Canine Vaccinations Guidelines
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine
&
(Baring Boulevard Veterinary Hospital )
CORE VACCINES (recommended vaccines)
NON-CORE VACCINES
(optional vaccines)
NOT RECOMMENDED VACCINES
Core vaccines are recommended in all healthy puppies and dogs. Core vaccines protect against diseases with significant morbidity and mortality and that have a wide geographic distribution. Vaccination for these diseases tends to result in effective immunization and historically has resulted in a decrease in the prevalence of the clinical disease.
Core vaccines include:
-
DHPP
(the common “combo” vaccine given at BBVH)
- Canine Distemper (CDV),
- Canine Parvovirus (CPV)
- Canine Infectious Hepatitis (CAV-1, CAV-2
- Rabies
Suggested Guidelines for DHPP:
-
If a puppy is
>7-8 weeks of age and <12 weeks of age at the time of first vaccination
- Vaccinate every 3-4 weeks until it is at least 12 weeks of age (this typically results in 2-3 vaccinations in this time period).
- The final vaccination in the series MUST occur at 12 weeks of age or greater. The puppy should then be revaccinated 12 months from the last booster,
- Every 3 years thereafter.
-
If a puppy is >
12 weeks of age at the time of the first vaccination,
- 2 multivalent core vaccines should administered 3-4 weeks apart,
- the puppy should be revaccinated 12 months from the last booster
- Every 3 years thereafter
-
Dogs older than
12 weeks of age with an unknown vaccination history
- Should receive 2 multivalent core vaccinations 3-4 weeks apart.
- They should receive a booster vaccination in one year,
-
Every three
years thereafter.
Breed Variations
Some recognized breeds are
predisposed to parvovirus:
Dobermans, Rottweilers, American
Staffordshire Terriers.
Vaccinate every 3-4 weeks until 16 weeks
of age.
Puppies of these breeds should be revaccinated with
a 12 months booster and then every 3 years thereafter.
Weimaraners
An immunodeficiency syndrome has been reported in young (<1 yr of age).
Although many puppies can be vaccinated with no
adverse reactions, there is no way at the present time to determine which
puppies may react. Past research has documented reactions occurring between 8-16
weeks of age with the greatest number of reactions seen in puppies 12-16 week
age.
Several of the vaccine manufacturers assure that immunity in puppies can be
achieved with only two vaccines providing the second vaccine is given at 12
weeks of age. Therefore the Board of Directors of the Weimaraner Club of America
recommends the following vaccine schedule:
8 weeks:
Distemper, Adeno2, Parainfluenza and Parvo
12 weeks: Distemper, Adeno2, Parainfluenza and Parvo
The use of Corona, Lepto, Bordatella and Lyme vaccine is not recommended unless these diseases are prevalent in the area. The recombinant DNA vaccines available for Distemper and Lyme have shown a significantly lower incidence of reactions. While this protocol helps in preventing reactions, it does not prevent them in all susceptible individuals.
Rabies
- First vaccination cannot be given earlier than 12 weeks of age.
- Dog is revaccinated 12 months from the first rabies vaccination
- Every 3 years thereafter
CANINE NON-CORE VACCINES – Optional vaccines
Based on the risk of
exposure, geographic location and lifestyle of the animal. These diseases tend
to be self-limiting, or respond readily to therapy or the vaccines have only
moderate efficacy.
Kennel Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis) --Canine
Parainfluenza (CpiV),-Bordetella bronchiseptica,
Because of the high incidence of “Kennel Cough” in the Truckee Meadows, we highly recommend vaccination for this disease complex
Infectious tracheobronchitis
is a self-limiting syndrome that only rarely causes significant morbidity or
mortality. Numerous vaccine products are available that contain one or more
components of the infectious complex and may be given intranasally or by
injection. The Parainfluenza component is often combined with the other core
vaccines in a multivalent vaccine, but can also be combined with the other
infectious components responsible for the syndrome. The Bordetella
bronchiseptica vaccine is an avirluent bacterin and tends to have a short
duration of immunity. Therefore, vaccination for Bordetella bronchiseptica
should occur when there is an increased risk of exposure in the near
future or for dogs with continued high risk (dog shows, or frequent
boarding) vaccination should occur at least every 6 months.
- Generally, intranasal vaccines require a single dose for protection.
- Injection vaccines should be re-administered in 2 to 4 weeks after initial vaccination.
- Consider 2 doses of intranasal vaccine if puppy is <12 weeks of age at first
- Little information is available regarding the anamnestic response to vaccination, thus revaccination should follow the guidelines from individual manufacturers.
- Clinical signs of sneezing and nasal discharge have been noted with the MLV intranasal products and may begin immediately and last for several days. If the symptoms persist past 3-4 days then naturally occurring disease may be present.
- The vaccines should be administered 1-2 weeks prior to exposure in order to ensure adequate time for antibody production.
- For animals at high risk, giving one intranasal and one injection vaccination 2 weeks apart seems to provide the highest level of protection.
Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme Vaccine)
There is geographical variation associated with this disease. The incidence of Lyme disease in Nevada is low, but can be found as close as Nevada County, CA. However even in endemic areas there is some concern over the use of the vaccine. The efficacy of the vaccine has been questioned and vaccination has been associated with a moderate number of mild to severe adverse reactions.
- Infected dogs tend to show very few clinical signs
- Tick prevention may be more effective than vaccination
Leptospira spp.
For detailed information about
leptospira vaccine
NOT RECOMMENDED CANINE VACCINES
The following vaccines are
generally not recommended as the diseases they protect against have minimal
clinical significance and respond readily to therapy, or may not have
demonstrated clinical efficacy in the prevention of these diseases, or may
produce adverse events with limited benefit.
Canine Coronavirus
Giardia
Distemper-Measles combination vaccine
