Adopted a New Dog? A Vet Shares the Best Puppy Vaccine Schedule
"I have adopted a one-year-old Tibetan Terrier female without records, except that the last owner says she's had no rabies shot, and also that in the recent past, she once had her on anti-giardia meds, so she must have been symptomatic or tested positive. What blood tests and in what order do you recommend I do, blood and then vaccinations? Vaccines one at a time? That is, as a new adoptive parent, where do I start? Thanks." - Nancy
How Should I Vaccinate My Newly-Adopted Adult Dog?
If you really want to find out if your dog has antibodies to contagious diseases, you can have serology done and find out if she has been vaccinated in the past and is protected against those diseases. A negative test is not a guarantee that she has not been vaccinated, though. The cost of the blood tests is also significant, and the cost of the vaccine is very little.
Unless your dog is immunocompromised or has a health issue that makes her more likely to have an adverse vaccination reaction, there is no benefit to the serum testing.
Adverse vaccination reactions are quite rare and usually only seen in French Bulldogs, Dachshunds, and very tiny dogs. Tibetan Terriers are not a problem.
If this were one of my patients, I would recommend that the puppy get boosters (or the first vaccine) right away. According to the standards used worldwide, dogs who are presented without a history of any vaccine should receive the core vaccines (distemper, parvo, and adenovirus) immediately and a booster of the core vaccines in about two weeks (1).
That two-week booster is not necessary if it is a modified live virus, but it will not cause a problem, so if you can afford a second visit, definitely get her the booster.
Core Vaccines
The core vaccines are the basics that protect your dog from the most dangerous viruses and include:
Distemper: This is a potentially fatal viral disease that affects breathing, the gut, and even causes neurological symptoms. It is rare, thanks to vaccination, but your dog could be exposed at some point in the future and should be vaccinated for this disease.
Parvovirus: This is another potentially fatal viral disease and is relatively common. It spreads easily, and although it is usually found in puppies, older dogs that are not vaccinated for this disease can also die. It will cause severe bloody diarrhea and vomiting and, in some puppies, will even lead to myocarditis (a heart disease).
Adenovirus: This virus causes hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that will show up as bleeding, coughing, a painful abdomen, and eventually death. It also causes a respiratory disease known as infectious tracheobronchitis, a disease called “hepatitis blue eye” where the cornea becomes filled with liquid, and a neurological disease that can show up as seizures and coma. This disease is rare in dogs that have been vaccinated, but it can survive for months on many surfaces and should definitely be vaccinated against.
Photo by Amornrat Phuchom
Optional Vaccines
She can also be vaccinated for rabies on one of those visits if you live in an area where rabies is present. (Since more vaccine reactions are seen when several vaccines are given at a time, you can delay this for a week or two, but reactions are so rare that this is unlikely to be a problem.)
Some of the optional vaccines you can get at that time include:
Influenza: This is a respiratory disease that is mild in most dogs and only serious when the dog has a problem with her immune system. It is included in many of the combination vaccines.
Bordetella: A disease that causes a mild cough. It is usually required if you plan on boarding your dog when on vacation or sending her to doggy daycare, but it is not required if she is going to be home all the time.
Leptospirosis: This infection is not seen in all areas, but if your dog is outside and around water, she should be vaccinated. Be sure to ask your veterinarian if it is a problem in your area. This vaccine can cause problems, so if the disease is not present in your area, you should avoid it.
Lyme disease: This vaccination is only recommended if you live or travel to an area where this disease is present. It is one of the vaccinations known to cause vaccine reactions.
You also asked if you should give your dogs vaccines separately. She will only be receiving one vaccine at that time unless you choose to give her one of the optional vaccines.
You should also take in a stool sample so that she can be checked for worms and ask that your dog be tested for heartworm disease at this time. Heartworm is a type of internal parasite that lives in the heart and lungs and will cause her to die from congestive heart failure. It is spread by mosquitoes, so it's present almost everywhere. Even if she does not have any clinical signs at this time, she should be tested and put on preventative.
New puppies are usually put on preventative for heartworm disease when they go in for their vaccines. If your dog was not vaccinated, then she should definitely be tested and then kept on preventative year-round if you live in an area with mosquitoes.
If she does end up being positive for heartworms but does not yet have any symptoms, there is a much less expensive treatment procedure known as slow kill. If you need this information and you have any questions, please let us know.
Just because your dog was on medication for giardia, you should not assume she had that disease. Sometimes, those antibiotics are given in cases where a dog has diarrhea and nothing is found on the examination. If your dog has bouts of loose stool, you should give her a probiotic, as her microbiome may have been altered by those medications, but as you did not mention it, hopefully that is not the case.
Good luck with your new family member!
Source
Day MJ, Horzinek MC, Schultz RD, Squires RA; Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). WSAVA Guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats. J Small Anim Pract. 2016 Jan;57(1):E1-E45. doi: 10.1111/jsap.2_12431. PMID: 26780857; PMCID: PMC7166872. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7166872/
