BlueMyst Australian Shepherds
Dave and Laura Fuller
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Bringing Your New Puppy Home What Now? Vaccinations When you go to your veterinarian, you will be given a vaccination schedule to follow. If your puppy is sick, don't vaccinate until your puppy is well again. Here's to a long healthy life "Black Dog", enjoy. This is a basic vaccination schedule that works well for us in Southern California. You may have to adjust the coverage for your specific areas of need. Your veterinarian may be able to provide you with a schedule that works best in your area. Puppies should NOT be vaccinated at LESS than 8 weeks. Maternal immunity will neutralize the vaccine and little protection (0-38%) will be produced. Vaccination at 6 weeks will, however, delay the timing of the first highly effective vaccine. Vaccinations given 2 weeks apart suppress rather than stimulate the immune system. Three series of vaccinations may be given starting at 8 weeks, given 3-4 weeks apart, to about 16 weeks of age. Another vaccination given sometime after 6 months of age (usually at 1 year 4 mo) will provide a lifetime of immunity. Example Puppy Vaccination Schedule 3 sets, one month apart (some say 3-4 weeks apart) 8 weeks - distemper, parvo, (hepatitis, parinfluenze - included in combination vaccines, not necessary) 12 weeks - distemper, parvo, (hepatitis, parinfluenze - included in combination vaccines, not necessary) 16 weeks - distemper, parvo, (hepatitis, parinfluenze - included in combination vaccines, not necessary) 20 weeks - rabies at 4 months or older, older is better (at 6 mo. old, the immune system is mature) In all states, rabies vaccinations are required by law. The first rabies vaccination is good for one year. In many states subsequent vaccinations are good for three years. In other states, they are only valid for one year by law. Please check with your vet to determine the legal requirements in your state. In 2007, approximately 6,500 reactions were reported for the canine rabies vaccine alone. If as suggested only 1% of reactions were reported, approximately 650,000 reactions likely occurred. And there are still more than a dozen other vaccines causing reactions. Whombo combos, mumbo jumbos: that’s what veterinarians who understand immunology call combination shots. Unlike a vaccine such as rabies, which contains a single virus, combination vaccines contain multiple “modified live” viruses mixed with various bacteria. Think of them as toxic soups, biochemical wolves in sheep’s clothing. When your vet sends out reminders to bring your dog “up to date on shots,” expect the whombo combo. Are vaccines safe? You’ve probably seen combo shots listed on your vet bill as DHLPP, DHLPPC, DA2LPPC, 5-Way, 6-Way, 7-Way, 7 in 1 or the like. After you learn more about them, you won’t want to see them again. A puppy's immune system matures fully at 6 months. If a modified live virus vaccine is given after 6 months of age, it produces an immunity which is good for the life of the pet (ie: canine distemper, parvo). Dogs no longer need to be vaccinated against distemper and parvo every year. Once the initial series of puppy vaccinations and first annual vaccinations are completed, immunity from modified live virus (MLV) vaccines persists for life. If another modified live virus (MLV) vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the first vaccine neutralize the antigens of the second vaccine and there is little or no effect. The titer is not "boosted" nor are more memory cells induced. Repeated doses of the same vaccine increase the risk of reaction. The risk of allergic reactions has been reported to increase after three or four injections of a vaccine. Don't automatically re-vaccinate. Get a simple blood test called a titer test. What is titer testing? A titer test (pronounced TIGHT er) is a laboratory test measuring the existence and level of antibodies to disease in blood. Antibodies are produced when an antigen (like a virus or bacteria) provokes a response from the immune system. This response can come from natural exposure or from vaccination. (Note: titering is also called serum vaccine antibody titering and serologic vaccine titering.) Not only are annual boosters unnecessary for parvo and distemper, they subject the pet to potential risks of allergic reactions and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. There is no scientific documentation to back up label claims for annual administration of MLV vaccines. Puppies receive antibodies through their mother's milk. This natural protection can last 8-14 weeks. Distemper (A
story about Jack) and Parvo (A
story about Copper),"According
to Dr. Schultz, AVMA, 8-15-95, when a vaccinations series given
at 2, 3 & 4 months and again at 1 year with a MLV, puppies
and kitten program memory cells that survive for life, providing
lifelong immunity." Dr. Carmichael at Cornell and Dr. Schultz
have studies showing immunity against challenge at 2-10 years
for canine distemper & 4 years for parvovirus. Studies for
longer duration are pending. There are no new strains of parvovirus
as one mfg. would like to suggest. Parvovirus vaccination provides
cross immunity for all types. Parainfluenza must be an inexpensive virus to include in vaccines. It is in almost all the combination vaccines even though it is probably only a minor contributor to the problem of tracheobronchitis (kennel cough) in dogs. Vaccine reactions to this virus seem rare. Bordetella Parainfluenza is commonly called "Kennel Cough" and is not needed by most dogs, it is recommended only for those dogs boarded, groomed, taken to dog shows, or for any reason housed where exposed to a lot of dogs. The intranasal vaccine provides more complete and more rapid onset of immunity with less chance of reaction. Immunity requires 72 hours and does not protect from every cause of kennel cough. Immunity is of short duration (4 to 6 months). The Rabies Vaccine is the only legally-required vaccine for companion animals in the United States. It’s administered primarily to protect humans from their pets should those pets be bitten by rabid bats, coyotes, raccoons, foxes or other animals. This is all well and good EXCEPT that the vaccine is known to cause serious side effects in dogs. The Rabies Vaccine is arguably the most dangerous shot our dogs get. Because it’s required by law, it’s a difficult shot to avoid. Because the vaccine is made from a “killed” virus, rather than “modified live” virus as are the other important “core” vaccines, manufacturers add dangerous “adjuvants” to boost effectiveness. These adjuvants too often cause adverse reactions, some of which occur quickly, but many of which occur days, weeks or even months after vaccination. A “killed” vaccine (rather than one from a modified live virus), the rabies vaccine contains adjuvants (chemical boosters) to enhance the immunological response. In 1999, the World Health Organization “classified veterinary vaccine adjuvants as Class III/IV carcinogens with Class IV being the highest risk.” If you go to our "Links" page, you will find websites with additional information on vaccinations.
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