Vaccines trigger protective immune responses in pets and prepare them to fight future infections from disease-causing agents. Vaccines can lessen the severity of future diseases and certain vaccines can prevent infection altogether. Pets should be vaccinated to protect them from many highly contagious and deadly diseases. Even though some formerly common diseases have now become uncommon, vaccination is still highly recommended because these serious disease agents continue to be present in the environment. In the city of Toronto, it is required by law that all dogs and cats be regularly vaccinated against rabies.
If you’ve welcomed a new puppy into your family, it is important to fully vaccinate your puppy to help provide immunity against diseases and infectious organisms. For their first few weeks of life, they have some protective immunity they received from their mother. However, as they grow, this immunity decreases and they will need vaccines to maintain their protection. Vaccines are given at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age.
What types of vaccinations do you offer for puppies and dogs?
Coxwell Animal Clinic offers combination vaccines such as:
- DHPP-L: helps protect against distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza along with leptospirosis. Leptospirosis and DHPP are also offered as single vaccines.
- Rabies
- Bordetella: helps protect against kennel cough
- Lyme (recommended for animals in high-risk areas)
Is there a schedule for how often to vaccinate a dog?
Puppies normally receive 3 sets of vaccines at the ages of 8, 12, and 16 weeks. It is recommended to receive their DHPP vaccine at 8 weeks of age and then this is boostered every 4 weeks, until 16 weeks of age. Depending on your pet and their lifestyle, the Bordetella vaccine and Leptospirosis vaccine may also be included. At their final set of vaccines at 16 weeks of age, the rabies vaccine will be included.
For an adult dog, it is recommended to vaccinate for Leptospirosis, Lyme and Bordetella yearly and DHPP and rabies every three years.
Why is it important to vaccinate your dog?
Vaccines help prevent debilitating and deadly diseases in dogs, which can be contracted by many wild animals that live in our cities such as raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats.
How should I prepare my puppy for its first vaccination visit?
We recommend you bring all important documents pertaining to your puppy to your first appointment. This will provide the veterinarian with an up to date history of breeding, parasite control, and possible vaccines.
How much do dog vaccinations cost?
Discussing the vaccines with your veterinarian will help determine what vaccines your dog needs and the frequency of administration. The cost will depend on which vaccines are required and if any parasite control will be recommended. Our staff would be happy to provide you with this cost over the phone or in the clinic.
