetella (ie, Upper Respiratory Infection) strains in the world; the vaccine usually vaccinates against a few strains. World-renowned vaccination scientist, Dr. Ronald Schultz, says: “Many animals receive “kennel cough” vaccines that include Bordetella and CPI and/or CAV-2 every 6 to 9 months without evidence that this frequency of vaccination is necessary or beneficial. In contrast, other dogs are never vaccinated for kennel cough and disease is not seen. CPI immunity lasts at least 3 years when given intranasally, and CAV -2 immunity lasts a minimum of 7 years parenterally for CAV-I. These two viruses in combination with Bordetella bronchiseptica are the agents most often associated with kennel cough, however, other factors play an important role in disease (e.g. stress, dust, humidity, molds, mycoplasma, etc.), thus kennel cough is not a vaccine preventable disease because of the complex factors associated with this disease. Furthermore, this is often a mild to moderate self limiting disease. I refer to it as the ‘Canine Cold.'” Read the entire article discussing kennel cough here.

I think this covers many of the questions we get regarding vaccines. But please add more if I've missed anything ! I'll probably collect it all and add the info to the vaccine sticky eventually.