NEW VACCINES GUIDELINES FOR GENERAL VETERINARY PRACTICE.
The following are the new vaccine guidelines as recommended by the American
Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) in its 2006 publication.
Remember that the following
are general recommendations. An individual pet’s
vaccine schedule will depend on each pet’s “lifestyle” .
Issues to consider include, but are not limited to, the breed of
animal, age, area of the US the pet lives (or travels to), activities (pet
vs. show vs. hunter vs. breeder vs. therapy dog, etc), previous vaccine
reactions, any on going disease processes, and diseases in your area of the
US.
Before we dive into the guidelines, a few other points worth
mentioning:
1) There is no evidence showing vaccinations cause autoimmune conditions.
2) Remember the “Rules of Dog Shows” from the AKC, it states that ALL dogs
who compete in AKC events MUST be current on vaccines and free of contagious
diseases.
3) There are many “street strains” of diseases that emerge, so no vaccine is
100% effective, BUT, the advantages of vaccinating far out weigh the
disadvantages of not vaccinating.
4) Yes, vaccine reactions do occur, however, they are generally mild and do
not occur all that often. In
general, they tend to be associated with the Leptospirosis vaccine (and even
more so, with toy breed dogs) and, secondly, the Rabies vaccine (again, with
toy breed dogs). Rabies
reactions are even less common than Lepto reactions.
5) As soon as people stop vaccinating, DISEASES WILL START TO OUTBREAK! Case
and point, why does Kennel Cough go through kennels?
Because dogs are not vaccinated! Why do we see (almost) no Distemper
cases? Because we vaccinate! Many cases of Distemper are found
in wild canines and on Indian reservations because the dogs are not
vaccinated. Government efforts
to vaccinate these animals have started to eradicate the Distemper problems
in these areas.
6) Some diseases are ZOONOTIC! Rabies and Leptospirosis are contagious to
people and can cause death in people.
8) And as the old saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor
away….PREVENTION IS SAFER AND CHEAPER THAN
having an active disease process, which may be fatal.
With that being said….
Because there are numerous manufactures of vaccines and different
combinations of vaccines, it is necessary to have a “cheat sheet” to
understand abbreviations of vaccine lingo.
Distemper-
“D” of combo vaccines. You will
also see “CDV” = canine distemper virus. Most are modified live virus (MLV),
however, newer recombinant CDV(rCDV) are available. (Side note:
recombinant vaccines are generally accepted to have less side
effects and more effective.)
Hepatitis-
“H” combo vaccines. Technically, it is Canine Adenovirus (CAV).
There is CAV-1 and CAV-2.
***NEVER USE CAV-1***
CAV-1 causes permanent
“hepatitis blue-eye”. CAV-2 will cross protect against CAV-1 with NO
blue-eye. Recommended MLV
CAV-2.
Leptospirosis-
“L” of (some) combo vaccines. ZOONOTIC! This is spreading through the US, so
more areas are having to vaccinate against it. There are at least 6 known
serovars (subtypes) of Lepto.
Most vaccines will be “2-ways“
or “4-ways”. DO NOT GIVE TO
PUPPIES LESS THAN 12 WEEKS OLD!
Parainfluenza-
“P” combo vaccines. You will also see “CPIV“. MLV is recommended. (Side
note- does NOT protect against canine influenza virus).
Parvo-
The second “P” combo vaccines.
You will also see “CPV” or “CPV-2”. MLV is recommended.
Corona Virus-
“C” of some combo vaccines. You will also see “CCV”.
Bordetella bronchispetica-
AKA Kennel Cough. There are
intranasal vaccine and injectible vaccine.
This is a virus that has a lot of “street strains” that emerge.
Borrelia burgdorferi-
AKA Lyme (not Lyme’s) vaccine. There are killed and recombinant vaccines.
Rabies-
You may see “RV-1” and “RV-3”, for one year and three year vaccines.
Killed virus. ONLY A LICENSED DVM CAN ADMINISTER!
And the other less commonly used vaccines….
Distemper-Measles Virus-
you will also see “D-MV”.
Usually MLV.
Giardia lamblia-
AKA Giardia. Killed virus. Can be ZOONOTIC.
Crotalus atrox Toxoid-
AKA rattlesnake vaccine.
Porphyromonas sp.-
periodontal disease vaccine.
Core-
this will be used to refer to vaccines that should be given to all dogs.
(Assuming no vaccine reactions)
Non-Core-
this will be used to refer to “optional” vaccines, depending on dog’s life
style.
Not Recommended-
this will be used to refer to vaccines the are not recommended.
No Position-
this will be used to refer to vaccines that AAHA takes no position on due to
lack of experience and the “newness“ of the vaccine.
CORE VACCINES:
7-8 weeks of age: DHPP. Booster in 3 to 4 weeks.
11-12 weeks of age: DHPP. Booster in 3 to 4 weeks.
15-16 weeks of age: DHPP and Rabies 1- year.
Then, booster for DHPP and Rabies in 1 year, then every 3 years. (Side note:
the “puppy” Rabies is a 1 year vaccine, then at 1 year of age, the Rabies
can then be a 3 year vaccine)(Not all counties allow for 3 year vaccines to
be given, so check with your DVM or county officials.)
NON CORE:
11-12 weeks of age: Lepto vaccine.
Booster in 3 to 4 weeks.
15-16 weeks of age: Lepto.
Then booster yearly for Lepto.
3-4 weeks of age: Intranasal Kennel Cough.
Booster in 3-4 weeks.
OR…..
6-8 weeks of age: Injectible Kennel Cough.
Booster in 3-4 weeks.
Then, booster every 6 months to 1 year depending on dog’s lifestyle.
9-12 weeks of age: Lyme
vaccine. Booster in 3-4 weeks.
12-16 weeks of age: Lyme vaccine.
Then booster yearly for Lyme, ideally, just prior to the start of tick
season .
NOT RECOMMENDED:
Killed
Parvovirus (CPV)
Distemper-Measles Virus (D-MV)
Canine Adenovirus-1 (CAV-1) (Remember, causes Hepatitis Blue-Eye!)
Canine Coronavirus- (CCV)
Giardia- prevents some shedding, but does not prevent infection!
NO POSITION:
Crotalus atrox Toxoid- Recommended manufacture’s administration is give as
early as 4 months of age, booster in 4 weeks, then yearly, ideally at the
start of rattlesnake season or when traveling to rattlesnake areas.
Porphyromonas sp.- Give according to manufacture’s recommendations to aid in
the prevention and control of periodontal disease in dogs
Summary: For adult dogs over 2 years old: DHPP and Rabies every 3 years. Lepto and Lyme yearly. Kennel Cough every 6 months to 1 year.