What Vaccinations Does My Dog Really Need?

While it is true that your dog does need vaccines against illness and diseases throughout their life, they do not require the entire cocktail of available vaccines, nor are all of these recommended to be given each year. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association there are core and non-core vaccinations dogs really need. Let's take a look at which are which and why.

Puppy Shots

There are vaccines which dogs really need as puppies. These usually come in a combination shot to keep the stress of immunization down. Vaccines which puppies should always get include distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza. These shots are usually given between ages six and eight weeks. A booster shot of this mixture is given again four weeks after and then again at eight weeks after the initial vaccination of your dog.

Must Have Vaccinations

Of the core vaccines that dogs really need, rabies is the most important after the puppy shots. After puppy shots, your dog should get a rabies vaccine at three months old. The rabies booster should be given every two years afterwards for your dog's life. Booster shots of the core vaccines, such as distemper and parvovirus should be maintained each year because these are the shortest lived vaccines.

Site Specific Vaccines

Site specific vaccines are non-core vaccines which your dog really needs if you live within a high risk area of the United States. Vaccines which your dog really needs in this category can include vaccines for Lyme disease, which is prevalent in the upper Midwest and Northeast of the US according to the Centers for Disease Control as of 2007. Areas heavy in white-tail deer are known to have heavy populations of the deer tick which carries Lyme disease. Another set of site specific vaccine your dog really needs are the Leptospirosis and Corona Virus vaccines. These can cause flu type symptoms and are given in areas where outbreaks of these viruses have been spotted.

Kennel or Population Vaccines

If your dog spends much of its time around groups of dogs, there are other vaccines which your dog really needs. Kennel cough is the common name for viruses which can spread quickly between dogs, like influenza among humans. While you may think that only dogs in kennels can get this type of illness, it can be found in dog parks, dog shows, dog training areas, when traveling, or shelters. A consistent cough is the telltale sign of this problem, and like colds in humans the sick dog only needs to be near your dog to spread the virus. It is recommended that if you are planning to travel, show your dog, or place your dog in a kennel you should get vaccines at least two weeks beforehand. If your dog always goes to parks or interacts with many dogs, this should be a yearly vaccination.CDC Lyme Disease Map
AVMA Vaccine Chart