This video is IMPORTANT INFO

 

 

Vaccine Guidelines

Your puppy will leave us with two 5 in one vaccines, and a documented shot record. You must keep up with the immunization schedule that your vet recommends for your puppy.

Canine vaccines and vaccination play an important role in disease prevention and can save lives in young puppies. The purpose of canine vaccination is to stimulate a dog's body to produce antibodies (germ-fighting proteins made by specialized white blood cells) and "memory" cells, so that if the dog ever encounters the disease again, his system will be primed and ready to defend against it.

However, it is also a fact that canine vaccines can cause side-effects and very often pose health risks to our dogs. Therefore, it is important for dog parents to understand clearly what canine vaccines can and cannot do, and whether it is necessary to vaccinate our dogs on a yearly basis.

Before vaccinating your puppy, consider the risks. The decision about vaccinations is very individual, and should be guided by your knowledge on the subject before you go to the veterinarian.

 

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) released a set of canine vaccine guidelines in 2003 (and revised in 2006) regarding canine vaccination.

In the revised guidelines, the AAHA classified canine vaccines into core and noncore (optional).

According to AAHA, core vaccines are those that all dogs should receive in order to protect against diseases that are more serious or potentially fatal. These diseases are found in all areas of North America and are more easily transmitted than noncore diseases. The AAHA guidelines define the following as core vaccines: distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and rabies.

Noncore vaccines should be given selectively, depending on a dog's particular geographic and lifestyle exposure. According to the AAHA guidelines, vaccines for kennel cough, Lyme disease, and leptospirosis are noncore vaccines.
 

Vaccinations do not magically lose their effectiveness 366 days after the last shot. In fact, studies have shown that the vaccines for parvovirus and canine distemper provide extremely good, long-term protection from the diseases for 8 to 10 years or more.

"Booster shots" do not increase a dog's immunity, but they do increase the risk of adverse reactions. There are no benefits and many risks to re-vaccinating for a disease your dog is already immune to.

If you want to play it safe, there is a blood test called determining the "titer". It can tell if your dog's antibody levels for parvovirus or canine distemper remain high enough to resist infection. However, even with a low titer, most animals will still retain enough immunity to fight off infection. Parvo and distemper are almost exclusively diseases affecting young puppies, so while puppies definitely need the protection of vaccines, adults do not.