Puppy vaccines! I'm not sure where I stand on getting my puppy vaccinated. Is it (or are all of them)?

Question

completely necessary? He's a mini dachshund (basically an in-home pet). I know I don't believe in vaccines for humans - but I'm a novice pet owner so I'm not sure what to do. Thanks in advance! (for any SERIOUS answers).

When we bought Roscoe he'd already had his 1st set. Because I'm not that well educated on the subject, I went ahead and got the second set and he's scheduled for his 3rd set too. I'm just trying to get educated.

Answer 1

I think that like all humans we should all be vaccinated to protect us from any harmful diseases that could easily be caught. I think that if you love your pet so much I believe its in their best interest to be vaccinated due to polio, worms, I mean all those things could be deadly for the little guy.

Answer 2

I would take him to the vet, tell them what puppy shots he's had already and then go by their schedule. I would definately do all the puppy shots they recommend, because that's really important.

You will also need to have rabies, because it's the law and in order to have your dog get a license from your town, they usually require rabies.

But after the pup has had all the shots, you can do a few things. Forget about any further shots. Not totally recommended, but probably won't hurt your dog if it's an indoor pup with not alot of outside dog contact. Or do titers at the vet annually...they check the blood to see if a vaccination booster is needed, and then don't vaccinate again unless absolutely necessary. Or put the dog on a 3 year rotating schedule, where they get each booster, every 3 years.

I am behind on my older dogs' shots and they are just fine.

Answer 3

The vaccination of puppies (puppy shots) is one of the crucial steps in assuring the puppy will have a healthy and happy puppyhood. The who, what, why, when, where, and how of vaccinations are complicated, and may vary from puppy to puppy. Always consult with your veterinarian to determine which vaccines are appropriate for your puppy.

Presented below is just one veterinarian's general schedule of vaccinations for puppies. Your veterinarian's vaccination protocols may be different.

Vaccination protocols for dogs are changing almost yearly as new research is done on duration of immunity.

6 to 7 weeks of age: Give first combination vaccine. (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Coronavirus)
9 weeks of age: Give second combination vaccine.
12 weeks of age: Give the third combination injection and possibly a LYME Vaccine inoculation. Generally a LYME vaccine is then repeated two weeks later, then once a year.
16 weeks of age: Give the last combination vaccine.
12 to 16 weeks of age: Rabies vaccine is given. (Local and State laws apply regarding Rabies vaccine since this can be a human disease, too. Your veterinarian will tell you the proper time intervals for booster vaccines for Rabies.)
Special considerations: Many veterinarians believe some breeds such as Rottweilers and Dobermans should have at least two Parvo vaccines with the last one being given at 20 weeks of age.

Why so many vaccinations? Good question! The reason is that no one can be sure that the pup will actually mount a good antibody response to the disease just from one vaccination. The age of the pup and just how much immunity it has received from its mother will complicate the "probability of protection". So... if the pup has lots of immunity (called PASSIVE IMMUNITY) that was borrowed from the mother during early nursing, this immunity will actually interfere with the pup's ability to make its own immunity from the vaccine challenge. The idea is to get the vaccine into the pup just as soon as the mother's passive immunity wears off (NOW the pup is very susceptible to sickness if it is exposed to the disease!) so that the pup can make more lasting immunity of its own. The precise time when a pup can respond well to a vaccine is variable... it might occur at 6 weeks of age or might be 12 weeks. So to be as safe as possible, why not start vaccinating at 6 weeks and end at 16 weeks? Almost 99 per cent of puppies will develop a good immune level to the various disease from a vaccine schedule similar to the one above.

Answer 4

Your dog needs at the very least the parvo shot. Have you ever seen a puppy with parvo? It is a horrible thing and all too common. They will also need the rabies shots on the state schedule for tags.

At least get the puppy series done (you can get away with...parvo, distemper, adenovirus, and hepitis, this is the 5 way shot) and then the booster at one year. Most of these vaccines last far longer than the yearly booster we now give. Please do at least the very basics. If your dog contracts distemper, it can be fatal as is rabies and parvo.

Answer 5

Vaccines were created for a reason--to protect us from serious illness.

The same goes for pets. There are some serious diseases out there that can make your dog sick, or worse...dead. I understand he is an 'in home' dog but I am assuming he goes outside to use the potty? If so, there are many bateria and diseases he can get from the soil or other animal fecal material (wild or domesticated).

Vaccines should be give around 4 mths old, then 9 mths, then one year...then yearly for heartworm which is a nasty and painful worm that can kill you pet.

If you love your pup, get him vaccinated. Vaccines around here run about $10 a shot....that is pocket change compared to a lifetime of loyalty from a heathly pet.

=)

Answer 6

If you have ever seen a puppy die of parvo you would know the answer.YES!
I have seen first hand what not vaccinating can do.
I had a puppy ,it was a stray I took in very young like 6 wks. somebody tossed them into the woods . It never went out of my yard but after a month it got sick and in one day it went from fine to dead. I found out shortly after that a puppy down the street had died a couple days earlier and recalled seeing him in front of my house before that. I was furious at my neighbors for letting their dog infect my yard but then I realized it was my fault for not getting his shot when I got him. I will never make that mistake again. It was the hardest lesson my husband and I have learned. That was the only time in the 7 years I have known him that I saw him cry. PLEASE vaccinate your puppy , If not for your sake , than the person down the road!

Answer 7

It really is necessary initially to make sure that your new puppy has the antibodies to fight illnesses and fatal diseases that he can pick up from just simply being let out doors to go to the bathroom. Parvo and distemper are absolutely critical. Any HEALTHY animal should have no problems with vaccinations. When your dog has gotten past all of his puppy shots and then his one year booster, you can at that point discuss titering your dog and perhaps vaccinating every other year.

Answer 8

You're being smart. Vets sometimes recommend vaccines that are not necessary.
The American Animal Hospital Association has their 2006 recommendation on line. This is the protocol used by all 27 U.S. vet schools
http://www.aahanet.org
For info on duration of immunity on vaccines. See Wisconsin University weblink
http://svmweb.vetmed.wisc.edu/articles/68/5/39
For a lot of info and links, here's a site by a regular vet
http://www.critteradvocacy.org

Answer 9

your puppy should be vaccinated every 2 weeks also known as a booster til they are 8 weeks old then once a year for the 7 in 1 and rabies ,take good care of your puppy

Answer 10

Talk to your vet - I only get my dogs the "core" vaccines, there are some that aren't really necessary unless you show your dog. I strongly believe that your puppy needs all his puppy shots, then boosters in 1 year. After that, it's up to you. Since I lost a dog because he got his booster shots (an older dog), I never get my dogs their shots every year any more. More and more vets are now agreeing that dogs are over -vaccinated. Mine agrees with me but stresses that they need to see the dogs for their exams annually. Mine go for exams but don't get shots every year.