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Vaccines are produced from weak, or even dead, viruses and bacteria. The aim is to stimulate the immune system to make antibodies that will combat them, so that in the future, when one of these viruses enters the dog's body, he'll be able to fight it off.
Before any vaccines are administered it's crucial to make sure your dog is in good health. In fact, your vet will suggest de-worming and offer a check-up. Why? Because if his immune system is working on another problem, he'll have a hard time assimilating the vaccine.
There are two types of vaccination for dogs:
These protect against diseases that are either very serious, or very frequent such as:
These are not obligatory everywhere, but may be recommended depending on where you live. These are the most common:
Now that you’re familiar with the core vaccines, let’s take a look at this schedule so that you can protect your four-legged friend:
With regard to adult dogs, there was an important change in 2016. Whereas previously the recommendation had been to re-vaccinate your dog each year, it was shown that the antibodies for many vaccines are effective for a period of three years. For this reason WSAVA (the World Small Animal Veterinary Association) suggests that core vaccines should be re-administered every three years.
So, as we’ve seen, there may be different rules in different places, but the core vaccines are obligatory for all dogs. For other vaccines, it’s a question of where you live, and the specific conditions where your dog lives. To make sure that you don’t miss any of them, talk to your vet and s/he’ll help you to make a specific vaccination plan for your particular dog.