This is a guest post by Dr. Neha Wakankar who is a Practicing Veterinary Surgeon in Mumbai.
There is a saying ‘Prevention is better than Cure.’ So it is always better to vaccinate our pets periodically to protect them from various diseases and also for our safety. Vaccinations make the immune system detect and respond to various infections and diseases, before they can cause any form of serious harm to pets.
What is Vaccination?
Vaccination is the process of preventing diseases by creating immunity in the animal.
What are Vaccines?
Vaccines contain viruses, bacteria or other disease-causing organisms that have been killed or altered so that they can no longer cause disease. When given to an animal, vaccines will stimulate the body’s immune system to form disease fighting cells and proteins (known as antibodies) to protect against the disease.
Types of Dog Vaccines?
Generally there are two types of dog vaccines – Core Vaccines and Non-Core Vaccines.
“Core” Vaccines (Recommended for all dogs)
Canine vaccines which are considered essential, and should be given to every dog, are termed “core vaccines” .
Core vaccines are considered essential because they are designed to prevent important diseases that pose serious health threats to susceptible dogs, irrespective of geographic location or the life style of a dog.
“Non-Core” Vaccines (Depends on risk factors)
All remaining vaccines are regarded as “non-core” and should be used in dogs considered at high risk on an as needed basis.
Some “non-core” vaccines can be essential in a particular geographical area where the disease is prevalent or where it is a potential threat to public health.
| Vaccination Schedule | |||
| Disease agent | Puppy doses < 16 weeks | Adult doses > 16 weeks | Re-vaccination |
| Distemper | 1 dose at 6-8 weeks, 9-11 weeks & 12-14 weeks of age | 1 dose | Annually |
| Parvovirus | 1 dose at 6-8 weeks, 9-11 weeks & 12-14 weeks of age | 2 doses 3-4 weeks apart | Annually |
| Adenovirus-Hepatitis | 1 dose at 6-8 weeks, 9-11 weeks & 12-14 weeks of age | 1 dose if MLV 2 doses 2-4 weeks apart if KV (Killed Vaccine) | Annually |
| Parainfluenza | 1 dose at 6-8 weeks, 9-11 weeks & 12-14 weeks of age | 1 dose | Annually |
| Rabies | 1 dose as early as 3 months of age | 1 dose | 1-3 years or as required by your state law |
| Leptospira (Not recommended in small dogs) | 1 dose at 12 weeks & second dose at 14-16 weeks of age | 2 doses, 2-4 weeks apart | Annually as needed |
| Bordetella Bronchiseptica (Kennel Cough)-Non core | 1 dose at 6-8 weeks & 10-12 weeks *Also can give 1 dose intranasal at 3 weeks of age | 2 doses, 2-4 weeks apart | Annually as needed |
| Coronavirus | 1 dose at 6 weeks of age, then every 2-4 weeks until 12 weeks of age | 1 dose | Annually as needed |
Consult your veterinarian to design vaccination program of your dog.
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