By Dr. Jann Elliot, DVM

Nothing beats the joy of seeing a “new puppy visit” on the schedule at our clinic. During these visits, new parents to puppies often have lots of questions to make sure they are doing everything just right for their new puppy. Often overlooked is the topic of infectious diseases and what we can do to protect puppies from becoming sick. One of the new trends today seems to be a “less is more” approach to vaccinations, but in the case of puppy vaccines, skipping vaccine boosters may result in inadequate immunity to a number of viruses and even possibly death.

How Vaccinal Immunity Works

Maternal milk from the first days of nursing offers protection via antibodies from the mother dog’s immune system for up to 4 months, but after this the puppy is only protected by vaccines or by natural exposure (and recovery from) viruses and bacteria. Vaccines given prior to 8 weeks of age are typically rendered ineffective by the puppy’s circulating maternal antibodies.  Because shelters often find puppies without their mothers and without any knowledge of prior vet history, they usually give the first puppy booster as soon as the puppy arrives at the shelter – sometimes as early as 6 weeks of age.  They are then given at 2 to 3 week intervals by the shelter, rescue and, eventually, the new owners’ veterinarian.  It is important that the vaccines be given in a series of at least 3 boosters (usually about 3 to 4 weeks apart), as repeated exposure to these pathogens builds the immune system.  The immune system is naïve initially, but should be mature by the time the vaccine series is finished, so a good response to the vaccines will result in complete protection.

Core Vaccination Protocols

Core vaccines are those which the veterinary community in that region has deemed basic and necessary to prevent disease outbreaks. Other vaccines may be “elective” in nature, and these elective vaccines are usually against rarely seen or non-fatal diseases. In our area, Distemper, Parvovirus, Hepatitis/Adenovirus Type 2, Parainfluenza Virus, Bordetella Bronchiseptica/Kennel Cough, and Rabies are undoubtedly core vaccines.  We vaccinate against them even though they are less common these days because  kennel cough is extremely contagious, Parvovirus can live in the environment for a very long time, and Parvovirus, Distemper, and Rabies are all fatal.  If we were to stop vaccinations for these rarely seen diseases, recurrence in the naïve population would be seen again. Puppies may also be vaccinated against Coronavirus, but this diarrhea virus is usually mild, and is rarely seen in adult dogs, so many clinics do not use it, although it is wise for shelters/rescues to continue to booster against it.

There are good arguments for making Canine Influenza, Lyme disease, and Leptospirosis vaccines necessary for all dogs, but so far they are considered non-core vaccines, and most veterinarians use these as the individual pet’s risk indicates.

Common Sense and Socialization

Everyone is excited to show off their new family member.  But puppy adopters must remember that their puppy is not immune to these deadly viruses until 10 days after the end of the puppy vaccine series.  Thus, to avoid exposing your puppy to such risk, the safest thing to do is to avoid areas where lots of dogs congregate to play and eliminate.  The fact is, dog parks and public recreation areas, especially those with water sources where dogs can swim and wade, can be reservoirs of Parvovirus, Giardia, and intestinal parasites.  Although it is frustrating to stay away when you have a cute puppy to share with the world, you will have plenty of time to spend in dog parks for the rest of your pup’s life!

A complication in the not-completely-vaccinated puppy’s development is interaction with other dogs for proper socialization – this is how puppies learn to play and behave with other dogs. Socialization is integral to their becoming a well-rounded, friendly dog. The window of socialization is between 8 and 16 weeks of age – right when the puppy’s immune system is still developing.  Allowing  puppies to play with healthy, vaccinated adult dogs and puppies in your own yard or on uncontaminated grassy areas is totally fine.  Going to dog parks for socialization is not.  Walks on the sidewalk are ok to practice leash lessons, but I don’t recommend “nose-to-nose” greetings with passing dogs.  You never know if their owners keep them up to date on vaccines, or if that unfamiliar dog is going to snap at your puppy!

A Basic Plan of Action

Be sure to have your puppy examined by your veterinarian by 8 weeks of age – or as soon as possible after adoption – to begin (or continue) the vaccination series. (Don’t forget:  You should bring at least 2 stool samples during the puppy examination series to screen for and eliminate parasites, too!) You may opt to separate vaccines for different viruses by a week or two, allowing the immune system to recover between vaccines and possibly increasing efficacy/reducing lethargy, but it is not mandatory. I never give more than 2 injectable vaccines to a puppy at any one visit.  Ideally, each puppy would receive only 1 vaccine at a time, in case of vaccine reaction (you’d know which vaccine to avoid in the future), but this is not feasible for most schedules.  Modern vaccines rarely cause reactions today, but if you are concerned, you should consult your veterinarian.

For socialization, you may also enroll in a puppy class after your puppy has had its first 2 vaccinations (minimum) and be sure that any daycare or class requires that all dogs be vaccinated against kennel cough and Distemper/Parvo and Rabies.