Synapsis of What We Do

Dogs

– Spring- We give a five way shot and a bordetella nasal spray every year from valleyvetsupply.com (you can get every vaccine from there except rabies) and

Every 3 years, a vet administered rabies shot from Petsmart

Horses

– Spring 4 way EWT-WN (Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, Tetanus, West Nile Virus) and Flu/rhino.   Vet will need to come and give rabies and do teeth floating.

-Fall they get flu-rhino (influenza and Equine Herpesvirus 1/4) and strangles (a/k/a strepvax) vaccine

-Deworm at least every spring and fall with Equimax for older horses and Quest+ for the others for deworming twice a year which we do spring and fall.  We use some ivermectin in June and December when conditions warrant, such as when they are frequently in small paddocks for polo.

Discussion

For the last ten years we have vaccinated our own kennel of canines using a five way shot and a bordetella nasal spray from Jeffers or Valley Vet, prices are less than $15 per dog as of 2021.

Our vet says we over vaccinate animals so she was recommending every three years.  We do this annually, if have to show evidence of current vaccinations for boarding of the dogs, otherwise every three years, per our veterinarian.  Obviously, rabies has to be done every three years by your veterinarian, so we use Tractor Supply or PetCo, which has a cheap clinic one day a week, for about $15 per dog.  However, after our breeder friend who had pups die from Lepto, we have been following the annual regime, as we hunt a lot of different places and we don’t want to take any risks with under-vaccinating.  We have tried the rattlesnake and giardia vaccines in the past for our pooches as well, but our vet doesn’t believe that they work, either in from seeing the results in his practice or in the research studies, so we stopped doing them when he did.

We do the dogs in the spring each year, now using April 15 for the deadline, along with doing our horses.  The fall shots for the horses requires rabies, so we have the vet do this shot for rabies together with their teeth floating and sheath cleaning for the geldings, using Golden Animal Clinic, which offers the far more inexpensive hand floating, which we think is still better and doesn’t require sedation.   In the spring we have the vet come do teeth floats and a rabies shot.  We give them a 4 way EWT-WN (Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, Tetanus, West Nile Virus) and Flu/rhino.  In the fall they get flu-rhino (influenza and Equine Herpesvirus 1/4).  We have started adding an annual strangles vaccine to our equine vaccinations as well.  Our vets recommend Equimax for older horses and Quest+ for the others for deworming twice a year which we do spring and fall.  We use some ivermectin in June and December when conditions warrant as they are frequently in small paddocks for polo.

You should only attempt DIY vaccinations, if you are trained in administering the relatively simple under the skin (subcutaneous) shots in dogs or IM shots in horses.  Adapted from my Bird Dog Doc’s recommendations (always consult with your veterinarian before selecting a vaccination schedule).  This article is editorial in nature, and is not intended as veterinary advice. Readers should seek professional veterinary advice for any health decisions involving their pets.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Puppy Vaccination Schedule at a Glance

The following is an example of a vaccination schedule that could be a good starting point for many dogs, although you should work with your veterinarian to establish something more specific to your pup’s needs. Keep in mind that other vaccines (e.g., canine influenza or rattlesnake venom) may be recommended for some individuals.

____________________________________________________________________________________

ADULT CANINES    Annual combination vaccine*

Bordetella and parainfluenza: For complete canine cough protection, we recommend Intra-Trac III ADT. For dogs that are shown, in field trials, or are boarded, we recommend vaccination every six to twelve months (veterinarians and/or boarding kennels disagree with the intervals, check locally) with Intra-Trac III ADT.

Rabies: Given by your local veterinarian (time interval between vaccinations may vary according to local law, in Colorado it’s every 3 years).

____________________________________________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR VACCINATING THE ADULT DOG

Leptospirosis: include leptospirosis in the combination vaccine where leptospirosis is a concern, or if traveling to an area where it occurs.

Lyme: where Lyme disease is a concern or if traveling to an area where it occurs.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Recommendations vary depending on the age, breed, and health status of the dog, the potential of the dog to be exposed to the disease, the type of vaccine, whether the dog is used for breeding, and the geographical area where the dog lives or may visit.

*A combination vaccine, often called a 5-way vaccine, usually includes adenovirus cough and hepatitis, canine distemper, parainfluenza, and parvovirus. Some combination vaccines may also include leptospirosis (7-way vaccines) and/or coronavirus. The inclusion of either canine adenovirus-1 or adenovirus-2 in a vaccine will protect against both adenovirus cough and hepatitis; adenovirus-2 is highly preferred.

**Some puppies may need additional vaccinations against parvovirus after 15 weeks of age. Consult with your local veterinarian.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

What we do is order and administer this annually from Valley Vet Supply and then arrange a rabies shot every three years administered from our veterinarian: