What Vaccines Does Your Yorkie Need?

As a veterinarian who has seen hundreds of Yorkies throughout her career, the most common purpose for having a Yorkie come into the veterinary clinic is for their annual wellness exam and vaccines. Over the years, there has been a great deal of controversy about what dog vaccines are truly needed. Moreover, there has been a much harsher spotlight on the potential side effects and dangers that vaccines can pose.

In this article I will provide a balanced and detailed look at the different vaccines that are out there, discuss core vs non-core vaccines, and lay out for the Yorkie owner the kinds of vaccines that are needed and the ones they need to ask their vet about.

Core Vs Non-Core Vaccines

Not that long ago, the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) came out with their list of what they considered “Core” vs “Non-Core” vaccines. Core vaccines are ones that they recommend that every dog have regardless of lifestyle or location. Non-core vaccines were more “optional” vaccines that may be needed for some dogs but not others based on lifestyle, location, etc.

As a veterinarian, I found that set of guidelines extremely informative. As someone who came out of vet school in 2000, I joined a profession where many of the more experienced vets were still giving a large series of vaccines with yearly boosters. Three-year rabies vaccines were not at all common in most locations, and the scars of practicing through the years of the Parvovirus epidemic in dogs were still fresh in their memories.

What Are The Needed (Core) Dog Vaccines?

• Rabies
• Distemper
• Parvovirus
• Adenovirus

Rabies is a deadly virus transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. As rabies is one of the few diseases that can be passed from a dog to a human, it’s considered “zoonotic” and therefore has to be taken very seriously. Licensing for dogs in many cities requires rabies vaccination for this reason.

Distemper is an often fatal virus transmitted from the secretions of an infected animal. It starts commonly with respiratory systems and then spreads to the brain but it can cause a wide range of symptoms.

Parvovirus is a commonly fatal virus in puppies that come into contact with the infected material that is in the environment. Parvovirus is very hard to kill in an environment like your lawn. It causes rapidly worsening gastrointestinal symptoms, (vomiting and bloody diarrhea) but if it caught quickly and aggressively treated the puppy can survive.

Canine adenovirus comes in two forms that affect dogs: Canine Adenovirus Type 1 (CAV-1) and Canine Adenovirus Type 2 (CAV-2). Each type causes different diseases and symptoms in dogs ranging from respiratory symptoms (think Kennel Cough) to the other that targets mainly targets the liver, kidneys, spleen, and lungs. CAV-1 can cause liver failure.

How Often Should Dogs Get These Core Vaccines?

I always recommended that puppes under the age of 16 months receive these vaccines every 4 weeks until they reached 16 weeks of age. At the age of 4 months, the immune system of puppies matures enough that they can maker long-lasting antibodies against these diseases. Prior to 16 weeks, the only protection that the puppy gets is what the vaccines give them.

If a dog is 16 weeks of age or older when they first start receiving vaccines (that you know of), they will still need a two-short series of each vaccine given a month apart to get proper protection.

After that 16-week vaccination (or the second vaccine if older than that), each vaccine is needed one year later for proper protection. It’s the following year (roughly when they are 1.5 years old) that the booster schedule is different:

• Rabies is given as local law dictates; in some states that is every 3 years, but in other locations where rabies is still widely prevalent, it is still at a yearly interval.
• Distemper/Adenovirus/Parvovirus is given every 3 years most commonly in a DAP combination vaccine.

What Are The Non-Core Vaccines That My Yorkie Might Need?

1. Lyme Disease Vaccine (Borrelia burgdorferi)
2. Canine Leptospirosis Vaccine
3. Canine Bordetella Vaccine (for kennel cough)
4. Canine Influenza Vaccine
5. Canine Parainfluenza Virus Vaccine
6. Coronavirus Vaccine

Lyme Disease is prevalent in the northeast and upper midwest of the United States and is transmitted through the bite of a specific type of infected tick. Where I practice in Colorado, we don’t have that particular species of tick and therefore don’t worry about vaccinating for Lyme Disease.

Leptospirosis is a bacteria that spreads through the urine of infected animals including wildlife. It’s also transmissable to humans. Out here where we live in Colorado around lots of wildlife we have recommended vaccinating for Leptospirosis for years. Our clients never had an issue with the disease but the local emergency vet clinics have several cases annually.

Influenza is a potentially serious respiratory virus in dogs. It actually comes in multiple forms but I’m going to just group them all into the general term “Influenza.” Several years ago canine influenza mutated off of the horse influenza virus and rapidly spread across the United States. This disease primarily affected the very young, the very old, and the immunocomprimised (much like the human influenza virus in humans). At my veterinary clinic, we uncommonly gave the vaccine and then only when requested by the client.

Parainfluenza is a respiratory vaccine that is considered part of the kennel cough complex. While I recommended the Bordetella vaccine predominantly for preventing Kennel Cough, I would add in Parainfluenza vaccine if the dog was repeatedly infected with Kennel Cough despite having been protected for Bordetella.

Coronavirus in dogs is a gastrointestinal issue and not similar to the pandemic version that struck humans in 2020. The dog version causes very mild diarrhea and usually goes away all on its own in a day or two. We stopped vaccinating for this disease several years ago.

What Are The Dangers Of Vaccinating Your Yorkie?

While vaccines are crucial for preventing serious diseases in dogs, like in humans, they can sometimes have side effects or risks. It’s important to understand that for most dogs, the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks. Here’s an overview of potential adverse reactions or dangers associated with dog vaccines:

Minor Reactions

• Soreness or Swelling: At the injection site, which typically resolves within a few days.
• Mild Fever: A temporary, low-grade fever may occur.
• Lethargy: Dogs may be less active for a day or two following vaccination.
• Reduced Appetite: Some dogs might eat less for a day or so.
• Sneezing or Mild Cough: Especially after intranasal vaccines.

Allergic Reactions

• Hives or Facial Swelling: Can occur shortly after vaccination.
• Anaphylaxis: A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction is rare but can occur. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, collapse, and in severe cases, death. Immediate veterinary attention is required and these reactions can happen anywhere from 15 minutes to 12 hours or more after vaccination. Thankfully with both of these types of reactions, an injection of steroids usually reverses the reaction (although many vets prescribe an injection of Benadryl, I always did steroids as I felt they were more effective).

Autoimmune Disorders

• Immune-mediated Conditions: Very rarely, vaccines may trigger immune-mediated diseases. I always felt that these type of reactions depended greatly on each dog’s genetic makeup.

Injection Site Reactions

• Abscesses: Localized infections or abscesses at the injection site. Very rare.
• Granulomas: Small, firm lumps that form at the injection site and may persist for a few weeks. I find this to be most common where the rabies vaccine was given.
• Focal Alopecia: I’ve seen it a half-dozen times in my career. Where a dog received (usually) a rabies vaccine (one reason why we always give it in the right rear leg), the hair will fall out (inflammation of the local blood supply will effect the hair follicles) and create a smooth bald patch about a 1/2 inch in diameter. It will take a while but the hair usually grows back in but a different color than the rest of the hair.

What Are The Dangers Of Not Vaccinating Your Yorkie?

If you read the above section on the different core vaccines available, you’ll see that most of those can cause death and a few of them also can be transmitted to humans and cause their death. Unvaccinated dogs can also spread these diseases in the local dog population and potentially kill other dogs as well.

Your finances will take a direct hit if your dog becomes seriously ill with one of these transmissable diseases. My neighbor got a little puppy a few months back that developed Parvo a few days after being in the new home. The local ER clinic quoted him $4,000-$6,000 to treat the puppy (the pup did survive and is doing well).

What To Do About Vaccinations?

In general, I highly recommend asking your veterinarian about which vaccines are needed and which aren’t needed. Your vet is the best source of local information about these diseases and can put together an individualized vaccine plan based on your dog’s lifestyle.

Dr. Julie