The Granby Animal Clinic, Inc.
Canine Vaccination Guidelines
Due to increased information regarding the duration of immunity of some of the vaccinations that we administer to our dogs and the new vaccination guidelines of the American Animal Hospital Association, we recommend the following vaccination protocol for your dog.
All dogs should receive the DAPP combination vaccine which protects against Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvo and Para influenza viruses. These are very serious viruses which can be transmitted directly from other dogs, picked up from the environment or transmitted by fomit transmition (like on shoes and clothing). We recommend that after the initial puppy series, this vaccine should be boostered 1 year later, then every 2 to 3 years depending on the health of your pet and the other vaccinations that your pet is receiving.
Rabies vaccination is required by law and is very important since we live in a rabies endemic area. Your dog needs to receive 2 rabies vaccinations within 9-12 months to be eligible for a three-year vaccination. Your pet should have its rabies vaccine boostered, if he/she receives a wound that may have come from another animal. You should pay close attention to the expiration date of your pet’s rabies vaccination.
Lyme vaccination is highly recommended. This disease is contracted via a tick bite. We see a large number of cases of Lyme disease in our area. Although the vaccine is not 100% effective, it greatly reduces your dog’s chances of contracting the disease. After the initial series, your dog should receive this vaccine every year.
Leptospirosis is a mild to deadly disease that occurs sporadically. This disease is also zoonotic, which means that you can catch it from your dog. Your dog contracts this disease by coming in contact with infected ground. There are several different serovirus types of the disease. Vaccines only protect against their specific serovirus. There are two vaccines available. I do not recommend the vaccine for L. icterohaemorrhagiae and L. canicola due to their low occurrence in dogs and moderate vaccine reactions. The vaccine for L. grippotyphosa and L. pomona has a lower reaction rate and these serotypes are more commonly seen in infected dogs. Due to the low occurrence, but potentially fatal or zoonotic consequences of this disease, we leave the decision to administer this vaccine up to you.
Bordetella is a common upper respiratory pathogen. It is most frequently encountered while boarding. We recommend this vaccination for dogs that are boarded, groomed or who go to dog shows or classes. This vaccine lessens the severity of the disease but may not prevent illness. It is best to be given 1 month before needed and should be repeated after 6 months on an as needed basis.
Although there are other vaccines available for our dogs, we do not recommend any others for general use at this time.
Please remember that no vaccination is 100% effective and although reactions to vaccinations are usually mild, on rare occasions serious reactions can occur. Please let the veterinarian know if your dog has had any significant reactions to any vaccination or other medications in the past.
Please discuss your pet’s vaccination schedule with the veterinarian, if you have any questions.