How long to wait after last vaccine...

[Beth & Cheddar]

Cheddar just got his last set of vaccines today, including parvo. I had a different vet last time and she said to wait 1-2 weeks until taking out on walks after the last set of shots. But the other vet today said that it takes two weeks to be effective and I should wait closer to 3 weeks after vaccination to do walks.

Parvo is prevalent in my area due to a large number of unvaccinated pets. From my own research it sounds like 10-14 days after vaccination is the typical guideline. But I would love to hear what your experiences have been with the waiting period after vaccines.

[Nancy & Echo]

I was told (by the vet tech/secretary) right away, but I knew that was wrong.

According to this 2011 AAHA paper https://www.aaha.org/public_documents/professional/guidelines/canin...  (see especially pg. 17-19)  they recommend , if you are going to test antibodies, to test at least 2 weeks after final vaccination. 

Of course, different dogs differ, different vaccines differ.  They said the most common cause of vaccine failure is maternal dog antibodies.  They say at age 14-16 weeks, >98% of puppies will have maternal dog antibodies at a low enough level that they won't block active vaccination.

I do remember Dr. Ian Dunbar podcast saying at a veterinarian conference, they took a poll of the participants asking if they had any puppies die of parvo, and in middle-income families, only like 2 vets raised their hands.  But since you have many unvaccinated dogs in your area, this would not apply to you.  Dr. Dunbar said the most dangerous areas would be dog playgrounds and the vet office's floors and sidewalks around the area.

You can try to invite friends whose dogs are vaccinated to come over and play with your puppy in your place in your enclosed backyard, or take to puppy socialization classes where they must submit proof of vaccination.

So I think 3 weeks is reasonable, but that doesn't mean your puppy can't meet ANY other dogs.

Hope this helps you make a decision.