Canine Vaccines  Recommendations

Note:  Dogs that are taken to Boarding, Grooming, Obedience, and Show may need more frequent vaccinations to comply with facility requirements.  Organizations that sponsor or operate these types of activities have a unique situation because of their liability to protect the pets under their care.  The current official labeling on most vaccines still recommends annual boosters.  For these reasons they may require more frequent vaccinations.

 Breeding females may need more frequent vaccines to aid in passive transfer of antibodies.

Core Canine Vaccines

* Rabies (RV)

Rabies is probably one of the the most feared diseases. The rabies virus attacks the brain and is always fatal. Dogs are exposed to rabies by bites from wild animals particularly skunks, raccoons, bats and foxes. Infected dogs are a potential source for human infection.  Rabies can be transmitted to humans through the bite or scratch.

 We feel that rabies vaccination is important for every dog, as one never knows under what circumstances a dog will bite someone. If a dog bites, the health department may determine the fate of that dog based in part on its rabies vaccination history. Even if a dog does not go outside and even if the owner is positive that no bats have gained access to the indoors, we feel this extra insurance is worth having.

Recommendation: First RV given at 16 weeks of age, then 1 year later and then every three years.  If RV status is unknown in a patient no matter what age it is, the first known RV is assumed to be a 1 yr. vaccine

* Distemper (CDV), Adenovirus 2 (CAV-2), Parainfluenza (PaV), and Parvovirus (CPV)

We use a polyvalent vaccine for routine use with combined modified live and killed virus components.

Canine Distemper Virus: Infection with CDV causes significant morbidity in unprotected animals and is associated with high rates of mortality from respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological disease; there is minimal geographic difference in its distribution. Therefore, all puppies should be vaccinated with a CDV vaccine, and boosters should be administered throughout the dog's life. Dogs with unknown vaccine histories should be considered at risk and vaccinated, and boosters should be administered throughout the dog's life.

Canine Adenovirus-2: Infection with CAV-2 causes a self-limiting respiratory disease in some infected dogs but produces an immune response that cross-protects against canine adenovirus-1 (CAV-1) infection, the etiology of canine infectious hepatitis, which has worldwide distribution. The CAV-1 vaccine has been associated with an unacceptable rate of serious adverse events (e.g., interstitial nephritis, anterior uveitis) and should not be administered; however, CAV-2 vaccines are much safer. Therefore, all puppies and dogs with unknown vaccine histories should be vaccinated with a CAV-2 vaccine, and boosters should be administered throughout the dog's life.

 Canine Parainfluenza Virus: Canine parainfluenza virus is one cause of the "kennel cough" syndrome, an infection in susceptible, unprotected dogs causing a mild, self-limiting upper respiratory disease. The agent rarely causes life-threatening disease in otherwise healthy dogs. Parenteral PaV vaccines do not block infection but only lessen clinical disease, and vaccines produce only a short duration of immunity (DOI).  This vaccine antigen is generally included along with CDV, CPV, and CAV-2. Since these three vaccines are recommended, the PaV vaccine is considered optional but recommended. An intranasal form of this vaccine is also often combined with B. bronchiseptica vaccines in dogs considered susceptible.

Canine Parvovirus: Infection with CPV causes high morbidity and mortality in unprotected dogs primarily from gastrointestinal disease. The organism has worldwide distribution. Therefore, all puppies should be vaccinated with a CPV vaccine. Dogs with unknown vaccine histories should be considered at risk and vaccinated. Boosters should be administered throughout the dog's life.

Challenge of immunity studies have shown different lengths of protection from each of these vaccines and for different strains of each vaccine but all studies have suggested protection following the initial vaccination series lasting more than 3 years in most dogs.

 Recommendation:  DA2P+CPV is given every 3 - 4 weeks starting as early as 6 weeks of age with the last vaccine given at or after 16 weeks of age.  Many clients come in with the notion that only two or three vaccines are needed as "puppy" shots.  It is not just the number of vaccines a puppy receives but also the age at which we give them that is important.  Older dogs with no history of vaccination receive 2 shots 3 - 4 weeks apart.

 The decision is made based on risk factors as to whether an individual dog will receive boosters for these vaccine components annually or every 3 years.

* Intranasal Parainfluenza/Bordetella

Infectious Tracheobronchitis (ITB) (more commonly known as Kennel Cough or Canine Cough) is an acute, highly contagious disease syndrome. Several organisms can cause ITB: Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine parainfluenza (PaV), canine adenovirus 1 (CAV- 1), canine adenovirus 2 (CAV-2), canine distemper virus (CDV), reovirus and small organisms called mycoplasma. Symptoms include severe coughing spells sometimes followed by vomiting and gagging. The dog may also have watery eyes and/or a nasal discharge. One never knows when one will be bringing a dog to the vet (even if the dog never goes to a groomer or boarding facility) and anytime a dog is in a room with other dogs, kennel cough is a risk.

Bordetella bronchiseptica: Infection with these bacteria is one cause of the "kennel cough" syndrome.  Infection in susceptible dogs generally causes a self-limiting, upper respiratory disease but rarely causes life-threatening disease in otherwise healthy animals. Clinical disease usually resolves quickly when treated with appropriate antibiotics.  Although vaccination does not block infection, it appears to lessen clinical disease.  Vaccines provide a short DOI (6 months to a year).  It is unclear whether current vaccine strains protect against all field strains.  Animals considered to be at risk may benefit from vaccination followed by boosters at intervals in line with their risk of exposure.

 Intranasal vaccine is generally thought to provide a better protective local immune response than injectable vaccines and a more rapid onset (3-5 days) for protection.  We do carry an injectable version for dogs that will not allow intranasal application.  Post-vaccinal disease manifestation may be seen but is only rarely severe enough to require treatment.  Vaccination only protects against the most common and highly contagious form of  "Kennel Cough".  Your dog can still get other respiratory infections.

 Recommendation:  Generally recommended for use in puppies 9 weeks and older.  Recommended vaccine updates every 6 months in high-risk patients or revaccination 1 week prior to possible exposure when possible.

Non-Core Canine Vaccines

* Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease carried by many wild animals. Dogs can become infected with these bacteria if they are exposed to the urine of certain small furry animals such as rodents and raccoons that are infected with the bacteria or by drinking contaminated water.  Symptoms include high fever, jaundice, hemorrhaging, and bloodstained feces.  The disease can cause kidney failure.  The organism can infect both dogs and humans; therefore, infected dogs can serve as a source for human infection via contaminated urine.  There are multiple Leptospira serovars and minimal cross-protection is induced by individual serovars, especially those defined to be the etiology of recent leptospirosis outbreaks in some geographic regions. Currently available vaccines do not contain all known serovars; therefore, dogs considered to be at risk for infection can be vaccinated, but current products do not provide assurance of protection.  The efficacies of these products are estimated to be between 50% to 75% and the DOI reported between 6 to 18 months for animals that do develop immunity. Immunity is an ill-defined term for Leptospira spp. products.  If immunity is defined as protection from infection or prevention of bacterial shedding, then there is little or no enduring immunity.  If protection is defined as prevention of clinical signs of disease, then duration of immunity could be >1 year.  Thus, DOI for Leptospira spp. becomes a problem of definition as to whether the goal of vaccination is interruption of bacterial shedding and public health concerns, or the prevention of clinical disease in the dog. It is generally agreed that immunity, however defined, is serovar specific; thus, if only one serovar is present in the vaccine, any protection, is for that serovar (e.g., Leptospira canicola) and not the many others that can infect the dog. A product with four serovars:  L. canicola, L. icterohaemmorrhagiae, L. grippotyphosa, and L. pomona is available and should probably be used.  Leptospirosis is a component that we use to include in the core vaccines. Indications are that many of the vaccine reactions we see in dogs were from the Lepto component.  While cases of Leptospirosis are uncommon, the disease is again beginning to emerge.

Initial immunization requires 2 doses 3 - 4 weeks apart.

Consider giving boosters every 6 months to very high-risk patients.

Should not be used in puppies under 12 weeks of age due to allergenic nature of agents.  Should be used only with caution in toy breeds (esp. dachshunds, westie's) or previous reactors.

We offer vaccination against Leptospirosis, but no longer consider it a core vaccine. We will not use it until a pup is 12 weeks of age or older.

* Coronavirus (CCV)

Canine Coronavirus: Infection with CCV causes mild gastrointestinal disease unless concurrent infection with CPV occurs.  CCV may play a role in worsening the course of other diseases when concurrent infection occurs (theoretical, not proven).  The virus does not generally cause disease by itself in dogs >6 weeks of age and so vaccination is not indicated in adult dogs.  In at least one study, it was shown that vaccination with CPV protected puppies against challenges with both viruses. At present, there is no indication that this organism produces a disease of clinical significance; therefore, administration of a CCV vaccine is not recommended.

Duration of immunity for CCV is a moot point since a need for the vaccine has not been demonstrated.  It has been reported that DOI for CCV is the lifetime of the animal whether vaccinated or not as a result of natural sub clinical infection and age-related resistance.

When given in combination with Leptospirosis, reports of an increased allergic reaction rate (increased over what would be expected with either agent given alone) have been reported.

 Vaccine is sometimes given to fulfill boarding, or show requirements.

* Lyme Borreliosis

Borrelia burgdorferi): Infection with B. burgdorferi can cause clinical disease syndromes in some susceptible dogs although most dogs infected do not become sick.  While the organism infects both humans and dogs, it is not a direct zoonosis but a shared-vector zoonosis.  The distribution of the tick vector involved is geographically limited and therefore the incidence of exposure is similarly geographically limited. We do not live in a Lymes disease endemic area.  Dogs previously exposed to B. burgdorferi do not benefit from vaccination and prevention of exposure to the tick vector is an effective preventive approach. Animals considered to be at risk may benefit from vaccination followed by boosters at intervals in line with their risk of exposure. The minimum DOI for B. burgdorferi vaccines is reported to be1 year.

 May be reasonable for hunting and field dogs with higher exposure to ticks or dogs that routinely travel to Lymes disease endemic areas.

Requires an initial vaccine and booster 3 weeks later.

Start series 4 weeks prior if travel is planned to an endemic area.

* Giardia

 Giardia spp.: Infection with Giardia spp. can be sub clinical or can cause small bowel diarrhea.  The incidence of disease is generally <10% and approximately 90% of dogs respond to therapy.  The disease is usually not life-threatening. Management, hygiene, and treatment (fenbendazole or metronidazole) are preferred control methods over vaccination in most cases.  There are multiple strains of Giardia, and it is unknown whether the vaccine is of value in more than one heterogeneous isolate. The vaccine does not prevent infection but may reduce or eliminate shedding of the organism and reduce clinical signs. The DOI is considered to be 1 year.

 Vaccination against Giardia spp. is not routinely recommended, but may be reasonable for hunting, camping, and field dogs who are more likely to be exposed to streams, and lakes.  It is sometimes recommended to help control recurrent infections or help manage outbreaks in multiple pet environments.