Vaccines are an important part of your dog’s health but knowing which vaccines your dog needs can be a little confusing.  The best source of advice for what vaccines your dog needs is your veterinarian who knows your dog’s unique health history.  Things like dog breed, age, and the region in which you live will influence what vaccines your dog needs to stay healthy and prevent illness and disease.  Vaccines should not be over-administered, though, because it increases the risk of adverse reactions in your dog.  For this reason, it is important to educate yourself about what vaccines may be necessary for your dog so that you can make an informed decision about what vaccines your dog really needs. There are vaccines that are considered “core vaccines” – vaccines that are necessary for all dogs, and “non-core vaccines” –  vaccines that should only be administered if your dog has increased risk of various disease/illness from a variety of factors. Below are general vaccine recommendations for dogs based on age and the region in which you live.

Vaccines for Your Dog’s First Year of Life
Dogs need many more vaccines during their first year of life than they will need in adulthood.  These vaccines provide protection in a variety of circumstances (kennels, daycare, boarding, etc.).  Your puppy will not receive all of the vaccinations at once but, rather, spread out over their first year as their body is ready for it.  According to the AKC (American Kennel Club), the following vaccines are recommended during your dog’s first year of life:

• Bordetella Bronchiseptica
• Canine Distemper
• Canine Hepatitis
• Canine Parainfluenza
• Corona Virus
• Heartworm
• Kennel Cough
• Leptospirosis
• Lyme disease
• Parvovirus
• Rabies

Vaccines for Your Dog in Adulthood

For many years there were a handful of vaccines that were recommended for your dog yearly but that has since changed.  Vaccines that are considered necessary for all dogs (Core Vaccines) regardless of age or region are now recommended to be administered every 3 years and include:

• Canine Distemper
• Parvovirus
• Rabies

In addition to these vaccines that every adult needs periodically, there are other vaccines that should be administered according to lifestyle, region, etc. (Non-Core Vaccines) and include:

• Leptospirosis (level of exposure to wildlife environments, i,e. lakes, ponds, will influence this)
• Lyme disease. (region in which you live or potential exposure will influence this)
• Canine Parainfluenza
• Kennel Cough (amount of time spent in daycare/boarding/kennels/parks will influence your dog’s need for this vaccine)