Last night I had the biggest ball of fur as my last appointment. A young Saint Bernard puppy, cuddled in its owners arms--a position she will likely outgrow within the next few days. Though she won’t realize that, I’m sure. Her owners had a common misperception about vaccinations in puppies that I thought I would clarify. Having purchased her from a pet store at the young age of 8 weeks old, they had been told she had “already received 3 sets of vaccines.” Their assumption was that she didn’t need anymore. The general guideline for puppy vaccinations recommends a vaccine schedule at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age. Until puppies are 14-16 weeks, the vaccines we give them are not fully protective due to the presence of maternal antibodies (passed from the mother via colostrum). It is thought these maternal antibodies slowly disappear and stop competing with the vaccines we give them as the puppies age. So it is not the number of sets vaccines a puppy receives, but the repeated vaccinations given until a certain age that helps protect them. Some breeders or pet stores start vaccinations very early and very often. So while the puppy might have already received several sets of vaccines, he is not fully protected until those vaccines are continued until he is 14-16 weeks of age.
To give you an idea of how quickly they get big, pictured is a 10-week-old St. Bernard from sar m's photostream.
--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.
Disclaimer Regarding Veterinary Information
joesen on December 16, 2010 at 10:23 PM
Until puppies are 14-16 weeks, the vaccines we give them are not fully protective due to the presence of maternal antibodies (passed from the mother via colostrum).