What does my puppy's very first vaccine protect them against?

Congratultions on your puppies! We normally start vaccinating at 6 to 8 weeks of age. At 6 weeks of age we can start what some call the "distemper vaccine" or the "DAPP" (helps protect against Distemper, Canine Adenovirus, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza). The Bordetella vaccine is normally given after 8 weeks of age and the Rabies vaccine after 12 weeks of age. You can see the guidelines for various vaccinations at : https://www.aaha.org/guidelines/canine_vaccination_guidelines/practice_vaccination.aspx and your vet can come up with a schedule appropriate for your puppies based on their age and lifestyle.

Puppies typically get three vaccines starting at 6-8 weeks of age. Starting at 6 weeks is better than starting at eight. The boosters are 2-4 weeks apart depending on their risk. High risk puppies (in contact with a lot of dogs, or infected dogs) should get the vaccine every two weeks. The last vaccine should be around 16-18 weeks and is very important for them to get, because this is when they are most susceptible to getting one of the diseases we vaccinate for. For more information, I recommend you read the article at the link below. It's best to have your vet give the vaccines, so they can ensure they are stored correctly, given appropriately, and are available in case of a vaccine reaction or adverse event. https://www.petcoach.co/article/everything-you-should-know-about-pet-vaccines/ I hope that helps and all is well with Luke.

Yes 5 weeks is too early for the first vaccination which should be given not before 7-8 weeks, vaccinations have very little to no effect before that. if your other dogs are vaccinated you have nothing to worry about.

Most adult dogs that were appropriately vaccinated against parvo as puppies - meaning 3 different vaccinations, given no earlier than 8 weeks of age and proceeding at 3 - 4 week intervals - are protected against contracting parvovirus, as long as they receive booster vaccinations as recommended. Typically, the recommendation is one vaccination on the one year anniversary of the last puppy vaccination, and then re-vaccination every 3 years after. Just one parvo vaccination is unlikely to be completely effective, but it may provide some protection, and if he contracts the disease it will likely be a milder form.

It depends on when Luna got her vaccines started. The vaccine series ends at 16 weeks of age because that is when her immune system is fully mature. It looks like she is still just shy of 16 weeks so I would recommend one final set between 16-18 weeks of age. I hope this helps clear things up!

It is true that maternal antibodies can interfere with the immune system's ability to respond to a vaccine in a young puppy, but puppies do not get significant antibody from the mother's milk past the first day so it is absolutely fine for them to continue to nurse. One reason we give so many vaccine boosters when puppies are young is because it is difficult to predict exactly when mom's antibody will start to decline in the puppy so that they can mount their own adequate immune response. Usually maternal antibody is completely gone sometime between 16-20 weeks, which is why we try to time the last vaccine booster around then.

This is a core vaccine that includes distemper, parvo, along with other viruses depending on the company it was bought from. These viruses are common in the US and this vaccine works really well. It is recommended to give a series of this vaccine as a puppy and then once a year after that. Some clinics do have a three year distemper/parvo vaccine so they only have to receive if every 3 years. I hope this helps.