PLEASE take the time to read this chart as it could save your teacup

The reason I have printed this vaccination information sheet is that I have had so many people with teacups or tiny toys that have written me about losing or almost losing their beloved little dogs because their veterinarian had given their puppy too many shots all at one time! The particular combination of DHLPPCorona-Bortadella-Rabies seems to be linked with the most incidents of illness or death.

Please discuss this vaccination schedule with your veterinarian before getting any vaccinations for your tiny puppy. Any ethical veterinarian that really cares about the well being of your pet should be willing to listen to and discuss any alternate treatments with you. If your vet is unwilling to discuss this information with you , then for the health and safety of your pet, you should find another vet but quick.

Your puppy will have had at least one or more set of shots depending on the age you receive them at. It is very important that your puppy receive the rest of their shots. And it is advisable that you do not let strangers hold or pet your new puppy or take the puppy to any parks, or for walks, or anywhere else where they might come in contact with any other dogs, anywhere that strange dogs have been, or come in contact with any other dogs urine, feces or vomit, until they are finished with their full set of immunizations! This is how Parvo is spread and it is most often fatal!

Also, when taking your puppy to the vets, never put them on the floor (where the most germs lurk) or let them touch noses with any other dog or let other people pet them. It is best to keep them in a carrier in your lap at all times as many dogs are at the vets because they are sick and these are the way germs are spread!

The Veterinary Medical Association, after many years of study, has found that over vaccination of pets may possibly contribute to many serious medical conditions such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy etc. So now they are recommending that once the puppy shot series is completed, that dogs receive a one year booster shot and then shots no more frequently than once every three years. This is particularly important with tiny teacups, as they can be more sensitive to immune issues than other dogs. Even though dogs do not need a booster shot every year, for your dog’s health and safety, it is still important to take your dog to your vet for a yearly checkup.

` In order to make a more informed choice as to what vaccines are truly necessary for you pets health and safety and what vaccines are unnecessary, questionable or in a few cases just given to make money, here is a short explanation of some of the vaccinations and what they are used for. Of course, this is my own opinion, reached partly by my own experiences and partly by the new AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) and AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) guidelines. This is in no way meant to be a mandate as to what anyone else should personally do, as everyone should make up their own mind as to what is best for their individual dog.

DISTEMPER & PARVOVIRUS- These are the two most important diseases to immunize your pet against. They are both highly contagious and seriously life threatening and result in more deaths than any other diseases combined. They are easily passed from dog to dog and from contaminated areas and can even be airborne in some instances. For your dog’s own safety and protection, he or she should be immunized with both Distemper and Parvo.

HEPATITIS-This disease can cause severe Liver or kidney damage and death. This vaccine is usually combined with Distemper and Parainfluenza.

PARAINFLUENZA-is a respiratory infection that can be serious in young puppies. It is usually combined with Distemper and Hepatitis.

RABIES- usually given at or after 4 mos. (California- law, may vary in other states.) This is a required vaccination in most states and countries. Rabies should always be given at a separate time from other shots, if at all possible, as it really seems to hit many small dogs hard. (soreness at vaccination site and sometimes causes a post vaccination overall listlessness and/or depression)

Vaccinations I do not give or recommend:

(Use you own judgment) These vaccinations, if given , should be given at a separate veterinary appointment and not combined with the vaccines above on the same day!

BORDETELLA-(a form of kennel cough) usually given in the nose in the form of drops but can be given as a shot. This vaccination is usually only necessary if your dog is being boarded at a kennel or veterinary hospital as it is usually a requirement. Most breeders also give it if their dog is being shown or will come in contact with many other dogs in close quarters. I have found no real benefit to this shot, as I have found that dogs that have been vaccinated with bordetella usually get the same symptoms and in some cases actually get a worse case of kennel cough than unvaccinated dogs when exposed to the same disease. Also, in a few instances, an otherwise healthy pup will actually develop a slight to moderate cough following this vaccination. Most vets highly push this vaccine, and if given, should not be administered to tiny pups until they are over 3 months old and it is preferable to wait till they are at least 4 months or older if at all possible.

LEPTOSPIROSIS-Many toy breeds (especially Pomeranians) have had severe reactions to the Leptospirosis vaccine and many veterinary hospitals no longer give this vaccine due to liability issues. So far, luckily, we have not seen any adverse effects to this vaccine in our line of poodles. When vaccinating tiny toys or teacups, the first two shots should be given without Lepto, and then ( if given) it is best to wait until they are at least 3 months old before they receive this vaccination.

LYME DISEASE-(this disease is passed on by the tiny deer tick) this vaccine is only needed if you are going camping and your dog will be roaming out in the bushes and you know that a lyme disease threat is present in the area, or you actually live in a deer tick infested area. This vaccine should only be given when absolutely necessary (when the risk of getting the disease far outweighs the risks associated with giving the vaccine!). There have been many dogs of different breeds who have had severe allergic reactions (sometimes fatal) to this vaccine. Remember- Lyme disease can be easily treated with antibiotics, fatality from the vaccine is irreversible!!

GIARDIA-(a protozoa that can cause severe diarrhea and intestinal upset) Giardia can be picked up by drinking from streams, lakes or ponds that have been contaminated with animal or other waste, eating tainted raw meat or bird or animal carcasses and other unsanitary conditions. Giardia is also contagious from one dog to another, but is easily treated with the antibiotic Flagyl. It is really not a necessary shot for most house pets.

CORONAVIRUS- Many new reports show that dogs are only susceptible to Coronavirus up until the age of 8 or 9 weeks old, and that there have been no new reported cases in adult dogs. Also new data has shown that the original disease has mutated and the corona virus shots given today have minimal or no effect on the present day disease. There is also some concern that giving corona virus at the same time as distemper and parvo actually lessens the immunity received for these 2 very necessary shots.

Vaccinations are usually given 3-4 weeks apart until the series is completed.

7-8 weeks either DP or DHPP (distemper, hepatitis <usually adenovirus

type-1and 2>,parainfluenza and parvovirus)

11-12 weeks DHPP

14-16 weeks either DHPP or DHLPP (same as above but with

leptospirosis)

17-19 weeks DHLPP ( This dose is usually only needed if lepto is given in

the preceeding vaccination as 2 doses of Lepto are

required for Immunity)

Rabies (after 4 mos. California law)

Your dog should always have a fecal test done by your veterinarian once a year to test for the presence of worms. Dogs may contract worms in many ways: such as from other dogs or animals, infested soil, and fleas. They can also contract heartworm from mosquitoes, which can be deadly. So your dog should be on a heartworm preventative medicine if you live in an affected part of the US. For right now, heartworm preventatives containing Ivermectin seem to be the safest form of medicine for toy breeds of dogs.

**Helpful Hint: Many very tiny dogs seem to do better and show less stress and post vaccination listlessness if given a small dose of Nutri-cal before getting vaccinated.