When should I get my puppy more shots?
Question by Jas: When should I get my puppy more shots?
My puppy has her first shots and she was due for another today. How long can I wait to get that set? If I wait too long is that bad?
Best answer:
Answer by BMTHESPIAN
The purpose of doing multiple sets of shots on a puppy is to build the immunity up as the puppy looses the immunity it gains from the mother. Waiting too long between shots can leave the puppy with reduced immunity to disease until it get the next set of shots
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
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whenever your vet says she needs it
if you wait to long the puppy can get worms and other viruses
dont wait to long
but its all up to you
puppys should get there shots every 3 – 7 months.
Depends on the age of the puppy and the policy of the veterinarian whether you need to start over with vaccines or just continue. Usually the vaccination protocol is every 3-4 weeks until they are 4-5 months of age. It’s a series of vaccinations to build the immune system. Then they get boosters every 1 -3 years depending on your veterinarian.
Waiting too long can expose your puppy to those diseases you are trying to prevent with the vaccines. Don’t wait too long to either get them started or the boosters for full immunity.
Good luck
Your pup should get her distemper/parvo shots at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks (though it can be optional) and then 1 year later. Get the rabies at 6 months old and do not get the rabies and the distemper/parvo at the same time! Wait at least 2-3 weeks as this will make it less likely to have a reaction. A few days one way or the other is not a huge deal. Don’t mess with non-core vaccinations like bordatella, corona, lepto, etc. Most of them either don’t work, they can cause serious reactions, or there are so many strains that it’s ineffectual. Once they have their done at a year, only get the 3 year rabies and parvo/distemper. Any vet who pushes you into getting it yearly (and there are many!) is going against the American Veterinary Medical Association. See the sites below:
http://www.doglogic.com/vaccination.htm
http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/vmth/clientinfo/info/genmed/vaccinproto.html
http://svmweb.vetmed.wisc.edu/articles/68/5/39
Edit: Nancy, I couldn’t find a chart or map listing every state that requires a 3 versus a 1 year rabies, but this article from 2005 suggests that that a mere 15 states require a yearly rabies vaccination, ergo the majority in 2005 are fine with every 3 years. Based on the AVMA and the AAHA’s protocols and what we are now taught in vet school, this number has very likely dropped further. So I’m not sure where you get this idea that “many” states require it. Mine sure doesn’t.
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/press/2005/06012005.html
I’m assuming you don’t get MMR and tetanus shots yearly? Considering my puppy in my avatar nearly died from a DHPP vaccination reaction at 3 months of age, I’ll trust titers over mechanical revaccinating, thanks.
And incidentally, my user name is not Caveman.
Do it Monday if you don’t have a vet that is open tomorrow. Not knowing how old the puppy is and assuming it is pretty young since it has only had one set of shots so far, it is likely away from its litter too soon and will be prone to being sickly so the sooner your get it innoculated again, the better. Have the vet check her carefully and set up another follow up appointment as it will likely need further innoculation as the first set probably was done while there were still maternal antibodies in the pup’s system. Good luck.
add: while Caveman wants to think that vaccinosis is a big issue, know that in most states it is the LAW to have annual rabies vaccinations so request an annual dose level for the pup when having him innoculated so that you can stay in compliance with the law (no, not even your are above it) in our area. Without it if your dog even scratches someone you will be libel and the dog will have to be quarantined under the supervision of a vet, usually at a shelter (healthy places that they are), and if it shows even the slightest signs of rabies, will be killed and its head shipped to the state health department for testing… so while it is all well and good to suggest that you break the law, it likely isn’t really terribly responsible… (from one who has had dogs suffer through ‘vaccinosis’ without showing any problem from it for over fifty years
You need to go a head and take it in for them now they are not 100% pertective till they have had all 4 sets
You don’t have to get it done to the day of when they are due, but I would recommend it within a week of the due date. As other posters mentioned above, the purpose of vaccinations are to build up immunity that the puppy is losing that it originally got from its mother. Protocol for puppes is as follows:
1st set (generally given at 8 wks of age)
DHP (distemper)
Parvo
2nd set (12 weeks of age)
DHP
Parvo
Bordatella
3rd set (16 weeks of age)
DHP
Parvo
Bordatella
Rabies.
After the third set, you will not have to get them again for 1 year. After that, DHP, Parvo, and Rabies only need to be given every three years. Bordatella (for kennel cough) is given once a year.