It has long been proven how important it is to have dogs and puppies vaccinated. Dog vaccinations can protect them from serious illnesses and diseases that could otherwise lead to their death. Some of these diseases also pose a deadly threat to humans, such as rabies.
Contents: Vaccination in dogs
- Which vaccinations are useful for dogs?
- How often should your dog be vaccinated?
- Compulsory vaccinations for dogs
- Tick vaccination for dogs
- Vaccination for puppies
- Vaccination schedule for dogs
- To vaccinate old dogs or not?
- possible side effects
- Combined vaccination for dogs & costs
- Conclusion
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Which vaccinations are useful for dogs?
There are countless dog vaccinations available, but not all of them are useful for every dog. Here is a small selection of possible dog vaccinations:
- Lyme disease
- distemper
- mange
- tetanus
- rabies
- Hcc vaccination (hepatitis contagiosa canis)
- Giardia
- Parvovirus
- Leptospirosis
How often should your dog be vaccinated?
You should discuss in detail with your veterinarian which mandatory and optional vaccinations need to be carried out and at what frequency. The veterinarian will then create a vaccination plan for the dog's annual vaccinations. You should also discuss whether you want to go on holiday with your dog abroad and which vaccinations are required there.
If you want to take your dog to a kennel during your vacation, you should note that these kennels only accept animals that have complete vaccination records. This generally includes core vaccinations (mandatory vaccinations for dogs).
Compulsory vaccinations for dogs
A distinction is made between mandatory vaccines (core vaccines) and optional vaccines (non-core vaccines).
Compulsory vaccinations are not mandatory, as the name suggests, but merely recommended.
These include vaccinations against distemper, hepatitis, rabies vaccination for dogs, parvovirus, the most widespread, highly contagious infectious disease (canine or feline distemper) in the world, which is generally fatal, and leptospirosis (highly contagious infectious disease that can also affect humans). These vaccinations belong in every vaccination record.
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Tick vaccination for dogs
Lyme disease vaccination for dogs (tick vaccination for dogs), this only contains the vaccine for one of the five possible Lyme disease strains, which is why additional, effective tick protection is still necessary in any case. See also: Ticks in dogs
The vaccinations that the dog owner chooses to have carried out also depend on the age and physical condition of the animal in question and its lifestyle. For example, whether the dog spends a lot of time in areas where ticks are common. The booster vaccination should then take place annually in March, before the tick season.
Vaccination for puppies
When buying a puppy, you should pay attention to which vaccinations are already noted in the vaccination certificate or EU pet passport and which recommended vaccinations still need to be given. You should stick to the recommended vaccination schedule.
Before you start the basic puppy vaccinations for your young dog, you should make sure that the dog is free of parasites (e.g. fleas) inside and out and that it has been dewormed . Of course, the animal must also be healthy, because the weaker a puppy is, the more likely it is to suffer from side effects from the dog vaccination. It is a good idea to have the puppies microchipped at the same time as they are vaccinated for the first time.
Vaccination schedule for dogs
Distemper: 8th week, 12th week, 16th week
Refresher 15th month
Parvovirus: 8th week, 12th week, 16th week
Refresher 15th month
Hcc (Hepatitis): 8th week, 12th week, 16th week
Refresher 15th month
Rabies vaccination: 12th week, 16th week
Refresher 15th month
Leptospirosis: 8th week, 12th week
Refresher 15th month.
After that, repeat vaccinations are necessary. The vaccination plan specified by the veterinarian must be followed exactly to ensure complete vaccination protection.
To vaccinate old dogs or not?
There is agreement in veterinary circles about the importance of basic immunization. However, opinions differ as to whether animals should be vaccinated annually after the first booster vaccination or only every three years.
Many doctors also believe that for very old dogs, such as those aged 12 or 14, who generally suffer from pre-existing conditions such as kidney failure, etc., further vaccinations are no longer very beneficial to their health and often lead to significant side effects.
Unfortunately, the Verisican vaccination for dogs is only valid for one year. However, anyone who wants to travel abroad with their dog will no longer have a valid rabies vaccination after that in accordance with the rabies regulations. That is the legal situation.
From a medical point of view, however, it is assumed that a dog has sufficient protection after multiple rabies vaccinations over several years.
So it would be understandable if a dog owner would only have his senior dog vaccinated against leptospirosis the next time.
possible side effects
As with humans, vaccinations can also cause allergic reactions in dogs and lead to other undesirable reactions. These include:
- fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Swelling of the head
- Vomit
- Shortness of breath
- Pains
If you notice any of these side effects in your pet, you should consult your veterinarian. There may also be a brief swelling at the vaccination site, but this usually disappears after a short time.
Combined vaccination for dogs & costs
For individual vaccinations, such as against rabies, you can expect to pay between 30 and 50 euros, depending on the vet. Combined vaccinations cost between 70 and 150 euros.
With combination vaccinations, the dog is vaccinated against several diseases at the same time, with the 8-fold vaccination, for example, being against eight diseases.
- 3-fold
- 4-way
- 5 times
- 6-way
- 7-fold
- 8-way
Conclusion
The issue of vaccinations has become a religious war in recent years. But it is undisputed that they help. Not just us humans, but also our dogs. If you want to keep your faithful companion healthy and happy, you can't avoid the issue. By the time you go on your first vacation, it will become clear - you can't do without vaccinating your dog!
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