What Dog Vaccinations Does Your Dog Need?
What dog vaccinations your dog needs depends on you and your pet’s situation. The most important vaccinations that dogs need are, in order of importance:
Rabies
DHPP
Leptospirosis
Bordetella
These 4 dog vaccinations are the ones we recommend that dogs get every year. At our vax clinics, the full package is only $59! However, Texas only requires the Rabies vaccination by law.
Do you have a puppy? Check out our page on what vaccinations puppies need!
Rabies ($10)
This vaccination is required either annually or tri-annually in Texas depending on the county you’re in and the type of rabies vaccine used.
Texas rabies law requires that all dogs be vaccinated by 4 months of age (which we provide with our puppy packages), and stay vaccinated with either the 1-year or 3-year vaccination. Texas law also requires that the first Rabies vaccination given is a one-year (following vaccinations can be three-year, depending on the county laws).
Obviously, that makes this one pretty important to vaccinate against, especially since failure to keep your pet up to date can lead to local officials impounding your dog, along with hefty fees.
All other dog vaccinations aren’t mandatory, but we highly recommend them to keep your pet safe.
Rabies in the News in DFW!
Rabies was recently diagnosed in DFW in Cleburne county. In May of 2018, a puppy from the Cleburne animal shelter was diagnosed with the deadly disease. We highly recommend vaccinating your puppy by 4 months (they must be at least 3 months to receive the vaccination). Until they get the vaccination, avoid other animals or strange dogs.
DHPP Vaccination ($28)
The second most important vaccination that we recommend is the DHPP vaccination. This is also known as the DA2P vaccination, or Distemper/Parvo vaccine. It’s a vaccination that covers a combination of diseases:
Distemper
Hepatitis
Parvovirus
Parainfluenza
Distemper and parvovirus, also known as parvo, are the two most important diseases that this vaccination covers. They’re still fairly common, especially in largely unvaccinated areas, and outbreaks are not at all unusual.
Both distemper and parvo are deadly, and even if caught in time, require hospitalization and large medical bills.
To give you an idea of how common parvo is, outbreaks have recently occurred in Lubbock, Amarillo, Polk County, Odessa, and many other locations across Texas, Oklahoma, and other states.
Distemper is spread by local wildlife. Dog’s chances of survival depend on the strain of the virus and your dog’s immune system, with older and younger dogs most likely to die from the disease. It’s not as common as parvo, but there have been recent outbreaks in Mesquite, TX, Henderson County and across states such as Ohio and California.
Until your dog has the DHPP vaccination, avoid public or grassy areas! Dogs can catch parvovirus from contaminated soil or from other dogs. In fact, parvo can stay in the ground anywhere from 6 months to over one year after exposure!
Distemper and parvo are the biggest threats to puppies, who don’t have the strength or immune system to survive the disease. Dogs who are around a lot of other dogs, are outside in grassy areas, who frequent dog parks, or frequent areas where dogs have been are also high-risk.
Certain dog breeds such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Pit bulls, and others are more at risk for Parvo than other breeds.
Leptospirosis ($20)
Leptospirosis (also known as lepto) shows up less often than distemper or parvo, but recently we’re seeing far more cases. In our Irving vet clinic, we have seen multiple cases of Leptospirosis, that have resulted in patient death or serious injury. Even worse, humans can get lepto from their dogs.
Lepto is another deadly disease that dogs can come in contact with through contaminated water or infected animals. We particularly recommend vaccinating your dog against Leptospirosis, since humans can catch lepto as well.
Lepto is zoonotic, meaning any mammal can catch the disease. In Texas and Oklahoma, frequently rats, mice, squirrels, raccoons, bats, foxes, and other local wildlife spread the disease.
We highly recommend vaccinating against leptospirosis, especially if you have young children. Dogs are at risk if they’re in areas with:
Standing water
Wildlife
Other dogs
Previous lepto outbreaks/history
Dogs are at a higher risk if they have a habit of licking from puddles, chasing wildlife, or playing in water.
Recent outbreaks have occurred in Houston, Plano, and The Valley, Arizona.
Bordetella ($18)
Bordetella is the most common out of the diseases we recommend vaccinating against, but also the least dangerous.
Also known as kennel cough, Bordetella causes flu or cold-like symptoms. Dogs usually get a hacking cough and a snotty nose from the disease.
Puppies and dogs with underlying health issues could become severely ill, but in most cases bordetella is not life-threatening.
Most groomers and boarders require the bordetella vaccination. The disease is incredibly contagious, and can be transmitted through the air or direct contact.
More Pet Health Information:
Have questions? Call us at 817-282-1000 or contact us here.