What shots would my 4 year old and 1 year old dogs need?

We adopted our 4 year old Terrier mix when he was a year old. He's had his DHPP, rabies (both 1 yr and 3 yr shots), and Bordatella. We found the now 1 year old dog when she was around 3 months old and she's had shots for DHPP, parvo, Bordatella (1 yr), and rabies shot. Are they missing anything?

You've covered the core "every dog should have" vaccinations, others are up to you based on your dogs' risk factors.I live in a high-tick area, and so lymes is a must vaccination for me. My dog also interacts with wildlife (catches shrews, chases squirrels, trees possums and racoons) and so he has his leptospirosis vaccination. I also live in a high-heartworm area and so he stays on that preventative as well as a flea/tick preventative each month.

You've covered the basics. I would discuss this with your Vet. Some parts of the country have a high instance of other diseases such as Lyme disease and additional vaccinations are recommended in those areas.

There is some evidence that giving your dog too many shots weakens the immune system, instead of improving it...please read:http://www.dog-nutrition-naturally.com/dog-vaccinations.html

The current canine vaccine schedule used by many veterinarians calls for annual immunizations for the following diseases: rabies, parvovirus, distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, coronavirus, hepatitis, lyme, and bordatella. A typical recommendation for a lifetime schedule of pet immunizations is at 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks of age, with a booster at 12 months, and every year thereafter. Believe it or not, these recommendations weren’t developed based on any scientific research at all – they were simply “recommendations” in the purest sense of the word. These entirely unscientific recommendations were introduced by the USDA and vaccine manufacturers over 20 years ago, and many veterinarians continue to follow them today despite mounting concerns about the health risks associated with over-vaccinating.Vet practices which depend on vaccination schedules to keep the doors open are typically small operations of one to three doctors that do not specialize or provide emergency services. The markup on rabies vaccines is astronomical – 2400 to 6200 percent in many cases. One conservative estimate is that over half of dog visits and nearly three quarters of cat vet visits are for vaccinations. When you consider the markup on vaccines, the number of vet visits scheduled only for immunizations, and the typically short duration of those visits, the ‘vaccination business’ can prove to be very lucrative for veterinary practices that promote it. Veterinarians aren’t the only ones making a living off vaccination shots. The U.S. is the largest consumer of vaccines by a huge margin over any other country.Once your puppy or kitten is fully immunized against viruses, he is immune for years, and often for a lifetime. Vaccination against bacterial pathogens creates a memory in your pet’s immune system that helps protect him if and when he’s exposed to dangerous organisms. After your pet has received all his puppy shots, the antibodies he develops to the viruses he’s been immunized against will actually protect him from the same viruses introduced in future vaccinations. In other words, if his puppy vaccinations are successful, his immune system response to subsequent vaccinations will fight off their effect, rendering them useless. But vaccines, like any pharmaceutical drug, are not without side effects. Many in the holistic veterinary community believe what vaccines do inside your pet’s body is change the form of diseases from acute to chronic. For example, the symptoms of the feline virus panleukopenia are GI-related and include intense and rapid onset of vomiting and diarrhea. There is also a potential connection between rabies vaccinations and an increase over the past 20 to 30 years in the number of fearful and aggressive companion animals. There is concern among many veterinary professionals that vaccination is a risk factor for serious autoimmune diseases such as the potentially fatal canine disorder known as autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). Delayed vaccine reactions have been shown to cause thyroid disease, allergies, arthritis, tumors and seizures in both cats and dogs. There is also evidence of a connection between feline immunizations and incidents of vaccine-induced sarcomas (a type of cancerous tumor).Discuss what kinds of vaccines your pet needs, and how often, with your veterinarian. If you can’t locate a holistic vet in your area, make sure not to take your pet to any veterinary practice that promotes annual or more frequent re-vaccinations, or sells “puppy packages,” where you get all the vaccines for a “bargain price.” Ideally, well educated people in the pet community accept titers -- seek out and support these businesses. Make sure each vaccine your dog or cat receives meets the following criteria: it is for a serious disease (this eliminates many on the list immediately), your pet has the opportunity to be exposed to the disease (indoor cats have little to no exposure), the vaccine is considered both effective and safe, and if you do vaccinate your pet, ask your holistic vet to provide a homeopathic vaccine detox called Thuja (for all vaccines except Rabies). Do not vaccinate your dog or cat if it has had a serious life-threatening vaccine reaction. Rabies vaccines are required by law. Insist on a Vaccine Titer Test. Many veterinary state teaching hospitals will offer this test, as do private veterinary labs such as Antech or Idexx. Discuss with your vet the risks vs. benefits of the vaccines you’re considering, as well as the likelihood your pet will be exposed to each disease. Companion animals are not born with lifelong protective immunity, it must be established. In essence, vets still see lots of young pets die from preventable infectious diseases. Nice, huh?