Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How long immunity lasts after dog vaccines stop for 3+ years
By Böhm, M et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2004·Queen's Veterinary School Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Serum antibody titres to canine parvovirus, adenovirus and distemper virus in dogs in the UK which had not been vaccinated for at least three years.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 144 adult dogs in the UK that hadn't been vaccinated for at least three years were tested for protective antibodies against canine parvovirus (CPV), canine distemper (CDV), and canine adenovirus (CAV). Remarkably, 95% had protective antibodies for CPV, 71.5% for CDV, and 82% for CAV, showing that many dogs maintained their immunity even after years without vaccination. Interestingly, booster vaccinations increased CAV antibody levels, and some unvaccinated dogs developed protective antibodies naturally. However, there was no evidence of natural exposure to CDV.
People also search for: dog vaccination schedule · canine parvovirus immunity · adult dog distemper protection · booster vaccination for dogs · unvaccinated dog health risks
Abstract
Antibody titres to canine distemper (CDV), canine parvovirus (CPV) and canine adenovirus (CAV) were measured in 144 adult dogs that had not been vaccinated for between three and 15 years. Protective antibodies to CPV were present in 95 per cent of the population, to CDV in 71.5 per cent and to CAV in 82 per cent. The prevalence of protective titres did not decrease with increasing time interval from the last vaccination for any of the three diseases studied. Booster vaccination increased the dogs CAV titres. For comparative purposes, 199 puppies were sampled at the time of their first and second vaccination. In the case of CPV and CAV a significantly higher proportion of the adult dogs were protected than of the puppies immediately after they were vaccinated. Natural CPV boosting was strongly suspected because the dogs had significantly higher titres three years after their primary vaccination than two weeks after it and three unvaccinated dogs had acquired protective antibody levels uneventfully. There was no evidence of natural exposure to CDV.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15119729/