Vaccinations & your puppy!

Here at Pixieprint Pomeranians we have a schedule that we recommend for all our Pommie babies. These recommendations are from our own experiences as well as those of our vet. Before your new pommie arrives to your home, we have already given your baby their first vaccinations. These are the first of a series needed to give your puppy the core vaccinations for his/her health.  From the first vet visit/healthcheck we require once your new baby is home, I HIGHLY reccomend talking to your vet about the further vaccinations that are needed to insure your pets well-being but also to make sure that he/she is not OVER vaccinated which can cause problems all its own as well and harder to treat! Every Breeder and pet owner should consider the vaccines that their pets receive in his/her lifetime. New studies show that for many years we have been over vaccinating our pets. New guidelines are forthcoming every 3 years now and we should ALWAYS talk to our vets and ask what vaccines are actually needed before giving the traditional boosters! They can and should test your pets anti-body titer (level) with a simple blood test BEFORE any vaccines are given every year and even then, once a pet has reached 7 yrs of age it is usually not a good idea to further vaccinate at all!

Pixieprint Pomeranians Puppy Vaccination Guide         WE DO NOT at ANY time recommend giving your Pommie the Leptospira Vaccine!!!! There have been too many incidents of acute anaphylaxis in Poms/small breed dogs to            chance giving this to your baby unless VERY highly reccomended by your vet! 6-8 wks old  -  set of 2 dewormings with Strongid "T" 10 days apart 7-8 wks old  -  1st Vaccination - Corona, Parvo, Distemper & Hepatitis (Adenovirus-2) 12 wks old    -  2nd set of Vaccinations (repeat 7-8 wk old recommendations) 16 wks old    -  3rd set of Vaccinations (repeat 7-8 wk old recommendations) 3-6 months    -  Rabies Vaccination if required by law 1 year old     -   Booster of Parvovirus, Distemper & Hepatitis vaccines 1.5 yrs old   -   3 yr rabies vaccination if required by law 4 years old   -  Have blood test done for antibody titer to see if vaccinations are required 7 years old  -  Have blood test done again and vaccinate for the last time if needed. *Note* Bordatella (Kennel cough) vaccine is required by most kennels and is recommended for any pet travelling a lot with their owners.  Usually only given once as a puppy and as needed and recommended by your vet if boarding or travelling often.

For those who want to know more about the "Core" as well as "Non-Core" vaccines, below is an excerpt from UC Davis about the AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines. You can also visit www.aahanet.org for the most up to date vaccination guidelines your vet is using, by going to Resources tab then References section. Guidelines are listed for you to see there.

The vaccination guidelines below have been based on recently published studies and recommendations made by task forces which include representatives from academia, private practices, governmental regulatory bodies, and industry. These groups have evaluated the benefits versus risks of the vaccines currently available on the market. These are only general guidelines, as the vaccine types recommended and the frequency of vaccination vary depending on the lifestyle of the pet being vaccinated, i.e. indoor vs outdoor pets, travel plans, kennel/boarding plans, and so on. Because these factors may change over time, we recommend the vaccination plan for each individual pet be decided by the owner following a discussion between the veterinarian and the client regarding the animal's lifestyle in the year ahead. A previous history of vaccination reactions in an individual pet will also affect recommendations for vaccination. As further research is performed, and as new vaccines become available on the market, your pets vaccination schedule should be continuously updated and modified. Canine Vaccination Guidelines Canine Core Vaccines Core vaccines are recommended for all puppies. The diseases involved have significant morbidity and mortality and are widely distributed, and in general, vaccination results in relatively good protection from disease. These include vaccines for canine parvovirus (CPV), canine distemper virus (CDV), canine adenovirus (CAV), and rabies. Canine Parvovirus, Distemper Virus, and Adenovirus-2 Vaccines For initial puppy vaccination (under 16 weeks of age), one dose of vaccine containing modified live virus (MLV) CPV, CDV, and CAV-2 is recommended every 3-4 weeks from 8 weeks of age, with the final booster being given no sooner than 16 weeks of age. After a booster at one year, revaccination is not recommended unless there are special circumstances that warrant more or less frequent revaccination Canine Rabies Virus Vaccines In accordance with many cities municipal law, we recommend that puppies receive a single dose of killed rabies vaccine at between 3-6 months of age. A booster is required one year later, and thereafter, rabies vaccination should be performed every 3 years using a vaccine approved for 3-year administration. Canine Non-Core Vaccines Non-core vaccines are optional vaccines that should be considered in light of the exposure risk of the animal, ie. based on geographic distribution and the lifestyle of the pet. Several of the diseases involved are often self-limiting or respond readily to treatment. Vaccines considered as non-core vaccines are canine parainfluenza virus (CPiV), distemper-measles combination vaccine, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Leptospira, and Borrelia burgdorferi. Vaccination with these vaccines is generally less effective in protecting against disease than vaccination with the core vaccines. Canine Parainfluenza Virus and Bordetella bronchiseptica These are both agents associated with kennel cough in dogs. For Bordetella bronchiseptica, intranasal vaccination with live avirulent bacteria is recommended for dogs expected to board, be shown, or to enter a kennel situation within 6 months of the time of vaccination. For puppies, only one dose of this vaccine is required (recommendations differ for the killed form of this vaccine). Most boarding kennels require that this vaccine be given within 6 months of boarding. Canine Distemper-Measles Combination Vaccine This vaccine has been used between 8 and 12 weeks of age to protect dogs against distemper. Protection occurs within 72 hours of vaccination. It is indicated only for use in households/kennels/shelters where CDV is a recognized problem. Only one dose of the vaccine should be given, after which pups are boostered with the CDV vaccine to minimize the transfer of anti-measles virus maternal antibodies to pups of the next generation. Canine Leptospira Vaccines Currently available vaccines do not contain all serovars of Leptospira, usually only 2 of 4, and efficiancy against infection with the targeted serovar are between 50 and 75%, and duration of immunity is probably about 1 year. However, leptospirosis is not common in BC dogs with exposure histories involving livestock and areas frequented by wild mammals, the disease can be fatal or have high morbidity. Therefore, we suggest annual vaccination only of dogs living in rural areas or areas frequented by wildlife with vaccines containing all four leptospiral serovars (grippotyphosa, pomona, canicola and icterohemorrhagiae). The initial vaccination should be followed by a booster 2-4 weeks later, and the first vaccine be given no earlier than 12 weeks of age. In general, leptospiral vaccines have been associated with more severe postvaccinal reactions (acute anaphylaxis) than other vaccines. Vaccination of dogs in suburban areas with minimal exposure to farm animals or forested areas is not recommended. Anecdotally, the incidence of reactions has been greatest in puppies under 6 months of age, and especially small-breed dogs. A careful risk-benefit analysis is recommended before considering vaccination of small breed dogs at risk of exposure to leptospires. Canine Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme) Vaccine The incidence of Lyme disease is currently considered extremely low. Furthermore, use of the vaccine even in endemic areas has been controversial because of anecdotal reports of vaccine-associated adverse events. Most infected dogs show no clinical signs, and the majority of dogs contracting Lyme disease respond to treatment with antimicrobials. Other Canine Vaccines Several other canine vaccines are currently available on the market. These are vaccines for canine coronavirus, Giardia,and canine adenovirus-1. The reports of the AVMA and the AAHA canine vaccine task force have listed these vaccines as not generally recommended, because 'the diseases are either of little clinical significance or respond readily to treatment', evidence for efficacy of these vaccines is minimal, and they may 'produce adverse events with limited benefit' Canine Coronavirus Vaccine Infection with canine coronavirus alone has been associated with mild disease only, and only in dogs inder 6 weeks of age. Vaccination against Coronavirus does no good with puppies older than 7 weeks old. Therefore, we do not routinely recommend vaccination against Coronavirus. Canine Giardia spp. Vaccine Approximately 90% of dogs respond to treatment for Giardia infection, most infected dogs are asymptomatic, and the disease is not usually life-threatening. The vaccine does not prevent infection but may reduce shedding and clinical signs. Based on existing evidence, we do not currently recommend routine vaccination of dogs for Giardia.

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