Virtually all veterinarians and pet owners agree that dog vaccinations have greatly helped to reduce the scope of certain major diseases in the canine community. However, vaccinations are regularly given to dogs that are younger; it's common for most dogs to receive all of their shots by the time they are 2 years old, and many dogs will never be vaccinated again after just a few months. The professional opinion about giving booster vaccinations and additional vaccination shots to older dogs is quite varied. Generally speaking, many vets do not see the benefit of providing vaccinations to senior dogs, and others do admit the benefit but are reluctant to do so because of the costs of the vaccines as compared with the risks of infection.
Senior Dog Vaccinations
It is important that your pet continue to receive certain vaccines throughout his lifetime. There are a number of reasons for this. Primarily, older dogs have been shown to have immune systems that generally don't function quite as well as those of younger dogs do. This is reason enough to continue to vaccinate older dogs. Additionally, many vaccines that a dog will receive in his early years are outdated by the time the dog reaches his senior years; diseases mutate and change, and one vaccine may not be sufficient to protect your dog against every potential variant of the same disease throughout the rest of his life.
Recommend Dog Vaccinations
There are a number of vaccinations that you should consider getting for your pet. Rabies is one of the most important. Of all of the vaccines that are currently available, this is the one that is most likely to be given in regular booster shots to your dog. Nearly all vets already acknowledge the importance of regular rabies vaccines in order to maintain good health for your dog, and also to avoid putting you and other humans around your pet at risk of infection.
DHLP is a common set of vaccinations that covers four different major diseases (distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus). This vaccine has recently come under question and may be changed by the time that you take your dog to the vet for a senior vaccination set. However, these diseases are important ones to watch out for, and regular booster shots will help to ensure that your pet doesn't contract any of these illnesses. If your pet were to get any of these diseases, his health and life would be at stake due to the serious nature of each of these conditions.
Other Considerations
The most important thing to keep in mind when selecting a set of dog vaccinations for your pet is that each animal is different. The vaccines that you require will be unique based on where you are and the environment in which your pet lives. For this reason, it's best to speak to a vet for more recommendations.