Pet lovers know that it is very important to vaccinate their
dogs, but how early and how often are two questions that are
currently much on their minds as well as on the minds of the
veterinary community at large. While vets agree that it is still
vital to vaccinate puppies at 6 weeks for distemper and measles
if they did not nurse during the first few hours after they were
born and again at 8, 12, and 16 weeks for Distemper, Canine
Infectious Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus,
and Coronavirus (DHLPPC), there have been questions as to
whether the traditionally recommended (and in some states
required) annual vaccinations are necessary. Puppies are also
vaccinated for rabies at six months and this, too, is repeated
annually.
The concerns that some dog owners have is whether the repeated
dog vaccinations are really necessary and whether they are, in
fact, doing more harm than good. Vaccinations work by
stimulating the dog’s immune system, encouraging it to readily
produce antibodies to fight against specific types of bacteria
and viruses. Stimulating the immune system this way comes at a
price – the actual introduction of the offending agent in some
form to the dog’s system, leading to the concerns of dog lovers
and vets alike.
The questions on the minds of those concerned are “is it
dangerous to repeatedly vaccinate my dog each year” and “how
much vaccine should a dog receive and how often?” Fortunately
the experts do agree that the answer to the first question is a
resounding “no.” While there are rare cases of dogs that have
become very ill or even died as a result of vaccination, there
is no evidence to suggest that this practice poses any real
danger to the dog. The animals adversely affected may have
already been sick unbeknownst to their owners of had some form
of allergy to a specific part of the vaccine. The answer to the
second question is less encouraging because, the truth is; no
one knows for sure how much vaccine is really necessary and how
often it really should be given. This is currently a topic of
much discussion and debate in veterinary circles.
The best advice that dog owners can take is to continue
vaccinating their dogs according to local laws and the
recommendations of their vets. Since the annual vaccines are not
harming the dogs in any evident way, there is no cause for alarm
and no harm in continuing the same routine until the veterinary
community makes up its collective mind that a change is in order
with regard to dog vaccinations.
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