When Does My Royal Hawaiian Standard Poodle Puppy Get His Vaccinations?
_______________________________________________________________
Holistic Health Approach Is An Important Decision That We At Royal Hawaiian Standard Poodles Stand Together With Our New Ohana and Make Together Being Well Informed.
For Royal Hawaiian Standard Poodle Puppies That Fly Home Off Island:
We Together Work With You Deciding To Vaccinate The Puppy at 8 weeks of age Before Traveling For Added Protection From Parvo Virus. The puppy is given Canine Distemper-Adenovirus Type 2-Canine Parainfluenenza- Canine Parvovirus Type 2b Vaccine with modified Live virus. When you pick puppy up, he will be due for another de-worming.
For Royal Hawaiian Standard Poodle Puppies On Island:
We Recommend Below Holistic Vaccination Protocols.
This is verified as Dr. Jean Dodds' Vaccination Protocol for Dogs:
CANINE VACCINATION PROTOCOL – 2011 MINIMAL VACCINE USE
W. Jean Dodds, DVM HEMOPET 938 Stanford Street Santa Monica, CA 90403 310/828-4804
Fax: 310/ 453-5240 e-mail: [email protected]
Note: The following vaccine protocol is offered for those dogs where minimal vaccinations are advisable or desirable. The schedule is one I recommend and should not interpreted to mean that other protocols recommended by a veterinarian would be less satisfactory. It's a matter of professional judgment and choice.
Age of Pups
Vaccine Type 9 - 10 weeks
14 weeks
16 -18 weeks (optional)
20 weeks or older,
if allowable by law 1 year 1 year
Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV (e.g. Intervet
Progard Puppy DPV)
Same as above Same as above (optional)
Rabies Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV Rabies, killed 3-year product (give 3-4 weeks apart from distemper/parvovirus booster)
Perform vaccine antibody titers for distemper and parvovirus every three years thereafter, or more often, if desired. Vaccinate for rabies virus according to the law, except where circumstances indicate that a written waiver needs to be obtained from the primary care veterinarian. In that case, a rabies antibody titer can also be performed to accompany the waiver request. See www rabieschallengefund.org _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________
This thought-provoking article by Dr.. Jean Dodds, provides valuable information regarding making informed decisions about vaccinating your animal companion and is reprinted here with her kind permission.
CHANGING VACCINE PROTOCOLS W. Jean Dodds, DVM 938 Stanford Street Santa Monica, CA 90403 (310) 828-4804; Fax: (310) 453-5240
The challenge to produce effective and safe vaccines for the prevalent infectious diseases of humans and animals has become increasingly difficult. In veterinary medicine, evidence implicating vaccines in triggering immune-mediated and other chronic disorders (vaccinosis) is compelling.
While some of these problems have been traced to contaminated or poorly attenuated batches of vaccine that revert to virulence, others apparently reflect the host’s genetic predisposition to react adversely upon receiving the single (monovalent) or multiple antigen “combo” (polyvalent) products given routinely to animals.
Animals of certain susceptible breeds or families appear to be at increased risk for severe and lingering adverse reactions to vaccines. The onset of adverse reactions to conventional vaccinations (or other inciting drugs, chemicals, or infectious agents) can be an immediate hypersensitivity or anaphylactic reaction, or can occur acutely (24-48 hours afterwards), or later on (10-45 days) in a delayed type immune response often caused by immune-complex formation.
Typical signs of adverse immune reactions include fever, stiffness, sore joints and abdominal tenderness, susceptibility to infections, central and peripheral nervous system disorders or inflammation, collapse with autoagglutinated red blood cells and jaundice, or generalized pinpoint hemorrhages or bruises. Liver enzymes may be markedly elevated, and liver or kidney failure may accompany bone marrow suppression.
Furthermore, recent vaccination of genetically susceptible breeds has been associated with transient seizures in puppies and adult dogs, as well as a variety of autoimmune diseases including those affecting the blood, endocrine organs, joints, skin and mucosa, central nervous system, eyes, muscles, liver, kidneys, and bowel. It is postulated that an underlying genetic predisposition to these conditions places other littermates and close relatives at increased risk.
Vaccination of pet and research dogs with polyvalent vaccines containing rabies virus or rabies vaccine alone was recently shown to induce production of antithyroglobulin autoantibodies, a provocative and important finding with implications for the subsequent development of hypothyroidism (Scott-Moncrieff et al, 2002).
Vaccination also can overwhelm the immunocompromised or even healthy host that is repeatedly challenged with other environmental stimuli and is genetically predisposed to react adversely upon viral exposure. The recently weaned young puppy or kitten entering a new environment is at greater risk here, as its relatively immature immune system can be temporarily or more permanently harmed. Consequences in later life may be the increased susceptibility to chronic debilitating diseases. As combination vaccines contain antigens other than those of the clinically important infectious disease agents, some may be unnecessary; and their use may increase the risk of adverse reactions.
With the exception of a recently introduced mutivalent Leptospira spp. vaccine, the other leptospirosis vaccines afford little protection against the clinically important fields strains of leptospirosis, and the antibodies they elicit typically last only a few months. Other vaccines, such as for Lyme disease, may not be needed, because the disease is limited to certain geographical areas. Annual revaccination for rabies is required by some states even though there are USDA licensed rabies vaccine with a 3-year duration.
Thus, the overall risk-benefit ratio of using certain vaccines or multiple antigen vaccines given simultaneously and repeatedly should be reexamined. It must be recognized, however, that we have the luxury of asking such questions today only because the risk of disease has been effectively reduced by the widespread use of vaccination programs. Given this troublesome situation, what are the experts saying about these issues? In 1995, a landmark review commentary focused the attention of the veterinary profession on the advisability of current vaccine practices.
Are we overvaccinating companion animals, and if so, what is the appropriate periodicity of booster vaccines ? Discussion of this provocative topic has generally lead to other questions about the duration of immunity conferred by the currently licensed vaccine components. In response to questions posed in the first part of this article, veterinary vaccinologists have recommended new protocols for dogs and cats.
These include: 1) giving the puppy or kitten vaccine series followed by a booster at one year of age;
2) administering further boosters in a combination vaccine every three years or as split components alternating every other year until;
3) the pet reaches geriatric age, at which time booster vaccination is likely to be unnecessary and may be unadvisable for those with aging or immunologic disorders. In the intervening years between booster vaccinations, and in the case of geriatric pets, circulating humoral immunity can be evaluated by measuring serum vaccine antibody titers as an indication of the presence of immune memory. Titers do not distinguish between immunity generated by vaccination and/or exposure to the disease, although the magnitude of immunity produced just by vaccination is usually lower (see Tables). Except where vaccination is required by law, all animals, but especially those dogs or close relatives that previously experienced an adverse reaction to vaccination can have serum antibody titers measured annually instead of revaccination. If adequate titers are found, the animal should not need revaccination until some future date. Rechecking antibody titers can be performed annually, thereafter, or can be offered as an alternative to pet owners who prefer not to follow the conventional practice of annual boosters. Reliable serologic vaccine titering is available from several university and commercial laboratories and the cost is reasonable (Twark and Dodds, 2000; Lappin et al, 2002; Paul et al, 2003; Moore and Glickman, 2004). Relatively little has been published about the duration of immunity following vaccination, although new data are beginning to appear for both dogs and cats.
Our recent study (Twark and Dodds, 2000), evaluated 1441 dogs for CPV antibody titer and 1379 dogs for CDV antibody titer. Of these, 95.1 % were judged to have adequate CPV titers, and nearly all (97.6 %) had adequate CDV titers. Vaccine histories were available for 444 dogs (CPV) and 433 dogs (CDV). Only 43 dogs had been vaccinated within the previous year, with the majority of dogs (268 or 60%) having received a booster vaccination 1-2 years beforehand. On the basis of our data, we concluded that annual revaccination is unnecessary.
Similar findings and conclusions have been published recently for dogs in New Zealand (Kyle et al, 2002), and cats (Scott and Geissinger, 1999; Lappin et al, 2002). Comprehensive studies of the duration of serologic response to five viral vaccine antigens in dogs and three viral vaccine antigens in cats were recently published by researchers at Pfizer Animal Health ( Mouzin et al, 2004). When an adequate immune memory has already been established, there is little reason to introduce unnecessary antigen, adjuvant, and preservatives by administering booster vaccines. By titering annually, one can assess whether a given animal’s humoral immune response has fallen below levels of adequate immune memory. In that event, an appropriate vaccine booster can be administered.
References Dodds WJ. More bumps on the vaccine road. Adv Vet Med 41:715-732, 1999. Dodds WJ. Vaccination protocols for dogs predisposed to vaccine reactions. J Am An Hosp Assoc 38: 1-4, 2001. Hogenesch H, Azcona-Olivera J, Scott-Moncreiff C, et al. Vaccine-induced autoimmunity in the dog. Adv Vet Med 41: 733-744, 1999. Hustead DR, Carpenter T, Sawyer DC, et al. Vaccination issues of concern to practitioners. J Am Vet Med Assoc 214: 1000-1002, 1999. Kyle AHM, Squires RA, Davies PR. Serologic status and response to vaccination against canine distemper (CDV) and canine parvovirus (CPV) of dogs vaccinated at different intervals. J Sm An Pract, June 2002. Lappin MR, Andrews J, Simpson D, et al. Use of serologic tests to predict resistance to feline herpesvirus 1, feline calicivirus, and feline parvovirus infection in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 220: 38-42, 2002. McGaw DL, Thompson M, Tate, D, et al. Serum distemper virus and parvovirus antibody titers among dogs brought to a veterinary hospital for revaccination. J Am Vet Med Assoc 213: 72-75, 1998. Moore GE, Glickman LT. A perspective on vaccine guidelines and titer tests for dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 224: 200-203. 2004. Mouzin DE, Lorenzen M J, Haworth, et al. Duration of serologic response to five viral antigens in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 224: 55-60, 2004. Mouzin DE, Lorenzen M J, Haworth, et al. Duration of serologic response to three viral antigens in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 224: 61-66, 2004. Paul MA. Credibility in the face of controversy. Am An Hosp Assoc Trends Magazine XIV(2):19-21, 1998. Paul MA (chair) et al. Report of the AAHA Canine Vaccine Task Force: 2003 canine vaccine guidelines, recommendations, and supporting literature. AAHA, April 2003, 28 pp. Schultz RD. Current and future canine and feline vaccination programs. Vet Med 93:233-254, 1998. Schultz RD, Ford RB, Olsen J, Scott F. Titer testing and vaccination: a new look at traditional practices. Vet Med, 97: 1-13, 2002 (insert). Scott FW, Geissinger CM. Long-term immunity in cats vaccinated with an inactivated trivalent vaccine. Am J Vet Res 60: 652-658, 1999. Scott-Moncrieff JC, Azcona-Olivera J, Glickman NW, et al. Evaluation of antithyroglobulin antibodies after routine vaccination in pet and research dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 221: 515-521, 2002. Smith CA. Are we vaccinating too much? J Am Vet Med Assoc 207:421-425, 1995. Tizard I, Ni Y. Use of serologic testing to assess immune status of companion animals. J Am Vet Med Assoc 213: 54-60, 1998. Twark L, Dodds WJ. Clinical application of serum parvovirus and distemper virus antibody titers for determining revaccination strategies in healthy dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 217:1021-1024, 2000.
W. Jean Dodds, DVM, is an internationally recognized authority on thyroid issues in dogs and blood diseases in animals. In the mid-1980's she founded Hemopet, the first nonprofit blood bank for animals. Dr. Dodds is a grantee of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and author of over 150 research publications. Through Hemopet she provides canine blood components and blood-bank supplies throughout North America, consults in clinical pathology, and lectures worldwide. Caring 'more naturally' for your companion animals -- Would you like to learn more and share your knowledge with others? Consider joining Helen's Internet Discussion Group, it's free and often features a Special Guest, answering Members' questions.
Click to join CompanionAnimalCare-Naturally “Our Mottos are: "Make Informed Decisions" and "There is Usually More Than One Way of Doing Something Right.” Discussion is on all aspects of caring for our companion animals, and the focus is on health, including: Feeding (raw/BARF, home-made cooked food) Supplements, Grooming, Exercise, Training, etc. Complementary Alternative Veterinary Medicine (CAVM) as well as Conventional Vet Med -- AKA Integrative Veterinary Medicine. Holistic Healing Modalities: Acupuncture, Acupressure, Chiropractic, Homeopathy, Massage, Traditional Herbal Medicine (THM), Flower Essences, Essential Oils, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Reiki, Ayurvedic, Kinesiology, etc. Nutrition is said to be the 'Foundation of Health', and is the most popular topic. Some dogs & cats are unable to tolerate a raw food diet, and this is a good forum to discuss home-made food. We are *all* learning - even the experts, the scientists and researchers who advise everyone about the BEST diets for staying healthy. Here's something to think about: "Because nutritional biochemistry is constantly evolving, some have questioned whether a manufactured diet can ever contain 'complete' nutrition. One example can be found in the fatal consequences of dietary taurine deficiency that occurred in cats being fed, interestingly, a high-quality premium diet (Pion and others, 1987). ... scientists cannot know everything necessary about animal nutritional requirements."
------ excerpt from: Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine, Principles and Practice, edited by Allen M. Schoen, DVM, MS, and Susan G. Wynn, DVM
"If a diet is unnatural, disease will keep company with those subjected to it."
--- Juliette de Bairacli Levy, Author of The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat, first published in 1955
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Good News About the Latest Canine Vaccination Guidelines
Good News About the Latest Canine Vaccination Guideline
By Dr. Becker
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Canine Vaccination Task Force has updated their vaccination guidelines for 2011.
According to AAHAnet.org:
Developed in a manner consistent with best vaccination practices, the 2011 Guidelines include expert opinions supported by scientific study, published and unpublished documents, and encompass all canine vaccines currently licensed in the U.S. and Canada. The task force that developed the guidelines included experts in immunology, infectious diseases, internal medicine, law, and clinical practice.
I'm encouraged by, if not blissful about the new guidelines.
The absolute highlight is that all core vaccines with the exception of the 1-year rabies are now recommended at 3-year or greater intervals.
Even more exciting is the task force has acknowledged that in the case of the non-rabies core vaccines, immunity lasts at least 5 years for distemper and parvo, and at least 7 years for adenovirus.
Hopefully these new guidelines will help more dog owners understand the long-lasting effect of those puppy shots! And hopefully, more dog owners will now request titers rather than automatically revaccinating their canine companions for distemper, parvo and adenovirus.
Summary of New AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines for 2011Please note: My vaccine recommendations and those of Dr. Ronald Schultz, follow this summary.
CORE VACCINES
Canine Distemper (CDV)
Initial vaccination in puppies < 16 weeks of age
Canine Parvo (CPV-2)
Initial vaccination in puppies < 16 weeks of age
Canine Adenovirus (CAV-2)
Initial vaccination in puppies < 16 weeks of age
Rabies 1-year
Initial vaccination in puppies < 16 weeks of age
Initial vaccination in puppies < 16 weeks of age
Measles Vaccine (MV)
This vaccine is supposed to provide temporary immunization of young puppies against distemper by 'cross-protecting' them against the disease in the event there are still maternally derived antibodies present. It is always given in combination with other vaccines – distemper plus measles, or a 4-way combination of distemper plus measles plus adenovirus plus parainfluenza.
It is only recommended for healthy dogs between 6 and 12 weeks of age.
Canine Parainfluenza (CPiV)
There are two delivery systems for this vaccine – intranasal and parenteral (injected).
This is a flu vaccine. The intranasal form prevents clinical signs of illness, infection and shedding. The injected form prevents clinical illness, but not infection or shedding. It is used for dogs that aggressively resist intranasal delivery.
The parenteral vaccine is always given in combination with certain core vaccines; the intranasal form is always given in combination with the bordetella vaccine alone, or with bordetella plus adenovirus.
It is always given in a single dose. Revaccination recommendations, depending on the form of the vaccine (intranasal or parenteral), are per the combined core vaccine schedule, annually, or more frequently for 'high risk' animals.
Bordetella (Bb) Vaccine
The bordetella vaccine can also be delivered intranasally or by injection.
Parenteral administration requires two doses, 2 to 4 weeks apart. For the initial vaccination, it is recommended the second dose be given at least a week before the dog is boarded, attends a dog show, etc. Revaccination is recommended annually
The intranasal vaccine is single dose, with revaccination recommended annually or more often for 'high risk' dogs. Some dogs experience side effects for 3 to 10 days after vaccination, including coughing, sneezing and nasal discharge.
Canine Adenovirus (CAV-2) – Intranasal
The intranasal form of the adenovirus vaccine is a non-core vaccine.
It's recommended for dogs at risk for respiratory infection caused by the adenovirus, and it may not provide immunity against canine hepatitis. It should not be considered a replacement for the injectable form of the vaccine.
This vaccine is available only in combination with the intranasal bordetella and parainfluenza vaccines.
Canine Influenza
Vaccine is given in two doses, 2 to 4 weeks apart, in dogs older than 6 weeks. Annual revaccination is recommended.
Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
Vaccine is given in two doses, 2 to 4 weeks apart, in dogs older than 12 weeks of age. Revaccination is recommended annually and/or at the beginning of tick season as determined regionally.
Notes: Recommended only for use in dogs with known risk of exposure, living in or visiting regions where exposure risk is high or where Lyme disease is endemic. Tick control products are required in addition to the vaccine.
Leptospira interrogans
This refers to the 4-way killed whole cell or subunit bacterin. The 2-way killed bacterin form of this vaccine is not recommended.
Vaccine is given in two doses, 2 to 4 weeks apart, in dogs older than 12 weeks of age. Revaccination is recommended annually, but only for dogs with reasonable risk of exposure.
Notes: Vaccination should be based on known geographic occurrence/prevalence and exposure risk of the individual dog.
Canine Oral Melanoma
This vaccine is only available for treatment of dogs with malignant melanoma. It is not intended for the prevention of oral melanoma.
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback rattlesnake vaccine) (toxoid)
Field efficacy and experimental challenge data in dogs are not available at this time. (Vaccine efficacy and dose recommendations are based on toxin neutralization studies conducted in mice.)
Canine Coronavirus (CCov)
This vaccine is not recommended. Neither the modified live nor the killed CCov vaccine has proved effective against combination coronavirus/parvo disease. Only the parvo vaccine is protective against dual viruses.
What Dr. Ron Schultz RecommendsFor those of you not familiar with Dr. Schultz, I recommend you watch my 4-part video series with him. You can find links to all 4 videos and articles here.
Dr. Schultz is one of the preeminent experts in the field of veterinary vaccines. If you read the full AAHA vaccination guidelines report, you'll see his work referenced throughout.
Dr. Schultz recommends not starting a puppy or kitten core vaccination program before 6 to 8 weeks of age, with revaccinations no more frequent than every 4 weeks. So for example, if you start the program at 8 weeks, you would give another dose of the core vaccines at 12 weeks, and the third dose at 16 weeks.
Dr. Schultz's core vaccine protocol for his own family's pets differs in that he actually runs antibody titers on the mother to know exactly when the best time is to effectively immunize the puppy or kitten for the 3 core viruses. Then he titers the little ones 2 or more weeks after the vaccine, and as long as the response is adequate, he doesn't in most cases revaccinate for the rest of the pet's life.
When it comes to rabies vaccines, Dr. Schultz gives the first vaccine after 4 months of age, revaccinates in a year, and then again in 3 years and every 3 years thereafter. In other words, he follows the law for 3-year rabies vaccines, even though he doesn't believe a vaccination every 3 years is necessary for immunization.
Currently Dr. Schultz is in year 4 of a 7-year study of the rabies vaccine. You can read more about the study at the Rabies Challenge Fund. His goal is to be able to recommend that after an animal is vaccinated at from 12 to 24 weeks for rabies, there's no need for re-vaccination every 3 years.
Hopefully we'll see the results of his 7-year study reflected in a future revision of the AAHA's canine vaccination guidelines, as well as in state and local laws.
My Vaccination ProtocolMy protocol at Natural Pet is a first round of the 3 cores before 12 weeks of age, usually around 9 to 10 weeks. Then I boost between 15 and 16 weeks. Then I titer 2 weeks after the second round to see if the animal has been immunized and not just vaccinated.
My rabies protocol mirrors Dr. Schultz's, except I prefer to wait until 6 months of age before giving rabies vaccine.
As for the non-core vaccines, I don't recommend any of them. Visit the following pages for a discussion of:
Note several non-core vaccines are only available in combination with other vaccines, some of which are core. I recommend you check with your vet to ensure none of the non-core vaccines are being piggy-backed on core vaccines your pet receives. Most traditional vets do not carry single vaccines, so ask to see the vaccine vial before assuming your pet is only receiving one agent at a time.
By Dr. Becker
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Canine Vaccination Task Force has updated their vaccination guidelines for 2011.
According to AAHAnet.org:
Developed in a manner consistent with best vaccination practices, the 2011 Guidelines include expert opinions supported by scientific study, published and unpublished documents, and encompass all canine vaccines currently licensed in the U.S. and Canada. The task force that developed the guidelines included experts in immunology, infectious diseases, internal medicine, law, and clinical practice.
I'm encouraged by, if not blissful about the new guidelines.
The absolute highlight is that all core vaccines with the exception of the 1-year rabies are now recommended at 3-year or greater intervals.
Even more exciting is the task force has acknowledged that in the case of the non-rabies core vaccines, immunity lasts at least 5 years for distemper and parvo, and at least 7 years for adenovirus.
Hopefully these new guidelines will help more dog owners understand the long-lasting effect of those puppy shots! And hopefully, more dog owners will now request titers rather than automatically revaccinating their canine companions for distemper, parvo and adenovirus.
Summary of New AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines for 2011Please note: My vaccine recommendations and those of Dr. Ronald Schultz, follow this summary.
CORE VACCINES
Canine Distemper (CDV)
Initial vaccination in puppies < 16 weeks of age
- Starting at 6 weeks, vaccinate every 3 to 4 weeks (6, 10, 14 or 8, 12, 16 weeks) up to 14 or 16 weeks; final shot should be given between 14 and 16 weeks to minimize risk of maternal antibody interference
- One dose
- For puppies who received initial vaccination series by 16 weeks, a booster no later than 1 year after completion of initial series, then ≥ 3 years thereafter
- For dogs who received initial vaccination after 16 weeks of age, every ≥ 3 years thereafter
Canine Parvo (CPV-2)
Initial vaccination in puppies < 16 weeks of age
- Starting at 6 weeks, vaccinate every 3 to 4 weeks (6, 10, 14 or 8, 12, 16 weeks) up to 14 or 16 weeks; final shot should be given between 14 and 16 weeks to minimize risk of maternal antibody interference
- One dose
- For puppies who received initial vaccination series by 16 weeks, a booster no later than 1 year after completion of initial series, then ≥ 3 years thereafter
- For dogs who received initial vaccination after 16 weeks of age, every ≥ 3 years thereafter
Canine Adenovirus (CAV-2)
Initial vaccination in puppies < 16 weeks of age
- Starting at 6 weeks, vaccinate every 3 to 4 weeks (6, 10, 14 or 8, 12, 16 weeks) up to 14 or 16 weeks; final shot should be given between 14 and 16 weeks to minimize risk of maternal antibody interference
- One dose
- For puppies who received initial vaccination series by 16 weeks, a booster no later than 1 year after completion of initial series, then ≥ 3 years thereafter
- For dogs who received initial vaccination after 16 weeks of age, every ≥ 3 years thereafter
Rabies 1-year
Initial vaccination in puppies < 16 weeks of age
- One dose not earlier than 12 weeks or as required by law
- One dose
- For all dogs: annually as required by law
Initial vaccination in puppies < 16 weeks of age
- One dose not earlier than 12 weeks or as required by law
- One dose
- For all dogs: within 1 year of initial dose regardless of age at time of initial dose, then every 3 years thereafter as required by law
Measles Vaccine (MV)
This vaccine is supposed to provide temporary immunization of young puppies against distemper by 'cross-protecting' them against the disease in the event there are still maternally derived antibodies present. It is always given in combination with other vaccines – distemper plus measles, or a 4-way combination of distemper plus measles plus adenovirus plus parainfluenza.
It is only recommended for healthy dogs between 6 and 12 weeks of age.
Canine Parainfluenza (CPiV)
There are two delivery systems for this vaccine – intranasal and parenteral (injected).
This is a flu vaccine. The intranasal form prevents clinical signs of illness, infection and shedding. The injected form prevents clinical illness, but not infection or shedding. It is used for dogs that aggressively resist intranasal delivery.
The parenteral vaccine is always given in combination with certain core vaccines; the intranasal form is always given in combination with the bordetella vaccine alone, or with bordetella plus adenovirus.
It is always given in a single dose. Revaccination recommendations, depending on the form of the vaccine (intranasal or parenteral), are per the combined core vaccine schedule, annually, or more frequently for 'high risk' animals.
Bordetella (Bb) Vaccine
The bordetella vaccine can also be delivered intranasally or by injection.
Parenteral administration requires two doses, 2 to 4 weeks apart. For the initial vaccination, it is recommended the second dose be given at least a week before the dog is boarded, attends a dog show, etc. Revaccination is recommended annually
The intranasal vaccine is single dose, with revaccination recommended annually or more often for 'high risk' dogs. Some dogs experience side effects for 3 to 10 days after vaccination, including coughing, sneezing and nasal discharge.
Canine Adenovirus (CAV-2) – Intranasal
The intranasal form of the adenovirus vaccine is a non-core vaccine.
It's recommended for dogs at risk for respiratory infection caused by the adenovirus, and it may not provide immunity against canine hepatitis. It should not be considered a replacement for the injectable form of the vaccine.
This vaccine is available only in combination with the intranasal bordetella and parainfluenza vaccines.
Canine Influenza
Vaccine is given in two doses, 2 to 4 weeks apart, in dogs older than 6 weeks. Annual revaccination is recommended.
Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
Vaccine is given in two doses, 2 to 4 weeks apart, in dogs older than 12 weeks of age. Revaccination is recommended annually and/or at the beginning of tick season as determined regionally.
Notes: Recommended only for use in dogs with known risk of exposure, living in or visiting regions where exposure risk is high or where Lyme disease is endemic. Tick control products are required in addition to the vaccine.
Leptospira interrogans
This refers to the 4-way killed whole cell or subunit bacterin. The 2-way killed bacterin form of this vaccine is not recommended.
Vaccine is given in two doses, 2 to 4 weeks apart, in dogs older than 12 weeks of age. Revaccination is recommended annually, but only for dogs with reasonable risk of exposure.
Notes: Vaccination should be based on known geographic occurrence/prevalence and exposure risk of the individual dog.
Canine Oral Melanoma
This vaccine is only available for treatment of dogs with malignant melanoma. It is not intended for the prevention of oral melanoma.
Crotalus atrox (Western Diamondback rattlesnake vaccine) (toxoid)
Field efficacy and experimental challenge data in dogs are not available at this time. (Vaccine efficacy and dose recommendations are based on toxin neutralization studies conducted in mice.)
Canine Coronavirus (CCov)
This vaccine is not recommended. Neither the modified live nor the killed CCov vaccine has proved effective against combination coronavirus/parvo disease. Only the parvo vaccine is protective against dual viruses.
What Dr. Ron Schultz RecommendsFor those of you not familiar with Dr. Schultz, I recommend you watch my 4-part video series with him. You can find links to all 4 videos and articles here.
Dr. Schultz is one of the preeminent experts in the field of veterinary vaccines. If you read the full AAHA vaccination guidelines report, you'll see his work referenced throughout.
Dr. Schultz recommends not starting a puppy or kitten core vaccination program before 6 to 8 weeks of age, with revaccinations no more frequent than every 4 weeks. So for example, if you start the program at 8 weeks, you would give another dose of the core vaccines at 12 weeks, and the third dose at 16 weeks.
Dr. Schultz's core vaccine protocol for his own family's pets differs in that he actually runs antibody titers on the mother to know exactly when the best time is to effectively immunize the puppy or kitten for the 3 core viruses. Then he titers the little ones 2 or more weeks after the vaccine, and as long as the response is adequate, he doesn't in most cases revaccinate for the rest of the pet's life.
When it comes to rabies vaccines, Dr. Schultz gives the first vaccine after 4 months of age, revaccinates in a year, and then again in 3 years and every 3 years thereafter. In other words, he follows the law for 3-year rabies vaccines, even though he doesn't believe a vaccination every 3 years is necessary for immunization.
Currently Dr. Schultz is in year 4 of a 7-year study of the rabies vaccine. You can read more about the study at the Rabies Challenge Fund. His goal is to be able to recommend that after an animal is vaccinated at from 12 to 24 weeks for rabies, there's no need for re-vaccination every 3 years.
Hopefully we'll see the results of his 7-year study reflected in a future revision of the AAHA's canine vaccination guidelines, as well as in state and local laws.
My Vaccination ProtocolMy protocol at Natural Pet is a first round of the 3 cores before 12 weeks of age, usually around 9 to 10 weeks. Then I boost between 15 and 16 weeks. Then I titer 2 weeks after the second round to see if the animal has been immunized and not just vaccinated.
My rabies protocol mirrors Dr. Schultz's, except I prefer to wait until 6 months of age before giving rabies vaccine.
As for the non-core vaccines, I don't recommend any of them. Visit the following pages for a discussion of:
Note several non-core vaccines are only available in combination with other vaccines, some of which are core. I recommend you check with your vet to ensure none of the non-core vaccines are being piggy-backed on core vaccines your pet receives. Most traditional vets do not carry single vaccines, so ask to see the vaccine vial before assuming your pet is only receiving one agent at a time.