Puppy Shots - An Owners' Guide

Puppy shots are an important part of routine puppy care.

Un-vaccinated puppies are vulnerable to all sorts of infections and diseases, some of them serious and often fatal.

Use these links to jump directly to the information you're looking for, or simply scroll down to learn everything you need to know about puppy shots:

• What shots does my puppy need?
• When do puppies get their shots?
• How much do puppy vaccinations cost?
• Over-vaccination concerns?
• Allergic reactions to puppy shots
• Vaccinating adult dogs

What Shots Does My Puppy Need?

According to the AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines there are four CORE vaccines that all puppies need:

There are no 'cures' for the diseases these core vaccines protect against.

If you're worried that the vaccinations will hurt your pup, don't be. The discomfort is minimal and most puppies barely notice the needle. 

However, adverse reactions to puppy vaccinations can, and do, happen. 

Some breeds are more at risk of side effects.

Small breeds given multiple vaccinations at the same time are most at risk.

It's important to be aware of the signs of a reaction.

When Do Puppies Get Their Shots?

This is the recommended timeline for puppy vaccinations.

Puppies normally get their first shots around 8 weeks old, but they can be given earlier if needed (ie with stray, abandoned pups or those who were formula fed).

Three sets of combination vaccinations are usually given at 3 week intervals.

The most common combination is a 3-in-1 shot for Distemper, Parvo,  Adenovirus.

Sometimes a 4-in-1 is given to include Parainfluenza.

• 8 weeks - first round
• 11 weeks - second round
• 14 weeks - third round
• 16 weeks - Rabies vaccination 

The Timing of Puppy Shots is Important

Very young puppies have a certain amount of natural immunity that they get from their mothers milk, but that begins to diminish somewhere between 5 and 8 weeks of age.

If a puppy is vaccinated while he still has a significant level of maternal antibodies in his bloodstream, the vaccine won't be effective.

Some studies have indicated that at 6 weeks old only 25% of puppies vaccinated respond to a vaccine by producing antibodies.

By 18 weeks that figure has risen to 95%.

Non-Core Vaccinations For Puppies

All puppies need to have the core shots to protect them from the most common dog illnesses.

But there are also other diseases/conditions that some pups may be at risk of catching.

There are also combination vaccines which contain the core vaccines and some of the optional ones.

These include:

• The 5-in-1 puppy vaccine which also includes protection against Leptospirosis and Canine Parainfluenza.
  
  
• The 7-in-1 puppy vaccine  which gives additional protection against other strains of Adenovirus (CAV-1 which affects the liver) and Leptopsirosis.

Although these combo-shots are given very routinely, research is begining to indicate that giving several vaccines as a combined shot may lead to a higher risk of allergic reactions and other side effects.

If you're concerned about any of this discuss it with your veterinarian.

You can ask for some vaccinations to be given singly (if your vet has/can get) these.

After the first set of shots you can also ask for your pup's blood titers to be checked before you give him any subsequent ones.

How Much Do Puppy Vaccinations Cost?

Veterinary care is fairly expensive, even for routine things like vaccinations and preventative - BUT it is absolutely essential if you want your puppy to survive and to live a happy and healthy life.

Getting Fidos' puppy shots taken care of is going to be one of the first puppy-parenting health-care responsibilities that you face, so it's understandable that you'd like to know how much they are going to cost.

Unfortunately there's no 'one-size-fits-all' answer to this question because a lot depends on where you live, your own veterinarians' protocol, your income and so on.

All regular veterinary clinics offer vaccinations, and there are low-cost vaccination clinics (including the SPCA & VetCo which are found in PetCo stores) in many towns and cities. 

Some vets (eg. Banfield clinics which are found in Petsmart stores) offer annual programs and package deals for vaccinations and other routine procedures.

Although I can't give you an exact figure for how much your puppy vaccinations cost, I can give you some ballpark figures to work with based on costs in my area (rural central USA).....

Estimated Cost Of Puppy Vaccinations & Vet Checks

Individual veterinary clinics charges vary considerably, but in most cases you will be paying for an office visit, a combination vaccine, bordatella and a routine deworming.

• Average costs for a the combo vaccine and additional non-core vaccines range between $20 and $40 per shot, per administration.
  
  
• Vet visits (often mandatory for shots) can cost anywhere from $30 to $60+
  
  
• Rabies vaccinations are usually between $15 and $30 but can be more.

Over-Vaccination Concerns?

Vaccination, or over-vaccination, is a hot topic these days. Both for people and animals."

Sooner... or later?

Some veterinarians prefer to start vaccinations a little later at 9 or 10 weeks due to concerns about the effectiveness of vaccines when given too early and the possible side effects.

As your puppy is very vulnerable to disease until he's been fully vaccinated, the only problem with this 'late start' is that you will need to keep him well clear of any strange dogs or outdoor/indoor areas where other dogs may have been for longer.

If you're concerned about over-vaccinating your puppy, talk to your veterinarian as there is another option, and that option is to run blood titers before vaccinating....

Titers & Vaccinations

After Fido has had his first set of puppy shots, you can ask your vet to check the titers in his bloodstream before he gets any more vaccinations.

Titers are a measurement of the antibodies to disease which exist in your pup's bloodstream.

After being vaccinated, it takes about 10 days for the antibodies to show up in tests.

To find out whether or not your puppy's vaccinations have boosted his immunity to a particular disease, or diseases, you can have your vet run a blood test for those specific antibodies about 2 weeks after he's been vaccinated.

If the titer level is high enough to confirm immunity, then your pup is unlikely to need to be re-vaccinated.

Generally once your puppy has had three sets of the combination puppy shots, plus the Rabies shot, he will be well protected.

Protection isn't immediate though, and I would recommend waiting at least a week after your pup has received his final set of puppy shots before venturing out into public areas.

There are however no guarantees and even after three sets of combination vaccines occasionally puppies still get sick.

So always be careful to avoid dogs who might appear sick, or areas where stray dogs might roam.

Moderate Reactions

Symptoms of a moderate allergic reaction to puppy immunizations usually involves

• Swelling and/or hives
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abscess or hair loss at injection site
• Changes in behavior
• Joint problems

Swelling is often especially noticeable around the mouth, eyes, face and neck, although welts can appear anywhere on your puppy's body. 

This kind or reaction usually occurs within a few hours of the vaccination.

It can progress and become severe, so if you notice any swelling or hives appearing on your pup, take him back to the veterinarian's office right away.

As an interim measure you can give your little guy/gal some Benadryl to help reduce this swelling - but do check this with your vet first. 

Veterinary treatment for this type of reaction may also include steroids and other anti-histamines.

Some of the other side effects can cause serious problems or lead to chronic health issues, so if your pup has any of these contact your veterinarian for advice. 

Severe Reactions

The most serious allergic reaction to puppy shots is

• Anaphylaxis

This is life-threatening and usually strikes within minutes of the vaccine being given. 

You might first notice vomiting/diarrhea and a loss of balance.

Anaphylaxis causes a sudden drop in your puppy's blood pressure, and generalized swelling which can result in breathing difficulties, seizures and even death. 

It's an emergency situation and if you have already left the veterinarian's office you need to get your pup back there immediately.

He/she may need oxygen, IV fluids or other medical intervention, so don't waste any time. 

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Luckily moderate to severe allergic reactions to puppy shots are pretty rare and are generally much less of a danger to your puppy than the diseases they prevent. 

IMPORTANT: If your puppy does have a bad reaction to his shots, it's important to remind your veterinarian about that at his next vaccination appointment.

Some vets may want to give a puppy like this an antihistamine before giving the shots, and/or to monitor him for a while afterwards... just to be safe.

It's also possible that your vet will recommend giving the vaccines separately rather than as a 'combo' vaccine to reduce the risks of a reaction.

There seems to be a higher incidence of a severe allergic reaction, such as anaphylaxis, to the vaccines for Rabies, Parvo and Leptosirosis.

These are all 'killed vaccines' (ie they don't contain live strains of the disease they are protecting against. 

At first this seems counter-intuitive, surely if the strain isn't live it isn't as strong, right? WRONG.

Killed vaccines contain higher concentrations of the virus in each dose than live vaccines do. Killed vaccines also contain additional added ingredients (designed to enhance the immune system response) which live vaccines do not.

There are some dog breeds that are more likely to suffer an allergic reaction to vaccinations, these include (but aren't limited to).....

Dogs who are mostly white in color, or have 'diluted' coat colors (such as blue or fawn, or blue-fawn) and merle or black/white color combinations seem to be more at risk.

So, the bottom line is that you need to watch your puppy closely for the first day or so after he's had his puppy shots.

Any major reaction is most likely to occur within 24 hours (often much sooner).

An allergic reaction of any sort is unlikely to happen after the first shot though, it's subsequent ones that you should pay particular attention to.

Although it's necessary to be aware of what could happen, don't panic about this! Thousands of puppies are vaccinated every day with no ill-effects, or only a very mild reaction.

The risks you run if you don't vaccinate your pup are much higher, so protecting your puppy is way too important to be forgotten or avoided.

Vaccinations For Adult Dogs

Adult dogs must by law receive dog 'booster' vaccinations for Rabies.

There is also a booster recommendation for the other CORE vaccines.

If you prefer not to vaccinate without knowing whether or not your dog NEEDS another shot,  your vet can check the antibody 'titers' (basically the level of antibodies in your dog's bloodstream to any particular disease) and vaccinate only if they are too low.

This can help to prevent over-vaccinating your dog, which may lead to auto-immune problems and other illnesses. BUT these tests do cost extra money.

Current AAHA guidelines recommend booster shots be given every three years (rather than annually as it has been in the past).

However, these are only guidelines and many vets continue to want to vaccinate annually.

If you've adopted an older pup or adult dog and don't know their puppy shots history, then the minimum vaccinations you'll need to get them are against Distemper, Parvo and Hepatitis - and of course, Rabies.

He/she will need two rounds of these vaccines, given 3 weeks apart.

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