My 6-year-old dog is overdue for vaccines. What does he need?

Hello. A lot depends on what might be considered a problem in your area. For example, there have only been sporadic outbreaks across the country of Canine Influenza, & Lymes Disease is more of an issue east of the Mississippi. The AVMA considers the core or necessary vaccinations Rabies, Distemper, Adenovirus & Parvovirus, all of which can be given every 1, 2 or 3 years. You need to discuss this with your veterinarian as to what they see in their other patients, & also what you are comfortable with given your lifestyle with Cloud. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is not too late for vaccines. Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Discuss your dog's lifestyle. Together, you can determine which vaccine protocol is best for your dog. At the very least your dog should get a rabies vaccine and a distemper/parvovirus combo vaccine. He may require boosters 4 weeks after the initial vaccines. Consider a heartworm test and fecal as well. Monthly preventatives are also strongly recommended.

Vaccine recommendations to partially depend upon his lifestyle and where you live. Also, that second vaccine should have been given in a 2 to 4 week window from the initial vaccine. If it was given later than four weeks after the first vaccine, he will need booster vaccines within a 2 to 4 week window. Assuming he was given the vaccines at the appropriate time, Kai should get another DHLPP and a rabies vaccine. If he gets groomed, goes to the park or has contact with other dogs in general, you may consider getting a kennel cough vaccine. Other vaccines are for Lyme disease and Influenza (dog flu). Your local veterinarian can discuss if these diseases are present in your area and what potential risk factors exist. You may be able to find lower cost vaccinations at a low-cost vaccine clinic or a vaccine clinic in general. You can generally find information online. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Your dog will need several vaccines. Most veterinarians give a yearly combo vaccine that includes distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and Corona (DHPPC). He will also need his Rabies vaccine. Rabies can now be given every three years after the initial 1 year vaccine. Other vaccines that I recommend are Canine Bordetella vacine (kennel cough) that is given every 6 or 12 months, and a Leptospirosis vaccine (this vaccine can be added to the combo vaccine or given alone). If your veterinarian offers a Lymes disease vaccine (probably means lymes is prevelant in your area), it would be a good idea to get that one as well. I also recommend getting your dog tested for heartworm disease and putting him on a monthly heartworm pill. Best of luck to you and your new dog and thank you for using pet coach.

Hello, and thanks for your question. The "core" vaccines that Bentley *should* have received as a puppy are his rabies vaccine (usually given between 12-16 weeks of age) and his distemper/parvovirus vaccines (usually given every 3-4 weeks from 8 to over 16 weeks of age). Both these vaccines would be boostered a year later. If you have no vaccine history on Bentley, then it's best to err on the side of making sure he's protected. It won't hurt him to get the vaccines now, even if he received them as a puppy. I would definitely get him vaccinated for rabies and distemper/parvovirus, and then I'd recommend talking to your vet about the other "non-core" vaccines they recommend for your area and Bentley's potential risk. Possible additional vaccines could include bordetella ("Kennel cough"), canine influenza, lyme, and leptospirosis. They can help establish the best vaccine schedule for you, based on the vaccines you decide on together for Bentley.. Hope this helps!

No, he isn't too old to be vaccinated. A rabies vaccine can be given and boosted in 1 year, then every 3 years. The distemper/parvovirus combination (DHPP) can be given, then boosted in 4 weeks. After that, it can be yearly or every 3 years depending on the vaccine. Other vaccines, given based on risk of exposure, include Bordatella, Leptospirosis, Lyme and Canine Influenza. Discuss these as well as monthly heartworm, parasite, flea and tick preventatives. Consider having Fatty neutered as well.

I can't tell you his breed for sure but labrador poodle mix is deffinitely a possibility. he needs a full course of vaccination just like a puppy does (because he has not been vaccinated for 2 years), these include 2-3 6 in 1 vaccinations and a rabies vaccination.