Dog VaccinationsPet Type Dog Issue General Health Primary Vaccine Courses- Primary vaccine courses generally start at 8 weeks old and finish between 10-12 weeks old.
- It is possible to vaccinate puppies at 6 weeks old against parvo virus, some rescue kennels or breeders may chose to do this to give pups extra protection, but it makes no difference to the timings of the other vaccinations.
- When the pups suckle the colostrum from the bitch, she provides them with some natural immunity. This is called 'Maternally Derived Anti-bodies', or MDA
- MDA starts to wane around 8 weeks old, if we started the vaccination course before this, these antibodies would destroy the vaccinations and they wouldn't work.
- Puppies are vaccinated twice in order to give them the maximum protection against disease. The second vaccine adds to the protection from the first, raising the levels even further.
- Some breeds of dog, for example Rottweilers and Dobermans, are particularly vulnerable to parvo-virus infection, in some areas vets may chose to give these dogs an extra vaccine at 14-16 weeks for maximum protection.
- The primary vaccine course can be started at any age, for example if you have a rescue dog, or an adult dogs vaccines have lapsed.
- Full immunity occurs about 7-10 days after the second vaccination,pups must be kept away from public places until then. They should be able to play in secure gardens as they are generally low risk, they will not catch any viral disease from cats or birds.
- Adult dogs do not have to be kept in during the initial vaccination course, they should have reasonable levels of natural protection to keep them safe during this time.
- Puppies have a 'socialisation window' which closes around 12-14 weeks old. Before this time they are much more easily introduced to new situations, people and other animals. This is why it is so important to finish the vaccines on time, and get your puppy out to meet the world!
| | | Generally puppies can be vaccinated from 8 weeks old, and have a second vaccination between 10 and 12 weeks.
| This graph shows how the protection the puppy has rises from the 1st vaccination but really peaks after the 2nd. (Blue line=protection, red lines= vaccinations.)
| In some areas, breeds such as Rottweilers and Dobermans are given a 3rd vaccine at 14-16 weeks old against parvo virus.
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- Dogs should be given booster vaccinations every year to keep them protected from disease.
- Not all the diseases need to be vaccinated against every year, leptospirosis and parvo-virus are generally done on an annual basis, but distemper and influenza, amongst others, can be done every other year.
- There is some evidence that some of the vaccinations can now last for 3 years, however, this is not true for all dogs and most vets will advise annual vaccinations as the best policy.
- Overdue boosters are not necessarily a problem, most vets will advise you can go up to 3 months past the vaccination due date and just give a booster, any longer than this and it is advisable to restart the course.
- If you do not wish to give your dog annual vaccinations, it is possible to measure the levels of protection they have via blood tests. These will show if your dog is still covered, or if their protection has waned.
- It is important to keep vaccinating your dog regularly, even when they get older. The immune system is not as efficient in older dogs, and they often need the protection more than ever. Remember, it is always the pensioners who get their flu jabs first!
- Some of the diseases we vaccinate against are now rare, but this is only because a large proportion of dogs are now vaccinated. If enough people let the boosters lapse, they could return with a vengence.
- The diseases against which we vaccinate are serious illnesses which are often fatal despite treatment, prevention is definitely better than cure!
- Vaccines can have side effects but these are very rare, and generally only mild. The risk of any side effects is far outweighed by the benefits of vaccination.
- There are homeopathic vaccinations available for dogs. We do not recommend you use these, there is no evidence that they provide any protection against these diseases
- Don't forget annual vaccinations are also an ideal time for your pet to have a general check over with the vet, this will help pick up any problems and is also an opportunity for you to discuss any concerns you may have.
|  | | Annual vaccinations are a good opportunity to get your dog checked over by the vet, and discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
| We advise annual vaccinations, but if you do not want to do this, it is possible for your vet to take blood tests to measure your dogs level of protection, to see if they require their boosters or not.
| It is very important to keep vaccinating older dogs, as their immune system ages, they can become more vulnerable to disease.
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