Effects On Puppies

The combination of multiple vaccinations and parasite preventatives is an aggressive and possible unnecessary method of treatment which can be quite an overload for a puppy's immature immune system. It is our belief that, at the very most, puppies should receive single-dose vaccines (no combo shots) containing the serum for ONE disease at a time. Our main concern is parvovirus and distemper.

Ideally, vaccines should be administered once after the age of 12 weeks with the second vaccine, for the second disease two to three weeks later. If a puppy is given a vaccine prior to the age of 12 weeks, then it probably needs to be repeated a few weeks later. This is because mom provides lingering antibodies , which will interfere with the puppy's ability to produce the desired antibodies. We encourage you to keep your puppy away from high traffic dog areas until at least the age of 12 weeks, vaccinated or not.

So How Do I Know What My Dog Needs?
Our answer is self-education and titers. A titer is a blood test, which will report the level of antibodies still present in the dog for a specific disease. Approximately one year after the puppy's final vaccination, we suggest testing the dog's titer for specific diseases. If they are still protected, then further vaccination is unnecessary. If they require a booster, then a single dose vaccine is preferred.



We do not proclaim to be health experts or veterinarians. We suggest that you do your research and decide whether a limited vaccination lifestyle makes sense for your pet.