Recommended Time Frame for the Vaccination of Dogs

In most states, certain vaccinations for dogs are a requirement, and are popularly thought to be needed every year. While this is not true for all vaccinations for your dog, the misinformation among the public keeps this standard intact. Yearly vaccinations for dogs may appear to help keep your dog healthy, but they also cause concerns and risks. Veterinarians today have been giving their clients different recommendations other than the standard line on how often dogs need vaccinations.

The Old Standards

Since the 1960s, the widely used recommendation was that dogs need vaccinations or booster shots every year regardless of their health, age, or where they lived. The reason for this push were guidelines set by the manufacturers of the vaccines for dogs. This was because the tests for the vaccines were run for only a year to prove their effectiveness. This was also a good way to maintain income for both the manufacturer and the veterinarian. If you want to know about different vaccines and their effects and need I am including a link in the resources to a very good chart which explains the main vaccinations clearly.

The Effects of Yearly Vaccinations

Because of veterinarians vaccinating dogs yearly, many of them have rarely seen once common diseases such as distemper, rabies, parvovirus and hepatitis in an immunized dog. This fact alone began some veterinarians to question the possibility of an over-vaccination in dogs and any possible side effects. Another reason veterinarians began looking at the frequency of how often dogs need vaccinations is that vaccinations are stressful on dogs. A dog's immune system can develop an allergic reaction to the yearly shots. It has also been shown that certain autoimmune diseases can develop because of some of the ingredients used with the vaccines according to Doctor Ron Hines DVM, PhD., in an article he wrote online (listed below in the resources).

Concerns About Location and Timing

While many vaccinations for dogs are federally certified for a period up to three years, this guideline is often ignored at the state level which require more frequent vaccinations of your dog for rabies. This is to error on the side of caution. Another issue is the use of booster shots for kennel cough and Lyme disease. While many people think these vaccinations for dogs should be given regardless, most times it may not be needed. If your dog spends a great amount of time around other dogs, in kennels, at shows, or traveling, then you do need a booster shot for kennel cough; which should be given at least two weeks ahead of any known situations where this health problem may arise. If you consistently take your dog to dog parks, then you do need a yearly booster; if your dog stays mainly at home and only occasionally interacts with other dogs, then a booster shot should be given on an "as needed" basis. Lyme disease is only occurring in certain parts of the US, and does not require boosters where there is not a large white tail deer population; this is because the main areas where the disease is associated, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in a 2007 mapping, are in the northeast and upper Midwest. The carrier of Lyme disease is the deer tick, and is usually found where a large population of white-tail deer are found.

Recommendations

Veterinarians, as of 2009, have begun to suggest that certain booster shots have a longer immunization period than one year and some up to two years. Your veterinarian will have specific recommendations for how often your dog needs vaccinations and what type.

Sources:
Dr. Ron Hines DVM Phd.

Centers for Disease Control