How many shots?

Question
How many shots does my dog get a yesr? Do they get the shots every 6 months or once a month?

Answer
Hi Desiree!
You've asked a very timely question, as the annual vaccine schedule for dogs is being reconsidered by many veterinarians.

If you have a very young puppy, there are several shots it should get. These puppy shots are also called five in one or DHLP-P vaccinations because they are a combination vaccine that will immunize against five very common but potentially deadly diseases. After the puppy has had it's first shots and the boosters, then it will not need to be inoculated again for another year, with the exception of the Rabies vaccine, which sometimes is given every 3 years (depending on the kind given).

This is where the big debate in vaccine schedule is taking place. You see, just like you, after a dog has been vaccinated it produces antibodies which protect it from the disease which it was inoculated against.
Though almost everywhere it is the law that your dog must receive Rabies vaccines, the other commonly given vaccines may not be totally necessary on an annual basis.

There is a lot of credible research that says over vaccination can many serious conditions, ranging from kidney disease, immune system problems and cancer. The key to not over inoculating is to test if the dog has the antibodies to protect them from disease. The unfortunate thing is, the test (called a Titer Test) can cost as much as three times the cost of the vaccine, and should the test come back saying that your dog does not have the antibodies, then you'll have to pay the cost of the vaccine on top of the Titer Test fee.

So you need to search your soul, and your pocketbook to decide which way you should go with your dog's annual vaccines.
I recommend that you learn more about vaccines in order to decide with your Vet what's best for your dog. Ask your Vet about Titers, which are tests that can be used to monitor levels of antibodies remaining in your dog. If your dog shows adequate titers, there should be no reason to vaccinate.

You can read more about this issue here:
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/vacci01.html

I hope this answers your question!
Nicole.D.