Vaccinations At The Same Time?

[christinepi]

Tracker is due for both rabies and a booster shot, I believe it's distemper (can't find the vet's postcard with the vaccines due). He's had an adverse reaction in the past when he got, I'm pretty sure (sorry, I know, this is all very vague), 3 vaccines at once. I don't want this to ever happen again. Do members think I should only have him vaccinated for one vaccine at a time and no more, period, or are two ok at the same time? If I should space them apart, how much time should I allow? A week? Two?

[KF_in_Georgia]

I think the most frequent cause of a reaction is the "carrier" for the vaccine, not the vaccine itself. (The carrier is what triggers the dog's body to react to the vaccine and start producing antibodies.) So I do DHLPP in one injection (that's distemper-hepatitis-leptospirosis-parvo-parainfluenza). But I keep it at least two weeks away from the rabies shot (my guys get the 3-year rabies). Actually, I've usually staggered shots by 6 months: everybody went in in March, then in October for the "other". I also do intranasal bordatella every 6 months because my dogs are around a lot of other dogs at meet and greets. (Bordatella vaccine is recommended every 12 months for the injectable version; every 6 months for the intranasal.)

My vet has now suggested moving my boy to 18 months between DHLPP vaccines, rather than 12 months. This might raise eyebrows if I need to get him boarded during that extra 6 months, but otherwise, it should be okay.

 

If you stagger your shots, talk to your vet's office. By law in Georgia, rabies must be administered by a vet; other vaccines may be given by a vet tech, and you might avoid the "office visit" charge on your visit for DHLPP. Also, your vet might advise you to give a benadryl before an appointment to tamp down potential reactions, but make sure you ask first.

[dante2zoe]

According to our vet, the distemper vaccine is now every 3 years. If we were going to stagger vaccines, she recommends them to be 2 weeks apart. However, for her, the second vaccine could just be a scheduled pop in the office and a tech would administer the injection. Typically, I have always spaced out vaccines, but due to some other issues, I actually gave mine their distemper and Lyme vaccines at the same time. However, they received their vaccines at the same time in their previous homes (or at the track prior to be adopted out) and did not have a reaction, so I felt more comfortable with it.

[Hubcitypam]

DHPP is good for three years here.. The Lepto part is annual.

[christinepi]

Thanks, this is helpful!

[MaryJane]

I stagger vaccinations by 4 weeks.

[BatterseaBrindl]

DHPP is good for three years here.. The Lepto part is annual.

Same here.

And Rabies is also good for 3 years.

 

Edited to add that our Vet also staggers our shots..A couple of weeks part

Edited April 6, 2018 by BatterseaBrindl

[racindog]

I ALWAYS stagger vaccinations and only get those I am required by law or the dog's certification agency to get. Luckily most places will accept titer tests now so I just pay the $130 a year for the req'd titer tests to avoid the assault on my dogs' immune system from needless vaccinations. I also will only use the thimerosal free rabies vaccine. Yes I am aware that due to labeling regulations it may still contain some. However, it should also still be significantly less than what is contained in the 'regular' rabies vaccines. As a chemist I just have this "thing" about knowingly having mercury injected into my dog so that is why.