Is my senior dog who's never had shots too old to get vaccinated?

That is a great question. Vaccinations and the benefits and risks should be discussed with your veterinarian. This is best because your veterinarian knows your pets medical history and whether all the vaccinations are still ok to do based on your pets immune system and current health. Another thing to take into account is your pets exposure to certain diseases. Most pets at least go outside to potty, so that scenario can expose your pet to certain diseases like leptospirosis (found in rainwater and the soil) and distemper (mimics rabies symptoms). And if your pet gets groomed periodically or goes to doggy daycamps or parks, then the Bordetella vaccination would be recommended to protect them from upper airway infections. Rabies however is the only legally required vaccination by law for pets to get. I hope that this information is helpful. Best of luck moving forward.

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.

At Ozzy's age I recommend the rabies vaccine, distemper and bordetella. If you live in an area with high rates of lyme disease or leptospirosis then you would still want to continue those as well. If rates are low however, you may be able to discontinue these. Its best to discuss risk vs benefits with your veterinarian. Please post again if you have any further questions.

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.

Hi there. If he hasn't had any vaccines since 2015, he would likely be due for DAPP (distemper, adenovirus, parvo, and parainfluenza) and rabies vaccines at minimum. Depending on his lifestyle and what diseases are prevalent in your area, he may also need to be vaccinated for leptospirosis, Bordetella (kennel cough), and/or Lyme disease. Your veterinarian should be able to advise you on what would be recommended for Polo based on these factors.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Linus. Based on the information you have provided, it doesn't sound like he ever finished his puppy series. The distemper-parvo combination vaccine (DHPP) is typically given every 2-4 weeks until the puppy is at least 16 weeks of age. The "L" of that combination is leptospirosis. That takes two vaccines to complete the series so this is likely fine. He should have a bordetella vaccine and depending on his lifestyle, influenza. I hope this information helps!

It is not true, it has never been proven that yearly vaccination have any negative effects on dogs, on the other hand some of the diseases dogs are vaccinated against can be fatal if the dog is not protected.