If you own a dog for a long time or have started to own one recently, you must realize your responsibility towards it. Your dog might not need only bathing and feeding care from you, but also its primary health care relies on you. For example, do you know that your dog requires spaying/neutering and vaccination shots? These procedures are an integral part of your dog’s healthcare routine, and you must not neglect them.
Speaking of spaying and neutering surgical procedures that depend on your dog’s gender, age, and genital development, this is not the case for a dog’s vaccination. Only the age of your dog matters when you think of getting it vaccinated. Though vaccination shots may be expensive, at least they save you from spending hefty amounts on your dog’s medicines if it catches any illness (if not vaccinated.)
This article briefs you on dog’s vaccination schedules that are being followed worldwide and how much dog vaccinations cost! So, without any further delay, let’s get started!
What are the vaccinations available for dogs?
Like humans are vulnerable to multiple diseases in their entire lifetime, the same is the case with animals. Every animal can catch an illness at any time, and some infections tend to spread among animals and humans. Therefore the invention of vaccinations occurred.
Getting your dog vaccinated against specific harmful diseases is your utmost responsibility, and you must not ignore its significance. For example, dogs are most prone to catch distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus infections; therefore, you must get vaccinated with the 5-in-1 DHPP vaccine covering all mentioned illnesses.
After thorough medical research on dog healthcare, the other vaccines available for your dog are Rabies, Bordetella, leptospirosis, influenza, etc.
Vaccination schedules for dogs
As we have mentioned some of the critical vaccines available for your dog, let’s discuss the vaccination timetable, which may help you to decide when to take your puppy or adult dog for vaccination;
1. 5 in 1 DHPP vaccine schedule
You might have heard about the 5-in-1 DHPP vaccine as a ‘distemper shot‘ for dogs. The vaccine protects your dog against five deadly disease-causing viruses: distemper, two types of hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus.
There was not much information available regarding dog vaccinations and immunization; therefore, dogs received the DHPP shots at 8th, 12th, 16th week, and then every year.
However, according to the newly proposed schedules, your dog must receive the shots at 8th, 12th, 16th week, one year later, and then every three years. New studies suggest that if your dog has got its shots on time and never missed any, it can remain immune for three years against the diseases covered in DHPP.
However, in case your dog has missed its shots at a young age, you might have to get it vaccinated more often to prevent the occurrence of illnesses. Moreover, if your adult dog has been given a puppy set, you must think about getting it vaccinated again with DHPP since the dog’s immunity highly declines after puppy sets.
2. Rabies vaccine schedule
Rabies is a disease of wild animals, including bats, raccoons, and sometimes dogs, caused by the Rabies virus. It affects the nervous system of an animal’s body and tends to spread among both animals and humans. Therefore its control is essential.
It would help if you got your dog vaccinated against Rabies, with the canine-specific Rabies vaccine at 16th week, one year later, and then every three years.
3. Other vaccines schedules
The other vaccines available for your dog are leptospirosis, influenza, Bordetella, etc., as killed vaccines. Therefore, it would be best if you get your dog vaccinated against these diseases every year. Besides, leptospirosis holds an essential place in this regard; although the DHPP shots cover leptospirosis, it would be best if you administer the leptospirosis vaccine every year in your dog.
How much do dogs shots cost?
We cannot give you an exact figure about how much your dog’s vaccination shots would cost you since it varies from country to country, city to city, and above all, from vet to vet. Besides, there is a lot that your vet looks for, such as its age, health, medical history, living, traveling status, etc., before they approve your dog for vaccination shots.
Moreover, different vets charge differently for vaccinating dogs in other parts of the world, depending on the country’s currency. Some vets might also set a few additional costs as implemented by their hospital management.
According to American Kennel Club, our dog’s vaccination might cost 87$ on average. However, the overall 1st year’s vaccination cost might lie in the range of 100$-250$. After that, the yearly vaccination shots might cost you around 80$-250$.
The DHPP vaccination in the 1st year of your dog’s life might cost around 20$-30$, while annually, it would cost you 40$-60$.
Coming to the Rabies vaccine, the 1st year’s shots would cost around 15$-20$, according to AKC.
Some animal shelters might vaccinate your dog for free or for a maximum 20$. However, it rarely occurs. Mostly, you have to pay the vet as well for administering the vaccines properly to your dog.
Moreover, some extra vaccination shots like Bordetella, also referred to as ‘kennel cough,’ do not come with the standard round of vaccination. As mentioned earlier, your dog needs Bordetella shots every year, no matter what. Therefore, you have to pay an additional amount for Bordetella shots and other vaccines that are not present in the standard puppy vaccination shots.
For cat vaccination check out our article of How much are kitten shots.
Critical points regarding dog’s vaccination
- Getting your dog vaccinated protects it from deadly illnesses; however, your dog might develop pain at the injection site or become feverish after shots. Besides, these symptoms usually go away on their own within a day or two.
- Please note any allergic reaction developed by your dog. Primers are available for dogs who catch allergies after vaccination. These primers tend to help dogs relieve their allergies post-vaccination.
- The most important task is to find a professional and certified vet for your dog’s vaccination. Please fulfill your responsibility carefully so that your dog would not have to suffer later.
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In conclusion
Without any doubt, petting an animal is a huge responsibility, and you must take care of it with all your positive energy. Pets, especially dogs, become more like a family because of their affection towards their owner, and we assume you would not want to hurt them or see them suffer intentionally. Therefore, vaccinating them on time as per schedule is very crucial.
In this article, we have briefed you on dogs’ different vaccinations available and how much their shots cost. We hope this valuable information will prove helpful!
