As a dog owner, one of the key factors to ensure your pet’s health is up-to-date vaccination. But did you know that your furry friend’s vaccine needs can slightly change over the course of different life stages – from puppyhood, through adolescence, adulthood, to the senior years? That’s right, maintaining a regular, suitable vaccination routine for your dog depends heavily on its life-stage.
Let’s delve into how vaccinations adapt to your dog’s life stages.
In the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed puppy stage, when they are typically weaned from the mother, their immunity from maternal antibodies begins to wane. At this time, your pup is more susceptible to harmful viruses and bacteria. Therefore, the initial stages of vaccination normally begin at six to eight weeks and continue until they reach 16 weeks.
During adolescence and adulthood, the requirement for vaccinations ramps down. Not every vaccine is required annually, with some administered every three years or so. Core vaccines include distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis and rabies. Non-core vaccines, usually administered based on the dog’s lifestyle and environmental factors, could include those for kennel cough, lyme disease, or leptospirosis.
Once your pet enters the senior phase, vaccinations continue to play an important role, just as in human senior health. Specific vaccines may be recommended based on a vet’s evaluation of your pet’s immune status and overall health condition.
Remember, each pet is unique in its disease exposure and immune status. Therefore, vaccination programs must be customised not just on the life stage, but also individual lifestyle and health condition. It’s always best to consult with your vet to obtain the most suitable vaccination schedule for your best friend at any life stage. A healthy pet is a happy pet, after all.
