Golden Retriever Vaccine Schedule 2021

Dogs, including the Golden Retrievers, actually need basic care from their owners. They usually require proper food, training, toys, a comfortable place at home, and most especially, your attention and veterinary care. Speaking of the proper vet care, it usually involves the administration of vaccines throughout the first year of the Goldies’ life and even until he gets older. But, most first-time dog owners may not be aware of the Golden Retriever vaccine schedule.

So, to enlighten you on this, we have here the standard protocols for dog vaccination. Read along and check it out below!   

Golden Retriever Vaccine Schedule for Puppy

Generally, it is important to learn that the Golden Retriever vaccine schedule for puppies is not just only one vaccination. Sometimes, there are things that you must have to consider in terms of vaccinating a dog. Factors for canine vaccinations include the country where you live and the individual risk factors of each doggy.

Moreover, there are some canines that do not require getting vaccinated by a specific vaccine. That would highly depend on your consultation with the veterinarian. Because of that, it is really important to inquire about the Golden Retriever vaccine schedule to your vet on your every visit.

So, to have a basic foundation on the Golden Retriever vaccine schedule for the puppy, here is the table of the puppy vaccination standard guideline on the first year of a canine’s life.

AGE OF THE PUPPY (in weeks)	VACCINES RECOMMENDED	OPTIONAL VACCINES
6 to 8	Distemper and Parvovirus	Bordetella
10 to 12	DHPP (combination vaccines for distemper with hepatitis or adenovirus plus parainfluenza, and parvovirus)	Influenza and Leptospirosis plus Bordetella and Lyme disease based on the dog’s lifestyle and as recommended by the vet
16 to 18	DHPP and Rabies	Influenza and Lyme disease plus Leptospirosis with Bordetella depending on dog’s lifestyle
(In months) 12 to 16	DHPP and Rabies	Coronavirus and Leptospirosis plus Bordetella with Lyme disease
(Annually) 1 to 2	DHPP	Influenza and Coronavirus plus Leptospirosis and Bordetella and Lyme disease depending on dog’s lifestyle
(Annually) 1 to 3	Rabies depending on the requirement of the law	None

Vaccine Schedule for Golden Retriever: When and How Often It Is

Actually, vaccination of the Golden Retriever puppy due to too many diseases on one time shot may result in overstimulation of the immune system. Knowing that it is highly important to follow a regular vaccination schedule. That way, your Goldies may get all the potential benefits of the entire immunization process.

Moreover, vaccinating the Golden Retriever puppy too often tends to be intuitive compared to giving him a combination vaccine on a one-time shot. Yet, all you need here as a pet owner is to have more patience. Unfortunately, chances are some vaccination cases may highly suppress the immune system of the puppy. And it may result to have more risks for other canine diseases.

As early as 6 to 10 weeks old, some puppies started to get vaccinated. Actually, this is to ensure that the antibodies coming from the milk of their moms are still active. Moreover, the rabies vaccine usually starts to be injected into the pups at the age of 3 months or so.

As innovation takes place, it also does something on the development of vaccines including the ones given to canines. Nowadays, there are available booster shots that are scheduled to be provided on an annual basis. However, the frequency of giving the booster shots yearly or if more harm is at risk than the good it may bring to the immune system is still on the hot seat.

So, for that, it is always recommendable to consult the veterinarian and open your queries regarding the booster shots for the Golden Retrievers.

The Importance of Golden Retriever Vaccine Schedule

Okay, in humans, children are vaccinated in order to protect them from acquiring measles or chickenpox. For our furry buddy counterpart, vaccinating them can also prevent them from having a specific disease. They may be protected against distemper, rabies, and other diseases common in canines.

Once the Golden Retriever puppy is vaccinated, the antigens inside the vaccine may spread over the dog’s immune system. That way, the system of the dog may create antibodies in order to ward off any infection.

The Core Vaccines for Golden Retriever Puppy

Since we already have an overview of the Golden Retriever vaccine schedule based on the table above, yet we don’t understand yet what’s really going on. We may notice that there are some recommended vaccines and there are some vaccines that are optional to be injected into your Goldies. However, we don’t have an idea what really those vaccines are all about.

So, here is a detailed guideline about the core vaccinations needed by the Golden Retriever puppy. The core vaccines are generally important to be given for dogs especially during their puppyhood. Check what are those:

1-RABIES

It is commonly a disease for dogs that are caused by a virus and it may generally lead to swelling of the brain. Generally, this disease is fatal and it can be passed by the dogs to humans most likely when dogs having this disease bite humans. Because of that, the rabies vaccine is the number one vaccine for canines that are required by the law.

In case the Golden Retriever puppy has already been vaccinated for rabies, the Golden Retriever vaccine schedule should be done once per year. Or, you can also opt for a booster shot for rabies once every three years. The frequency of vaccination is actually based on the local laws.

2-DISTEMPER

Distemper is another deadly infection affecting canines. The brain, spinal cord, digestive system, and the dog’s breathing are the ones being targeted by this disease. Because of that, the Golden Retriever puppy needs to be vaccinated with this as soon as 9 weeks old.

Adverse reactions may be experienced by your Goldies when vaccinated with distemper but they are just rare. Moreover, the side effects typically appear if the Golden Retriever puppy is vaccinated lesser than 9 weeks old. Unlike the rabies vaccine, distemper does not require any booster shot. This is due to the reason that this vaccine will last until seven and a half years.

However, the distemper has a combination shot with parvo vaccine which is known as the DHPP but, unfortunately, it is not regulated by the law. Dog specialists usually recommend the vaccination of two shots of DHPP for unvaccinated adult Goldies pups. This will be alienated by around two to four weeks.

After one year, the Golden Retriever should be vaccinated with the booster shot of the DHPP and eventually every three years. However, the existing organizations do not vaccinate continuous shots of DHPP. Previously vaccinated adult canine has the ability to spend around greater than three years between DHPP.

3-ADENOVIRUS / HEPATITIS

This is a canine disease that cannot be transmitted to humans. However, it is a condition of the dog that may seriously affect their liver and kidneys. Unfortunately, it may end up in chronic kidney problems and, worse, the death of canines. The virus that causes the canine’s hepatitis is not usually related to human hepatitis.

Golden Retrievers having hepatitis may have a slight fever, mucous membrane congestion, jaundice, enlargement of the stomach, vomiting, and pain in the liver. A mild form of canine hepatitis is easy to overcome by the Goldies, yet the severe one can really be fatal. No cure is available for canine hepatitis until now. However, veterinarians may able to mitigate the symptoms.

4-PARVOVIRUS

Another life-threatening condition in canines is the parvovirus which generally targets their white blood cells. It also attacks the GI tract of the Goldies which generally results in fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Moreover, extreme dehydration of dogs is also possible and in this case, the dog’s life may come to an end within 48 to 72 hours.

Golden Retriever puppies having parvovirus may also experience damage to their heart muscles or other chronic heart conditions. Again, there is no cure for this on dogs, so it is very important to keep them hydrated and manage the secondary symptoms. This will generally help the pooch to go on until such time that the immune system of the dog can cope up with the illness.

Other Available Non-Core Vaccines for Golden Retriever Puppy

Compared to highly required core vaccines for administration into the Goldies during their puppyhood, the non-core vaccines are only provided optionally depending on the dog’s age, lifestyle, and location. Usually, the dog’s conditions targeted by the non-core vaccines may not contribute to the high death rate or high probability of puppy infection. The veterinarian typically recommends these non-core vaccines based on your dog’s condition and the infection in your locality.

Here is the list of the non-core vaccines that you must need to know:

1-LYME DISEASE

Tick bites are the most common cause of Lyme disease and usually cause inflammation of the joints, lameness, and arthritis. Spots are the usual symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs. Acquiring this, the dog may begin to experience limping, swelling of the lymph nodes, increase in temperature, and loss of appetite. Moreover, if left untreated, this may generally affect the heart and kidney organs of the Goldies as well.

The good thing is that treatment is available for Lyme disease. Immediate diagnosis may be given with antibiotic treatment. The death rate due to this condition is also rare in dogs. So, vaccination for Lyme disease is not actually essential if you are not living in places where ticks are prevalent.

2-BORDETELLA

Bordetella species is the main causative agent of Kennel Cough in dogs. Although not a core vaccine, this is highly recommended by most medical professionals to be given to dogs. The vaccine of Bordetella is generally helpful for dogs placed in kennels as they may acquire skin infection in such kind of environment. Moreover, Golden Retrievers are also prone to some skin problems so, to be safe, better to get a Golden Retriever vaccine schedule for this.

In case you will place the dog in a kennel, it is recommended to give them a shot of Bordetella three days prior to getting inside the kennel. The vaccine will last for about six months but it will only protect the dog from three of the causes of Kennel Cough out of the eight. 

3-CORONAVIRUS

Although highly prevalent nowadays, the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease in humans is not actually the same as that of dogs. The coronavirus in canines typically targets the GI tract of the dog and may also have some effect on its respiratory system. This is known to be the causative agent for a dog’s diarrhea. So, symptoms may include loose stool, loss of appetite, and vomiting.

Treatment generally involves hydrating the dog all the time, making them feel comfortable and warm, and relieving nausea. However, a specific drug is not present to totally eradicate the coronavirus inside the system of the dog.

Those who are at higher risk for mortality are puppies under 12 weeks old. But, older than that, dogs may completely overcome the disease after few days. So, the coronavirus vaccine is not as necessary to be given to Goldies.

4-GIARDIASIS

Giardia is basically a parasite that resides in the intestine of the dog. Dogs may acquire this parasite from other infected dogs via fecal matter. Giardiasis is also another cause of dog’s diarrhea but treatment is available right after a positive diagnosis of the veterinarian.

5-LEPTOSPIROSIS

Having leptospirosis, dogs may not usually show off any signs and symptoms of the condition. In some instances, you will notice symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and loss of appetite. The bacteria causing this disease in dogs are profound within the soil and water. Like rabies, this is also a zoonotic condition which means that the mode of transmission is from animals to humans. Higher risks for this disease are those dogs living on a farm or spending a lot of time inside the kennel.

Golden Retriever Vaccine Schedule – Boosters and Titers for Adult Dogs

Actually, giving booster shots to adult dogs on a yearly basis raise a concern and is a debatable topic in the canine world. Numbers of veterinarians strongly assume that adult dogs getting many vaccinations may put forth some health risks. However, some vets disagree on this, enunciating that annual vaccinations will help in the prevention of acquiring contagious diseases in dogs like the distemper.

That’s why communication with the veterinarian is very crucial here. You will able to identify the kind of vaccination guidelines that may suitably work for you and your Golden Retriever. Moreover, some pet owners consider conducting titer tests prior to the administration of the yearly vaccinations for their pooch.

Titer tests basically identify the level of immunity of your Goldies and may also help in determining the applicable vaccinations, if needed. However, excluding the rabies vaccine in performing a titer test. Generally, the law all over the United States requires the vaccination of rabies vaccination to dogs at a specific age. Ask your veterinarian for the rabies vaccine schedule based on your state.

Cost of the Golden Retriever Vaccination

Generally, like the need for vaccinating Goldies, the cost of Golden Retriever vaccination highly depends on certain factors. You may generally consider the location where you live. Actually, veterinarians residing in crowded and urban places charge more compared to vets located in a small town.

So, definitely, there is price variation on the different vaccines for the Golden Retriever. Yet, regardless of the price range, the numbers of vaccines especially the core ones are highly necessary for administration.

• The average cost of a dog’s vaccination: about $75 to $100; this highly includes the core vaccines that are given in three series which are usually at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks old.

• Cost of rabies vaccination: has a separate price that usually ranges from $15 to $20 as this is not part of the core vaccines. Yet, there are some clinics that also incorporate the cost of rabies vaccine with the core vaccines.

• Cost of vaccination on animal shelters: often, animal shelters charge vaccines for a lesser amount. The price generally begins at around $20, sometimes, if you are lucky enough, the shelter may administer for free. In case you get your furry buddy on a shelter, the dog has vaccinations, most likely, until his present age of your acquisition to him.

Final Thoughts

The topic of vaccine schedules is still in debate among some veterinarians. Luckily, there is a well-develop agreement within the organizations setting standard guidelines of dog’s vaccination schedules. Moreover, do not forget to give the core vaccines and administer them to the Goldies at the right age. Some vaccines, like rabies, require booster shots that have an annual schedule of up to three years as mandated by law.

But, after all, subjecting your Golden Retriever to vaccinations may all worth it. The effort and care that you exert to your Goldie will gain reward in return through his lifelong compassion to you as his pet owner. So, make the critical years of his life enjoyable and exciting by giving him the proper care that he needs.