After my beloved dog Sampson was diagnosed with cancer several years ago, I began to question a lot of things related to this and other possible illnesses. I started carefully looking at food labels, researching and questioning everything that was part of his environment and doing my best to strengthen his immune system.

One area where I found I had a choice was in the number of vaccines he was given. Few issues in veterinary medicine are as controversial as the debate about administering annual vaccinations to our dogs. As pet owners, we understand the advice about nutrition and exercise, but maybe not so much about vaccinations.

Why are many vaccinations needed only every three years now instead of annually? Several years ago the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), which promotes the highest standards in veterinary care, established new canine vaccine guidelines for veterinarians.

The organization advises pet owners to make sure that dogs complete the initial series of core vaccines administered at the puppy stage, as well as booster shots at one year of age. Following these one-year boosters, guidelines recommend that distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus core vaccines be administered once every three years. States and municipalities govern how often rabies boosters are administered. Non-core vaccinations should be administered whenever the risk of the disease is significant enough to override any risk of vaccination. For example, kennel cough vaccine might have to be administered up to every six months in a dog that is repeatedly kenneled or exposed to groups of dogs at grooming salons or dog shows. The vaccine guidelines reflect growing support for extended duration of protection. Thus more veterinarians are vaccinating less frequently and more selectively, and have changed vaccination protocols to the three-year interval. Occasionally they may recommend a shorter interval, due to risk factors for specific animals.

An alternative to vaccinations is “titering.” Taking blood for an annual titer test, to check a dog’s level of antibodies and test its specific immune defenses, can replace the habit of vaccinating dogs annually whether they need it or not. When testing vaccine titers in dogs, a veterinarian takes a blood sample and has it tested for the strength of the dog’s immunological response to a viral disease. If the dog demonstrates satisfactory levels of vaccine titers, it is considered sufficiently immune to the disease, or possessing good “immunologic memory,” and not in need of further vaccination against the disease at that time.

According to Randy Caviness, DVM, owner of Integrative Animal Health in Bolton, “A titer may be performed to help minimize vaccines. We recommend an annual blood antibody test, called a titer test, to determine if and when your pet might need vaccinations. If the titer is low, your pet might need a vaccine; if the titer is normal, no vaccine is needed. Rabies vaccination is a different case and vaccination schedules are mandatory and based upon state law in consideration of your pet’s health.

For the distemper vaccine a puppy should ideally get two vaccines–the second and last shot to be at 12 weeks. I recommend giving young dogs a distemper-adenovirus-parvovirus combination vaccine at 12 weeks; then they are all set. Rabies is typically given at five months old. The important thing to remember is that you need to make sure you get the second shot before the one year lapses. This way the schedule can be every three years from then on, and the number of vaccines can be kept to a minimum.

Once dogs are a year old, they have more of an established immune system and there is an option to begin the titers rather than doing another distemper-parvo shot.

Some people prefer to do the ‘no sod’ vaccine, which is a homeopathic vaccine. I am not a proponent of this type of vaccine; sadly, I’ve seen dogs die from distemper while on the no sod vaccine,” Dr. Caviness concluded.

Vaccines have long been considered part of the standard of responsible veterinary healthcare, and credited with conquering some of the most serious canine viral and other infectious diseases, but in recent years have also been suspected of creating vulnerability to illnesses and chronic conditions such as anemia, arthritis, seizures, allergies, gastrointestinal and thyroid disorders, and cancer.

Therefore, given the possible health risks of administering too many vaccines, especially when a dog likely retains the immunologic protection supplied by previous vaccinations, titer tests may be a good solution for responsible dog owners trying to decide on a safe and effective vaccine schedule for the life of their dog.

For more information on AAHA’s Vaccine Guidelines, visit www.aahanet.org/About_aaha/About_Guidelines_Canine06.html.