Mastiff Puppy Vaccination Schedule
Why, When, Which Ones

by Ken Alden

Following a Mastiff puppy vaccination schedule is vital to the health of your pal during it's earliest years and easily ranks as high in importance as exercise, healthy diet and other care your Mastiff needs. But which shots will your pooch be needing and when?

Mastiff Puppy Vaccination Schedule

• 6-8 weeks old...Distemper and parvovirus
• 10-12 weeks...DHP
• 16-18 weeks...DHP and Rabies
• 12-16 months...DHP and Rabies
• 1-2 years...DHP again (as required by law)
  Consult your vet for exact timeframes and vaccination needed

This article will focus on vaccination in Mastiff puppies, discussing why and when you should take your large furry ball of joy to the vet for it's shots. It also details some of the essential vaccines that your mastiff puppy should get to stay healthy and grow as expected. Read More Below...

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Why Do Puppies Need Vaccinating?

Puppies need vaccinating to be protected from potentially fatal and highly contagious diseases like parvovirus infection, canine distemper, and a host of other diseases. Vaccinating puppies also helps reduce the chances of spreading diseases like Rabies to you and your family. 

By vaccinating your puppy, you’ll be introducing a weakened version of the pathogens to his body. This then triggers the production of antibodies, which ensures that your pet, both during puppyhood and adulthood, will be well-equipped to fight off any pathogens should they be reencountered. 

Vaccinating your puppy gives him increased chances of growing and reaching his senior years, provided you keep him on a balanced diet and attend to his other basic needs like exercises and regular grooming. Vaccination also ensures that no transmittable pathogens are passed from the dog to the family.

What Diseases Can Vaccinations Protect Your Puppy Against?

Diseases that core and noncore vaccinations can protect your puppy against include distemper, adenovirus, rabies, influenza, leptospirosis, lyme disease, and more. Core vaccines are mandatory, and noncore vaccines are vaccines administered based on prevailing conditions, lifestyle, or environment.

Here are some of the diseases that core vaccinations can protect your puppy from:

• Distemper: Caused by paramyxovirus, distemper is a highly contagious virus known to affect dogs, raccoons, skunks, and several other animals. The disease has no cure and is more often than not fatal. A dog with distemper can easily infect other family dogs, leaving you overwhelmed with vet bills and the potential loss of your canine companions.
• Parvovirus: Commonly called parvo, canine parvovirus is a contagious disease affecting unvaccinated dogs. The condition causes gastrointestinal damage, leaving your puppy with impaired intestines and, therefore, reduced ability to absorb nutrients. The virus can also affect the lymphopoietic tissues and the bone marrow.
• Adenovirus: Also known as hepatitis or Rubarth’s disease, canine adenovirus is a highly infectious virus known to affect the liver. The virus can be spread through nose and eye discharges as well as urine. Some of the symptoms of adenovirus include lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting, swollen liver, and abdominal pain.
• Rabies: Rabies is a common viral disease that can be transmitted from dogs to humans. The virus can be toxic, especially if untreated in humans. While the rabies vaccine isn’t listed as a core vaccine by the NCBI, it is usually administered with other vaccines after 12 weeks. However, the rabies vaccine is viewed as mandatory in most jurisdictions.
  

Here are some of the diseases that noncore vaccines can protect your puppy from:

• Bordetella
• Influenza
• Leptospirosis 
• Lyme disease
• Coronavirus 

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Vaccination Schedule: What’s Recommended and the Most Common

Below is a typical mastiff puppy vaccination schedule to use as reference. However, your vet should have the final say on the exact vaccination dates.

• 6-8 weeks: DHP (Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvo) vaccine. Often combined with the non-core parainfluenza vaccine (if advised by a vet).
• 10-12 weeks: DHP vaccine (second dose of parainfluenza will be administered if the first dose was given earlier). Leptospirosis, Influenza, Lyme Disease, and Bordetella vaccines can be administered if recommended by the vet.
• 16-18 weeks: DHP + Rabies (additional vaccines might be recommended by the vet depending on where you live or intend to travel).
• 12-16 months: DHP + Rabies. A booster of parainfluenza will be administered if initially given based on vet recommendations. Other vaccines that might be given based on vaccination history include Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Lyme disease, and Bordetella.
• After 1-2 years: DHP booster. Boosters should also be given for initially administered vaccines.
• After 2-4 years: Rabies booster as required by law.

Although this is a commonly used schedule when vaccinating Mastiffs puppies, consulting with your local trusted vet is highly recommended. Your vet will guide you on when boosters are required and on some of the non-core vaccines you should consider for your pup. 

For example, depending on your area of residence, your vet might recommend a multivalent vaccine to reduce the number of injections your pup would otherwise need. But again, always talk to your vet and seek assistance on which vaccines to give your puppy and when to administer them.

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Are There Any Risks?

There are some risks associated with giving your puppy core and non-core vaccines. The good news, however, is that the risks are mild and won’t do much harm to your new family member. 

Some of the common responses to vaccinations include:

• Swells around the injected area 
• Fever 
• Lethargicness
• Poor moods
• Reduced appetite
• Soreness 
• Allergic reactions  

Your mastiff might exhibit mild symptoms of illness. However, after a day or two, most of these symptoms will subside. Should your mastiff develop serious symptoms, reach out to your vet or your local emergency animal hospital. In general, Mastiffs tend to respond well to vaccinations, so you shouldn’t worry too much about the mild symptoms. 

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) strongly advises against vaccinating your puppy when sick. This is because vaccines work by stimulating the production of antibodies from a perfectly healthy immune system. As a result, if you give your mastiff puppy vaccines when sick, the body won’t respond as expected, thereby exposing him to potential risk. 

Therefore, if your dog is sick around his scheduled vaccination time, it’s best to consult with your vet for assistance. Your dog will first receive treatment, then get his vaccines after recovering fully. 

What’s the Approximate Cost?

The total cost of vaccinating your mastiff puppy will vary depending on several factors, such as where you live and how your local vet charges pup vaccinations. Moreover, vets also recommend combining vaccines with other services such as deworming and Titer tests, which can bring up the total costs of vaccines. 

Titer tests help determine your dog’s overall immunity levels, which allows the vet to know the appropriate vaccines to administer. If you live in disease-prone areas, you may end up paying extra for non-core vaccines like the rattlesnake, Lyme disease, and leptospirosis vaccines. 

However, the total costs of the core vaccines administered between 6, 12, and 16 weeks shouldn’t surpass the $100 mark. But as mentioned earlier, the total cost will depend on what your local veterinarian charges for these vaccines. Rabies vaccination usually costs between $15- 20, but the charges can be lower in animal shelters.
 

Final Thoughts About Your Mastiff Puppy Vaccination Schedule

It’s crucial to adhere to a vaccine schedule and take your mastiff puppy in for vaccination at the right time. While the pup might appear bubbly and healthy, he still needs to get his shots early enough to avoid contracting preventable diseases like distemper and parvo. 

When planning to vaccinate your pup, it’s best to consult with your vet to know the appropriate schedule and must-have vaccines. The type of vaccines will vary depending on your location, but your mastiff pup should get the core vaccines and rabies shots if he’s to remain healthy and live his best life!

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I’m Ken Alden. This website
is a labor of love from years of research and personal experiences with Mastiffs.

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