Vaccination Recommendations for Your Dog

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If you have brought home a puppy recently, chances are you have racked your brains and watched about a hundred videos on how to vaccinate your pup, which vaccines are compulsory and which aren’t, and whether or not all the information you’re finding is legitimate. These doubts are perfectly natural, more so because we want what’s best for our precious pups, don’t we? That is why, in order to ensure that you’re properly informed about the required vaccines and that you’re not getting duped by fraud vaccinators, we have compiled a list of vaccines that your dog absolutely needs and the ones that aren’t so compulsory.

To start with the basics, there are two kinds of vaccines recommended - core vaccines and non-core vaccines.

What are core vaccines?

Core vaccines are those that are highly recommended by most medical experts. These need to be administered when your dog is a puppy as it protects them from a host of dangerous, viral diseases. Most of the core vaccines have been made legally mandatory in a lot of states in the US. Some of the most commonly administered core vaccines are for rabies, distemper, parvovirus, and adenovirus or canine hepatitis.

Also See: How to Keep Dog’s Paws Free From Infection

How long do core vaccines last?

Clinical studies have shown that most core vaccines for building immunity against viral diseases last from seven to fifteen years, depending on the kind of vaccine. However, if your dog has been vaccinated at the age of 16 weeks or above, chances are that he is protected for life and doesn’t need further vaccination. Your vet may not agree and want to follow the AAHA guidelines, but for a truly holistic approach, it's always for the best that you don’t over vaccinate the poor thing. They may believe that it is legally required to continue the vaccines, but frankly, that is only true for the rabies vaccine.

What are non-core vaccines?

Non-core vaccines are basically vaccines reserved specifically for dogs that are at risk of contracting the infection based on their lifestyle and degree of exposure. The vitality of non-core vaccines depends on the risk of the dog’s exposure, severity of the disease, and transferability to human beings. Some of the non-core vaccines are bordetella, canine influenza, parainfluenza, Lyme disease, and adenovirus intranasal. Most of the non-core vaccines are bacterial ones which means that their efficacy rates are relatively lower and there is a chance of an adverse impact of the vaccines upon administering.

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How long do non-core vaccines last?

According to AAHA guidelines, non-core vaccines last from nine months to a year in most dogs. However, it is highly recommended that you don’t administer these unless necessary or highly needed for your dog’s lifestyle.

Thus, at the end of the day, which vaccines are required and which aren’t is a question only you can answer. However, we do hope that the information provided here helps as nothing can be more important to a dog parent than their puppy’s health and happiness.

Also See: 5 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Dog Food