L to R - Search and Rescue Dog Association of Alberta

This article first appeared in the
[December 2009] AKC Gazette and is
reprinted with permission. To subscribe
to the Gazette please go to:
www.akc.org/pubs/index.cfm
Vaccination Protocols
by Jeff Grognet, D.V.M.
Jeff Grognet is a veterinarian with a
practice in British Columbia, and the
regular nutrition and health columnist for
AKC Family Dog
Thirty years ago, vaccines were simple.
Every year you took your dog to the vet,
and every year he received the same
vaccines. But only two vaccines were
available back then – rabies and fiveway.
Things soon changed.
In 1981, three years after the first
devastating parvovirus outbreak,
vaccines to curb the epidemic entered
the market. Shortly after, we saw
vaccines against bordetella, coronavirus,
and Lyme disease. We now have
vaccines that protect against giardia,
new strains of leptospirosis, and even
dental disease and rattlesnake bites.
With all these to choose from, many dog
owners are confused. They don’t know
which ones are truly needed or even how
often they must be given.
The American Animal Hospital
Association (AAHA) made headlines in
2003 when it published its vaccination
recommendations. They suggested
that a number of vaccines are
absolutely necessary, but some are
only required in unique circumstances,
and others should not be given at
all. They also recommended moving
the ‘annual’ vaccine to every three
years. In 2006 they reconfirmed these
recommendations.
Scent Dog News... 8
The AAHA panel agreed that four core
vaccines should be administered to every
dog – parvovirus, distemper, rabies, and
adenovirus vaccines. They also assigned
parainfluenza, bordetella, and Lyme
disease to the noncore group. These are
only to be used where exposure to the
disease is likely.
If there weren’t controversial enough,
they stated that some vaccines are not
recommended. For example, too few
dogs succumb to coronavirus to justify
vaccination. Even when the disease does
occur, it is mild and self-limiting.
Leptospiral vaccines have a low efficacy
(less then 75 percent), and most do not
provide protection against the strains that
currently cause disease in dogs. Giardia
vaccines are also not endorsed by the
AAHA. Though they may prevent shedding
of the organism in the urine, they do not
prevent infection.
The vaccines that protect against dental
disease and rattlesnake venom are new to
the market. The AAHA takes no position on
them.
To decide which vaccines to give your dog,
you must assess his risk of picking up each
disease. One way to accomplish this is to
ask your vet when the last time was he
saw a case of the disease in question or
when it last occurred in your area.
Another aspect is physical risk of exposure,
for example Lyme disease (Borrelia) is
only a hazard if your dog is going to be
exposed to Lyme-infested ticks. Similarly,
bordtella is only picked up with direct dogto-dog
contact. If your dog does not see
other dogs on his walks and never goes
to kennels, a groomer or daycare, this
disease is not a concern.
If your dog walks in areas were he can
drink water out of ponds, lakes or streams,
or go swimming, the giardia vaccine
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