Vaccination for puppies

[bedlingtongirl]

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Hi. I have just taken our new lurcher pup for his 1st jab. Just curious to know what the true reason is for not being able to take pup out until the jabs have been completed. Our vet said to come back in 2 weeks for the 2nd jab but i cant take the pup out until a week AFTER that jab. This isnt our 1st pup, we have two other dogs and were given different instructions with each one. Is the reason due to what vaccine is used? I have been told that its not the pup that is at risk, but other dogs that he may come into contact with who havent been vaccinated due to him being injected with a live vaccine. Any views?

 

[KateandSam]

The vaccination issues are a real minefield ,and one where Vets do offer confliciting advice which isnt helpful to us owners !

My own view is that the pup is born with some degree of immunity to disease passed on by the Mother, but this diminishes which is why the puppy vacs are important . Pups allowed out and about unvaccinated are at grave risk of contracting truly horrendous diseases like Parvo . The second vacs are a top up , to ensure that the pup has full immunity and my own Vet now says that he is happy for pups to go out into the big wide world as soon as the second ones are administered , which is what I have always done , have never waited for another week but this is my choice based on my Vets advice and I would never ever try to influence anyone if they felt uncomfortable about this .

Boosters at 12 months of age are adviseable but many Vets, mine included , are now saying that once the 12 month one is given , every three years is the order of the day apart from the Lepto vaccination which does not last, that should still be given annually . Complicated isnt it ?

 

[bedlingtongirl]

tell me about it!! We went to a different vet for our other lurcher (a racing greyhound vet) who said it was fine to go out straight after the 2nd jab. I have never been told before to wait another week. Seems a bit extreme to me especially as this is the time when pups are supposed to start being socialised. Our pup will be 13 weeks old before he can go out. We were told to wait a week from collecting him from the breeder before he could go for his 1st jab, even though he was 9 weeks old when we picked him up. I have heard of some vets vaccinating at 6 weeks old. Like you said, a minefield.

 

[Rosie33]

Like Kate, I've always taken my pups out as soon as they've had the second jab.

I have always had Rosie boosted every year, but this time, I haven't. There is a growing amount of evidence that we are over vaccinating our dogs.

However, this was purely my choice and I would never try to tell anyone else not to boost their dogs. x

 

[murphyrules]

It is a difficult situation to be in, vets tell you to keep the pup in a week after its 2nd vaccine as that is the recommendation from the drug manufacturers, basically if your dog goes out and picks up distemper or parvo and you havent followed the given advice you wouldnt have a leg to stand on with regards to complaining about the vaccine being ineffective.

I agree with you Rosie that we as a country do over vaccinate our dogs, the only reason I do mine annually is incase I have to put them in to kennels at short notice if something unexpected came up.

I would follow the vets advice just in case something happens (my glass is always half empty i'm afraid)

Good luck with your lovely new pup.

 

[whippetsrus]

I've always had to keep mine in for two weeks aftereir second jab. Living near lots of open water I have always been advised two weeks so that the Lepto has kicked in.

 

[bedlingtongirl]

Thanks for all the advice, its gratefully received. Thought i would post a pic of the little devil that generated this post. (hope this works!)

 

[Willow1990]

I have a new pup, he si 8 weeks old and has had his Parvo jab but no others. He is due to have another jab on Sunday - am i allowed to take him out before sunday and let him in my mums garden (a cat lives there) and to my boyfriends parent (their dog died last year no other dogs their now)? Hlpe - this is my first ever pub. He is a beagle and very energetic and feel i want to let him explore the garden (under great supervision) but dont want to harm him?

 

[eingana]

The reason for the 2 weeks after the second jab is that you want the pup to have generated as much immunity as possible before walking on ground which could have Parvo or distemper on it from other dogs and the immunisation itself is not what protects your pup. What protects them is the immune reaction from your pup which comes about as a result of the immunisation, and that takes some days afterwards.

The immunity takes the form of memory T lymphocytes which are produced after (note, AFTER) an infection has been encountered and successfully dealt with by the immune system. The first vaccination is 'the infection' and the second stimulates the memory cells to be produced in large numbers circulating in the blood. It is only after the these have been produced that the animal has immunity as the memory cells instruct the fast production of antibodies when later challenges have been met.

This is the same reason why humans have 2 doses of many vaccinations with a minimum time delay before going on holiday. There is little point in having your vaccinations finishing the day before you go if you could meet the Hepatitis/Yellow Fever/whatever as soon as you arrive.

I would think that the vets are careful with allowing time to happen before exposure because for an awful lot of puppies who are not in families with older dogs that could be bringing viruses home on their fur with their walk every day, there is no real need to begin exposure to the risks until you have allowed the vaccines to work properly and any vets who don't understand that the time delay is important really haven't studied enough immunology to be applying the correct procedures.