Vaccinations
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Vaccinations for Maltese Puppies and Dogs
Overview
If you have a Maltese puppy or dog, you may have a lot of questions about vaccinations. This is a topic that every owner should understand since it has a serious and direct impact on our canine family members.
You may be wondering about vaccinations schedules, if adult boosters or non-core vaccines are really necessary, and what sort of reactions can happen.
In this section, we will cover all of the vaccination information you need to know in order to keep your Maltese healthy and protected from potentially deadly diseases while avoiding over-vaccination.
Am I legally required to have my Maltese vaccinated?
Though laws vary by state and country, the rabies vaccination is one that is required just about everywhere. How often a dog needs to be given a rabies vaccine will vary by state; for some, it will be once per year, in other states it will be once every 2 or 3 years.
Some areas also have laws that state a dog must be vaccinated against distemper.
This said, there are other vaccinations that are ethically
required to protect from serious diseases that can put your Maltese at great risk.
What is the difference between core and non-core vaccinations?
Core vaccinations are absolutely essential to your Maltese’s health and well-being. These protect dogs from diseases that have high rates of infection, pose a serious threat, and/or are a danger to human health as well.
Core vaccines that your Maltese should receive are those for:
• Adenovirus (Canine hepatitis)
• Distemper
• Parvovirus
• Parainfluenza
• Measles
• Rabies
Non-core vaccines are optional and given depending on a dog’s personal risk. Risk factors include the area where a dog lives (or will be traveling to), how often a dog may be kenneled or goes to doggie daycare, if a dog is exposed to areas where there may be wildlife, etc. In addition, the diseases associated with these immunizations are not typically fatal (but can be serious).
Non-core vaccines that your Maltese may need include those for:
• Bordetella
• Coronavirus
• Canine influenza
• Leptospirosis
• Lyme disease
• Parainfluenza
What is the vaccination schedule for a Maltese puppy?
It is important to note that each veterinarian will have their own particular schedule for vaccinating puppies. And, there may be flexibility (given earlier or later) if a puppy’s health is compromised at the time of the scheduled immunization or if a pup had a bad reaction to a previous shot.
This said, most puppies will have 3 rounds of ‘puppy shots’. This will include core vaccines and several important non-cores for diseases that young puppies are at risk for.
Other non-cores are something that should be discussed with your Maltese’s veterinarian as it will depend on your pup’s risk level. The schedule of these will be similar to the following:
Round #1:
Between 6 and 8 weeks old
Recommended:
DHPP combination core which protects against: Distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis), parvovirus, and parainfluenza.
Optional non-cores:
Bordetella, coronavirus, leptospirosis, Lyme disease
Round #2:
Between 10 and 12 weeks old
Recommended:
DHPP combination core which protects against: Distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis), parvovirus, and parainfluenza.
A rabies vaccination may also be included at this time; but, note that the age for this will vary according to your local laws; the first rabies shot may be given anywhere from 12 to 24 weeks old.
Optional non-cores:
Bordetella, coronavirus, leptospirosis, Lyme disease
Round #3:
Between 14 and 16 weeks old
Recommended: DHPP combination core which protects against: Distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis), parvovirus, and parainfluenza.
Optional non-cores: Coronavirus, leptospirosis, Lyme disease
Why do puppies need to have so many vaccinations?
It may seem as if puppies are given a lot of shots, but this is because out of the multiple vaccinations for each disease, only one will work… and it’s near impossible to know which time that is.
This is why... Puppies are born with antibodies that have passed from the dam (as long as the dam is up-to-date on vaccinations or has been recently exposed to the disease). These protect the pup for a certain amount of time, and as long as they are in the pup’s bloodstream, vaccinations may not take hold.
Anywhere between 6 and 16 weeks old, those antibodies will have lost their effectiveness enough that immunizations will do their job.
When can I safely bring my Maltese puppy outside?
Keeping in mind what was just covered, there is often a window of time in which the maternal antibodies are low but the next vaccination has not yet been given. In other words, a puppy will have virtually no protection.
This is why puppies should not be brought out to public places where there is any chance that other dogs may have been, or wildlife could have possibly been, until all 3 rounds of puppy shots have been given.
To be safe, it is recommended to wait one to two weeks past the point of the last round, which would be at the 17 to 18-week mark, before taking your pup out for walks, to dog parks, and other public areas.
Since you will be taking your Maltese puppy outside for potty training, be sure that the area you choose for this is one in which no dogs could be passing through (your own dogs are exceptions if they are up-to-date on shots), and that there is no wildlife.
Which vaccinations does an adult Maltese need to have?
Some vets recommend yearly booster shots for the core vaccines; however, lots of owners wonder if their Maltese really needs yearly vaccinations. The answer, in many cases, is no. Other than rabies of course, if your state requires this by law.
It is true that some vets over-vaccinate dogs; many do this to err on the side of caution. However, since dogs can have adverse reactions to vaccines, and vaccinating a dog when they do not need it has zero benefits, it is recommended to never simply agree to yearly shots.
Vaccinations for distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, coronavirus, leptospirosis, Lyme, and others can provide antibodies for many years; for some dogs, it can be quite long, up to 10 years.
For this reason, you may wish to ask the veterinarian to perform a yearly titer test. This checks for the number of antibodies in the bloodstream for each disease. If enough are present, your Maltese will not need another vaccination at that time, and in fact, doing so will be pointless.
Note that if you have titer testing done each year, you will see that the numbers drop. This is expected. However, decreasing numbers do not automatically mean that another inoculation is needed. It can be years before they drop low enough for that.
Your veterinarian should go over the results of your Maltese’s titer test with you. That said, for most results, a score of 1:5 or greater means that the body does contain enough antibodies. A score of less than 1:5 means that levels are low enough that another vaccination is warranted.
The need for non-core vaccinations and boosters for adults will depend on the current risk factor for your particular dog. For example, Lyme disease may be exceptionally high in your area, canine influenza may be expected to be severe one season, or your Maltese may need certain shots if you will be kenneling your dog or traveling with him or her.
Adverse Reactions to Vaccines
Overview
While immunizations are a vital step in keeping your Maltese safe and protected, there is always the chance of an adverse reaction, though it is quite rare. A comprehensive study of 1.2 million dogs by The American Veterinary Medical Association reports
adverse reactions in just 38.2 out of every 10,000 dogs.
Before you take your Maltese for vaccinations, it is a good idea to go over these possible reactions so that you know what to keep an eye out for. And remember, even if a puppy or dog tolerated a vaccination just fine in the past, a reaction can develop the next time. In fact, most moderate to severe reactions happen after the second injection of a particular vaccine.
Allergic reactions can range from mild to severe:
• Mild. This type of reaction is not uncommon. Symptoms include fever, sluggishness, and loss of appetite. These reactions usually resolve without any treatment needed.
• Moderate.
There may be skin reactions (urticaria), which may show as hives or bumps, along with intense itching. There can also be swelling that happens very quickly, redness on the dog’s lips, around the eyes, and/or in the neck region. Urticaria may progress to anaphylaxis, which is considered life-threatening.
This type of reaction typically occurs soon after a vaccination; often while a dog is being driven home or shortly after a dog arrives back home. This requires you to return to the clinic for treatment immediately.
Treatment is with injectable corticosteroids like dexamethasone or prednisone. Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) are only effective about 30% of the time for dogs with acute allergic reactions but may be given to help prevent recurrence of symptoms after corticosteroids wear off.
• Severe.
The most severe reaction is anaphylaxis. This is a very sudden, life-threatening allergic reaction that causes breathing difficulties, collapse, and possible death. Symptoms usually include sudden vomiting, diarrhea, incoordination, rapid drop in blood pressure, inflammation of the larynx leading to breathing issues, seizures, cardiovascular collapse, and in some cases, this can be fatal.
Severe reactions are most commonly associated with vaccines for leptospirosis, rabies, and parvovirus.
Anaphylaxis (severe reaction) usually occurs within moments after a vaccination, often while the dog is still in the veterinary clinic. Because this is an extreme emergency, the veterinarian will begin immediate emergency life support including establishing an open airway, oxygen administration, intravenous fluids to increase blood pressure, and medications such as epinephrine, diphenhydramine, and corticosteroids. If a dog can be quickly and effectively treated, there are often no lasting effects.
Home Care and Prevention:
Schedule vaccination appointments when you will be available to monitor your Maltese for at least several hours afterward. Periodically check for any hives, swelling around the eyes, or changes in breathing. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to call your veterinarian. While the veterinarian will record any adverse reactions to vaccines to possibly limit those vaccines from being given again, it is a good idea to keep a record for yourself.
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