Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

94 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
An L added at the end (DHPPL) means the shot also contains leptospirosis
vaccine. However, if the dog does require a leptospirosis vaccine, it is now
recommended that this be scheduled separately. Rabies vaccine boosters are
often staggered as well.
For dogs who have had or are at risk for vaccine reactions, the core vaccines,
such as distemper and parvovirus, may be given separately and only
boostered as indicated by titers. (Titers measure the immunity present in a
dog’s system, but more research is needed to determine exactly what minimum
titer levels indicate a dog is safe from disease.)
Available Vaccines
Young puppies are highly susceptible to certain infectious diseases and should
be vaccinated against them as soon as they are old enough to build immunity.
These diseases are distemper, infectious hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza,
and rabies. Leptospirosis, giardia, coronavirus, bordetella, bronchiseptica, and
Lyme disease vaccinations are optional, depending on the occurrence of these
diseases in your area and your dog’s individual risk factors.
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has drawn up
guidelines categorizing vaccines as core, noncore, or not recommended, and
these categories will be indicated for all the vaccines described in this section.
While these guidelines suggest that puppies as young as 6 weeks may be vaccinated,
most veterinarians and breeders wait until 7 or 8 weeks of age. Also,
vaccine recommendations state that many vaccines do not need boosters
beyond 12 weeks of age, but veterinarians, particularly in endemic disease
areas, may do a final puppy vaccine at about 16 weeks.
CANINE DISTEMPER (CORE)
A recombinant distemper vaccine is now available and, ideally, dogs will
receive either an MLV or a recombinant version of distemper vaccine.
The first distemper shot should be given shortly after weaning and before a
puppy is placed in his new home and is exposed to other dogs. Some veterinarians
recommend vaccinating puppies at 5 to 6 weeks of age, using a combination
canine distemper-measles-parainfluenza vaccine. The rationale for
combining distemper and measles vaccines is that a high percentage of 6week-old
puppies do not get a satisfactory response from the distemper vaccine
alone because of maternal antibodies that neutralize the distemper
antigen. The measles virus, which is quite similar to the distemper virus, can
overcome maternal antibody interference and induce partial distemper protection.
Alternatively, if maternal antibodies have actually disappeared in the
6-week-old puppy, the distemper portion of the vaccine will induce complete
protection.