Does indoor confinement affect my dog's immunity? Are boosters needed?

Most unvaccinated, adult dogs can receive a vaccination for distemper once they are, healthy, normal and not ill. She will need two vaccines given 3 weeks apart to set the proper immunity levels. Unless she has an ongoing chronic condition like an autoimmune condition or a blood borne parasite, most pets will not be immune compromised in general but I cannot answer that question for you without knowing her full history. I recommend to call the veterinarian who took care of Chutki last year and ask if she is immune compromised in anyway. Make sure to ask if it is safe to vaccinate her. Chutki's hair loss could be several things including allergies, endocrine disease, parasites, hormonal changes, poor diet or the normal twice yearly shedding of the coat. The only way to figure out the cause is to have her examined by your veterinarian. You can rule out parasites by using an oral medication like Simparica. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Having her spayed can also help to regulate her hormones. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

As long as your dog is vaccinated it’s ok to take him out for a walk. Don’t go to the neighbors house and don’t have your dog touch other dogs or wild animals. If your vaccine wasn’t recent you can have it boosted to increase his immunity. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Cheeky. I still recommend vaccinating older pets as they are more susceptible to disease due to weakened immune systems. I would ask her veterinarian for a mild sedative such as gabapentin to relax her for transport. I hope this information helps!

I personally think these are a waste of money. If Bruno is on a high quality diet he should not need any extra supplements unless he is sick and your vet has suggested it. The Beaphar doesn't have anything in it that his regular food doesn't already have. I don't see how this will boost his immunity. For the Drool's product I cannot find a list of ingredients anywhere so I cannot comment on it. If you would like to post again as to why you think he needs a supplement maybe we can help you better.

Your crew is adorable! Thanks for including a picture. The answer to which vaccinations your dogs need and how frequently depends on their ages and individual risk factors. I am attaching a link to the American Animal Hospital Association's vaccine guideline below. https://www.aaha.org/guidelines/canine_vaccination_guidelines/practice_vaccination.aspx In general, they recommend that all dogs receive DAPP and Rabies vaccinations. Those vaccines are considered Core vaccinations. Any other vaccinations are considered Non-Core and are only recommended for dogs that are at risk of contracting those diseases. The above website also includes a Lifestyle-Based Vaccine Calculator to help you determine which diseases your dogs may be at risk for, but be sure to discuss that with your veterinarian to make the best decision. DAPP vaccinations are generally given every 3 years in adult dogs. The Rabies vaccination is given every 1-3 years depending on your local requirements. The non-core vaccinations do not appear to last as long, so those vaccination need to be given more frequently, but it sounds like your dogs are not likely at risk for those diseases. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Here is a link that you may find helpful. https://www.aaha.org/guidelines/canine_vaccination_guidelines.aspx Typically we booster puppies, then they get a booster a year later, and then every 3 years. This is typically for rabies and distemper-parvo. But different counties/states may have their own rules regarding rabies as it is required by law. A titer for distemper-parvo can also be performed instead of just routine vaccination. Lepto and bordetella are based on the pets risk and not core vaccines. Dogs that are on heartworm prevention do not need to be dewormed unless they have tapeworms or another parasite is suspected. I hope this helps and thank you for using PetCoach!

It is pretty likely that after Mila has gone through the course of kennel cough she is naturally immune to all these bacteria and viruses involved for quite a while. So you do not need to worry about her being reexposed. The antibiotic will kill the bacteria that are involved and may opportunistically superinfect your dog. Again once she has finished the course there is likely no chance she gets reinfected from residual bacteria in her environment. So you do not have to worry, just do not expose other dogs to her environment or let her come in contact with other dogs as kennel cough is very contagious.