A transcript of the above video is provided below:
Today, I want to talk to you about the confusing world of distemper-parvovirus vaccines because they have a lot of different names and it can be really confusing as to what it means. So hopefully I’ll be able to clarify everything about this vaccine for you.
So the typical components and the most core components of the distemper-parvo vaccine are actually three things. One is the distemper virus. And that’s a really important one because that can kill puppies and adult dogs. It can affect a lot of their different organ systems and if an infected animal becomes neurologic, it’s almost always fatal. So this is a really important disease to protect against.
Then there is the parvovirus component. A lot of us have known about parvovirus, because that is really, really infectious for puppies. They have really bad diarrhea, their entire immune system collapses, and is highly, highly fatal without treatment.
Then there’s the other component, which we don’t really talk about a lot, but its also really important. And that’s the adenovirus. And that can infect the liver or the eye, again, making dogs really, really sick, and can be fatal if they get that.
So to recap: distemper virus, adenovirus, parvovirus, these are the main core components of this vaccine.
To make it a little bit confusing, its also known as DHP, because adenovirus is also known as hepatitis virus. So if you see a DHP, its the exact same thing as DAP, just has a different name just to confuse us.
The next thing that people add on to this distemper-adenovirus-parvovirus vaccine is the DAPP vaccine. That extra P stands for parainfluenza. Now, we don’t include that in our injectable distemper-parvo vaccine because that’s actually in our Bordetella vaccine (kennel cough vaccine). So we have Bordetella plus parainfluenza and feel like we get a better immune response by doing it intranasally than we do subcutaneously with our distemper-parvo. So we don’t include that in ours and have a cleaner, simpler vaccine, and put the parainfluenza with the Bordetella.
Then you can get a DAPPC. And that’s a distemper-adeno-parvo-parainfluenza and coronavirus. Now, this is one of those vaccines which is a total quackery. It is not useful at all. And really, I’m surprised its even on the market. It’s one of those things that I feel like a lot of the low-cost vaccine clinics just try to upsell people with “more is better” because there honestly is no benefit to it. Coronavirus can cause diarrhea, especially in neonates (very young puppies). However, we don’t start vaccinating these dogs until, at the earliest, six weeks but typically about eight weeks. By then, coronavirus has really done the worst it possibly will ever do to these puppies. And the vaccine is really not shown to actually decrease the diarrhea or fecal shedding of coronavirus at all. So there is really no point. And that’s one of the components we take out and do not recommend because its just something that can cause harm as they can have a vaccine reaction to it. This is one of the reasons we try to steer people away from these low-cost vaccine clinics because they’re just trying to sell you more without actually being better. They don’t have your pet’s best interest in mind with these recommendations.
There’s my soapbox.
So that’s DAPPC. Then there also DHLPP. And that L, if you see that in there, is for lepto. Leptospirosis is actually a serious disease. And its something that can put animals into kidney failure and liver failure. The reason why we don’t do it is because in San Diego, it’s really rare for that to occur. We have heard of case reports of it being in the area, but we’ve heard of maybe one or two in the nine years that I’ve been practicing here. The problem with giving the vaccine is that it’s highly reactive and it is required to be given annually. So a lot of dogs will have a vaccine reaction to it and the immunity doesn’t last very long. So overall we don’t think that’s its worth the incidents of the vaccine reactions and the annual injection for a disease that’s exceedingly rare. The only real other argument to give it is that leptospirosis is potentially transmittable to people. It is one of the only diseases we vaccinate against, besides rabies, which can potentially protect people. But again, its really rare, and is a treatable disease, so the risk-cost benefit ratio just is tipping away from us vaccinating against it.
So those are all of the different components that typically will be in the distemper-parvo vaccine. It can be just DAP like we give it here, or DAPPLC, which is not what we recommend. If you’re looking though old records and you’re trying to figure out what vaccines were given and when, just bring them in and we can help you sort through it. But hopefully, this provides a little bit of clarity behind this very diverse vaccine and why we’re only giving just the DAP here at Coastal.
If you have any questions, give us a call, 760-633-2254.
MY PUPPY AT 4 MONTHS WAS GIVEN DHLPPC BOOSTER BUT AT 1 YEAR WAS GIVEN DPC WITH LEPTO VACCINE. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE AND DID SHE GET WHAT WAS NEEDED?
The 1 year vaccine was likely a DAP (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus) and is the most important. If it was DAPC – it may have also included Coronavirus, which is completely unnecessary. Lepto is a vaccine that is required in certain parts of the country, so based on where you are located it may be considered a core vaccine.
Hello,
Leptospirosis used to be included in DAP vaccine. Why is it a separate vaccine now?
Great question! You can still find certain vaccines where the lepto is included. However, we prefer to keep them separate so we can better customize our vaccine protocol per patient.
My pug is 4 years old and we are living in San Diego as of December 7, 2017
Can you tell me if my vaccines are up to date she gets
Rabies in 5/17/2018
DAP, Boehringer ULTRA duramune 5/17/2018
Oral Borderlands brochishield 11/7/2018
For I don’t like giving her anymore than what should be required
Will that list above be accurate for the year.?
Just 3 is all they need correct?
Hi Anna,
Unfortunately we can only give general information and cannot comment specifically about individual animals. However, I only recommend DAP, Rabies, and Bordetella depending on each pet’s lifestyle. The booster interval depends on what has been given previously. We would love to discuss the specifics of your little pug and can do that in an examination if you are looking for specific veterinary advice. You can call our front desk to schedule an appointment at 760-633-2254.
I’ve heard from one breeder of yorkies that she will only do half shots of vaccines, DAP and rabies, because of the small size if the yorkies and the large doses that come standard with these vaccines. Have you heard of this and how do you recommend vaccines for small dogs <7lbs?
Hi Anna,
This is a good question because this is something that is starting to spread and has no basis in fact, even though on the surface it *feels* right. There is nothing to back up that this is a safer way to give vaccines because these pets can still have vaccine reactions, even at the lower dose. However, in order to create a robust immune response, you need a certain amount of antigen (the stuff that your body is trying to protect against) and if you only give a 1/2 dose, you may not be giving enough antigen to actually create the immune response your pet needs to be safe. Here is a link to a blog post we previously published on this very topic: https://sdcoastalanimal.com/why-does-my-chihuahua-yorkie-shihpoo-other-dog-that-fits-in-my-bag-get-the-same-vaccine-amount-as-a-great-dane/
Hope that helps!
-Dr. Evans
Our puppy was given neovac and neopar at 5-8 weeks old. My new vet wants to give her DHP. Will that mean I am over vaccinating her for parvo and distemper?
Puppies continue to need vaccines every 3-4 weeks until they are at least 16 weeks of age. Needing another booster is not an unusual recommendation.
What is the V DHPP 2 year vaccine and is it necessary? I don’t want to give my dog any vaccine that isn’t absolutely necessary ie., overvaccinating. Thank you Doctor and I hope to hear back from you soon. Regards, Judy Bailie. My dog is 5 1/2 years old.
(this post has been edited to stay focused on vaccines)
Hi Judy,
The DHPP 2 year vaccine is likely the same vaccine as a 1 year or 3 year vaccine but your vet has decided to give it every 2 years instead. Unless a dog has a weak immune system or there is a heavy exposure to any of the infectious organisms such as parvo, I doubt a 2 year vaccine is necessary and a 3 or 4 year interval is likely all that is needed. I cannot speak specifically about your case, but those are the questions I would be asking your vet.
Good luck,
Dr. Evans
Question. If a dog has been vaccinated as a puppy. Do you need to continue a shot regimen as they age?
Hi KP,
Good question. Unfortunately we don’t know how long these vaccines actually last after they have been given. Most of the vaccines last at least 3 years, but in reality they may last 5-6 years or even longer. I definitely recommend giving the booster 1 year after the puppy vaccinations as not all puppies mount a great immune response. Then you can decide in 3-4 years if you want to booster again or perform vaccine titers to see if a booster is warranted. The biggest downside to this plan is cost as vaccine titers can run >$100+ and would need to be performed annually vs. giving a $25 vaccine every 4 years (at our hospital it is 4 years, most others are every 3 years).
Thank you so much .. you made it all so clear !
My puppy had Parvo and survived. Should she still get the DHLPP vaccine? She only had the first one before the Parvo incident.
I can’t give you advice about what to do with your specific puppy unless you are a current client, however, in general vaccines are still recommended because they protect puppies against more than just parvo. One of the other deadly diseases they help prevent is distemper virus. For this reason, you should speak with your vet (or call and schedule an appointment with us) about getting booster vaccines.
My 2 yrs old chihuahua had her DA2PPV last July 2021 and now the vet wants to give her the parvovirus vaccine anytime soon, is this normal?
Thanks.
It all depends on when the last vaccine was given prior to that. We would be happy to review your medical records and make recommendations if you would like. Just call the front desk or schedule online!