A trainer I admire who has a large social media presence asked her followers about how they manage their adult dogs’ vaccinations against parvovirus: Do they vaccinate once a year, once every three years, never, or titer and then decide?
I’m pretty sure she specified parvovirus to distinguish this vaccination from the only legally mandated vaccine (rabies) and because parvo is a ubiquitous and serious disease, and its vaccination is considered a “core” vaccine—recommended for all dogs, irrespective of lifestyle, unless there is a specific medical reason not to vaccinate.
I’m also sure that she specified vaccines for adult dogs because while there are a variety of puppy vaccination schedules that are more appropriate for puppies in different situations—from a breeding farm similar to a quarantine facility, to a backyard-breeder, to a shelter or rescue—there shouldn’t be any debate whatsoever about the fact that all puppies should receive their core vaccines (distemper, adenovirus, and parvovirus, and perhaps also including parainfluenza). The guidelines published by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), which are followed by most veterinarians, recommends that puppies who are younger than 16 weeks old at the time of their first vaccination receive three doses of a combination shot containing the core vaccines between the ages of 6 and 16 weeks, with doses spaced two to four weeks apart. If the puppy is older than 16 weeks old at the time of his first vaccination, AAHA recommends that two combination core vaccinations, given two to four weeks apart.
AAHA recommends that adult dogs who have received those core puppy shots be revaccinated a year after the last puppy vaccinations, and every three years thereafter. This is a somewhat reduced schedule from decades ago, when most veterinarians would recommend giving all the core vaccines to every adult dog annually (and a few old-timers still do!).
Most people go along with their veterinarians’ recommendations, and most veterinarians follow the AAHA guidelines—but some owners do depart from these guidelines, which is what my trainer friend was trying to investigate.
She has not yet tabulated the results from her posts, but she invited people to comment with details about their vaccination protocols for their dogs and all I can say is, WOW! There is a ton of variation in how people deal with vaccination decisions.
Many dog owners, including myself, are concerned about the potential for adverse health effects from overvaccinating, and we seek to reduce the number of unnecessary vaccinations our dogs receive. In my view, the only responsible way to skip recommended vaccinations is to get a vaccine titer test, which can tell you if the dog has circulating antibodies for the diseases in question. If the test results indicate that the dog does possess circulating antibodies for the diseases tested for, the odds are very good that a “booster” vaccination is not needed.
When I adopted Otto in 2008, he had received 4 combination vaccinations, starting at an estimated 4 to 5 months old, and was about 7 months old. He proved to have moderate seasonal allergies, which was one of the reasons I decided to use titer tests, which I had been reading about (and writing about), to monitor his antibody levels before I made any core-vaccination decisions. (Some veterinarians speculate that dogs who have allergies are more prone to developing adverse reactions to vaccinations.)
I had parvo and distemper antibody titer tests performed for Otto in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2019, and every time, the results showed positive antibody titers, which is indicative of protection from those diseases—which I used as a justification to decline to vaccinate him for those core diseases. (He was never vaccinated for distemper and parvo after his youth in the shelter in 2008, and lived to nearly 16 years old.) He did receive the core rabies vaccinations that are required by law until his very last years (when I declined even those).
(Editor’s note: Many people have mentioned the high cost of using titer tests. I strongly recommend the Companion Animal Vaccines and Immuno-Diagnostic Service (CAVIDS) Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine. They charge just $50 for a distemper/parvo vaccine titer test. You do have to get your veterinarian to draw a blood sample (following the instructions on the CAVIDS Lab webpage) and either ship the sample yourself or ask your vet to ship it. Some vets will draw an extra blood sample during your dog’s regular health exam for a low fee; others ask more. You can mail (via Priority) or ship the sample directly the the lab, and the results will be sent to you and your veterinarian.)
I was fortunate in not having to ever board Otto—many boarding facilities refuse service unless a dog’s vaccines are current within three years—and I didn’t compete with him in any events where vaccines would have been required. However, every time we saw a new veterinarian, I would have to have a discussion with them about why I wasn’t giving him those core vaccines, and showing them all of his titer tests (or agreeing to a new test). Although this was somewhat costly, I felt like I was doing my part to educate his veterinarians about the value of antibody titer tests and why continually revaccinating healthy adult dogs is perhaps not necessary.
I didn’t participate in my trainer friend’s poll or leave a comment, though I will be interested to see the results. I am curious, though, if WDJ’s readers will mirror her followers’ results, or if they would vary. If you’re read this far, please comment!
How often do you vaccinate your adult dog for parvovirus? (Let’s not talk about puppies, rabies, or non-core vaccines in this discussion.)