The proper dog vaccinations and parasite control depends a lot on the area you live in with your pet. Areas with very different seasons have different requirements than areas with very warm weather year round, for example. Therefore, if you are planning a vacation with your dog or moving to an area with a very different climate than the one you have lived before, it can be a wise decision to ask your vet, if any changes to your dog’s current vaccination and parasite control schedule are advisable.
Dog vaccinations
In many countries several vaccinations are required by law. For example, all states of the U.S. have their own regulations due to rabies vaccination for dogs.
Canine Core Vaccination recommendations issued by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) are:
- Canine Distemper (CDV)
- Canine Parvo (CPV2)
- Canine Adenovirus (CAV2)
- Rabies
Find more information about recommended core dog vaccinations (AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines 2011) in this PDF for download.
There are also other non-core vaccinations for dogs. Please ask your vet, which additional vaccinations are recommended for a dog living in your area.
Rabies State Law Chart for download
Parasite control
Fleas, ticks and mites
Fleas, ticks and mite are a threat to your dog in almost any area at least some time of the year. Fleas can cause allergies and itch. Ticks can transfer diseases and mites can cause a lot of different skin issues from itch to hair loss and more. Mites usually are natural inhabitants of your dog’s skin, but can become a problem, if overgrowing.
Prevention is therefor a good idea in order to avoid health problems.
Preventatives are available as chews, spot-ons or medicated collars. Choosing the right products is important, because parasite prevention medications always come with possible side effects. The measures should be adjusted to the particular circumstances in your area in order to no under-protect your dog, but also give not more medication than necessary. Choosing products under veterinary care not only comes with the advantage of professional advice. There’s also professional help around the corner in case of any adverse reactions in your dog.
Intestinal & internal worms
Intestinal worms can cause a lot of health problems for your dog and damage the intestines. There are also internal worms that can cause organs to fail, such as heartworms. Your vet will be happy to tell you which prevention is necessary in your area in order to keep your dog protected. In areas, such as Florida where I live, combinations of worm, flea, tick and mite control can be advisable.
Intestinal worms are usually detected by your vet in a stool sample and treated with a de-wormer (often suspensions or granules).
There are different active agents treating different kinds of worms. Therefore it is important to choose the proper product and apply as directed. In areas with a low risk of infestation de-worming only after a positive stool test may be the best way to go, while in other high risk areas frequent standardized de-worming may be the better choice.
Please talk to your vet about your dog’s vaccination and parasite control needs.
[…] The vaccinations and parasite control your dog needs, depend a lot on the area you live in. For example, here in Florida Heartworm prevention is of the essence to keep a dog healthy. Back in Germany Heartworm was no real threat. Learn more about the recommended core dog vaccinations and parasite control for dogs in this post. […]
I didn’t realize that distemper and ticks were a challenge in my area but then I talked to my vet as you suggested and turns out they are. I will be getting them vaccinated in the next week. Thank you for helping me do what is best for my dogs. Thanks for posting this article.