What shots do dogs get yearly?

[Gamom3]

Taking our dogs in for the shots tomorrow. What do they normally get every year?

[mooooom]

The two biggies are distemper and rabies. The first time a dog gets these vaccinations they must be repeated in a year, after that they are every three years. Other vaccines are "optional" and may depend upon where you live.

 

Bordatella (kennel cough) is given if you board your dog, or they come in contact with a lot of other dogs (mine does -we foster). Not a biggie otherwise, and usually not a serious illness if caught (usually).

 

My dog gets the lyme vaccine - we have a serious tick problem here - and he actually tested positive for lymes when we got him - the vaccine supposedly helps get rid of it if your dog already has it (along w/ antibiotics). My dog no longer tests positive.

 

My vet has also been giving something called lepto lately. I can't remember exactly what it is, but it is a liver disease that can kill dogs, and is picked up from drinking stagnant water - again, something like this would depend on where you live.

 

Your vet should also do a heartworm test and make sure that your dog is on heartworm preventative medicine. And you should bring in a stool sample to have tested for worms.

 

 

HTH

[Gamom3]

They are all getting their rabies shot tomorrow and I couldn't remember what else they needed.

 

Thanks, looks like they only need 2 shots then.

[Soph the vet]

Here's what you need to know.

Distemper/Parvo combo shot is yearly, it actually contains Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, Parvo, and Lepto unless you own certain small breeds that react badly to Lepto, then Lepto will be left out usually.

Rabies is licensed as a 3-yr. vax but it depends on what your state requires. Your vet will know if your dog is due for it or not.

Lyme vax - very controversial vaccine among vets. I will only use it for hunting dogs or outdoor dogs that are not being looked at for ticks every day. The vax is only 80% effective, it will NOT treat an infection (as someone else posted), and we have many dogs vaxed for it yearly who still come in with true Lyme disease. A better prevention of Lymes is daily tick removal (tick needs to be attached for at least 24 hrs.to pass Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lymes) or use of a tick prophylactic like Frontline or Advantix, etc. The Lyme vax has some rare associations with immune-mediated disease onset that I do not think is worth the risk in small, indoor dogs. Also, half the dogs in Minnesota will test positive for Lymes yet not have the disease, it just indicates exposure as they live in an endemic area. Symptoms of Lymes include lameness, lethargy, fever, inappetence, and even swollen joints. If your dog has these symptoms and tests positive then treat with doxycycline for no less than 28 days.

Bordatella vax,(kennel cough), only if you are planning on boarding your dog.

In Georgia, your dog should also be on year round heartworm prevention.

So in a nutshell, you need the DA2PP and maybe a Rabies is he is due.

Hope that helps.

Soph

[Gamom3]

DA2PP and Rabies today.

 

The vet was telling me about the rabies shot that last 3 years, but she doesn't want to start them on it until next year.