When I send a pup to their forever home the buyer is given a health certificate folder from my vet that indicates when my vet gave first vaccination and what those vaccinations were and when the pup was wormed by me.

They also receive a folder from me with all the health certificates on dam and sire, pedigree and instructions on raising a pup and what vaccinations have been given and the date given, including the dates for follow up vaccinations.

I also write the dates for next vaccinations on the inside cover of this folder.

More than once a buyer of mine has gone to their vet for the 72 hour (from possession of pup) health check and allowed the vet to worm a pup that was just wormed 7 days prior or to give another vaccination when my vet just gave the first vaccination a week prior.

Folks, when purchasing a pup please be sure and take the health certificate from the breeder’s vet to your very first vet appointment and be sure your vet reads it and marks the info in your pups chart.  If your vet wants to re-administer worming or vaccinations that have just been done please, please, refuse this.  Some breeders give their own vaccinations.  Be sure you get this in writing and the labels from the vaccine bottles should be put in your puppy folder to show your vet.

It is for the health of your puppy.  Over vaccinating or over worming can over tax their little system and can cause severe reactions in pups and sometimes disease and death.

If you choose to give Leptospirosis and/or Lyme vaccinations (recommended only if prevalent in your area) please do not do this at the same time as regular vaccinations.  They should be split up by 4 weeks (as should your regular pup vaccinations) and don’t give Lepto and Lyme together either.

Do not allow your vet to give Corona vaccination to your pup.  They are not susceptible to the disease beyond 6 weeks and it can cause a reaction.

The safest way to vaccinate is DA2PP or DHPP at age 8 weeks, 12 and 16.  4-8 weeks later you give a one year rabies.  (do not allow the vet to give rabies at time of regular vaccinations – too much on the system).  A year from last pup vaccination you get a 1 year booster.  Than a year from the 1 year rabies you get a 3 year rabies.

From there it is safest to vaccinate every 3 years (it is no longer recommended to vaccinate every year).  I titer test my dogs at the 3 year mark to see if they have an immunity and if so I do not re-vaccinate.

Here are a couple of great sites for reference.  If your vet wants to vaccinate every year please, please question their reason for that.  A lot of the time it is for the money that they will loose out on if they tell their patience to go to a 3 year protocol.

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/DODDS-CHG-VACC-PROTOCOLS.HTM

Note in Dr. Dodds chart (below link) she says first vaccination at 9 weeks.  A reputable breeder will not send a pup home without first vaccination and most pups go home at 8 weeks (should not be any sooner and is illegal to do so in some states) so the first vaccination would be given at 8 weeks (not 9) and breeder hangs on to pups for a couple of days to be sure there is no reactions to vaccinations before letting them go.  There are breeders that still vaccinate at 6 weeks but it is no longer recommended by most specialists.  Dr. Dodds is world renowned in this field.

http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html

Keep in mind that even though you choose a 3 year vaccination protocol you should still have your vet examine your dog once a year.  And from the age of 7 on you should have full blood work to check all organ function.

Patty

www.snowcolabradors.com