Each year, the time to take your dog to the vet for their annual health check comes around. During these consults, your dog receives their vaccines and their vaccination record (if you’ve remembered to bring it!) gets filled out and signed. These annual checks and vaccinations are important components of preventative healthcare. Vaccinations boost the immunity of your dog and protect against severe diseases. Depending on your vet’s protocols, one combination of vaccine that your dog may get is the DHPP vaccine. In this post, we’ll go over what this vaccine is and why it’s important that your dog is given it.
What does the DHPP vaccine protect against?
The DHPP vaccine is a combination vaccine that provides protection against canine distemper (D), infectious hepatitis/adenovirus (H) and parvovirus (P), as well as parainfluenza (P). Vaccines for distemper, infectious hepatitis and parvovirus fall under the ‘core’ category, which means that every dog should be given these, regardless of lifestyle or location.
D – Distemper
Canine distemper is a highly contagious and potentially fatal viral disease that impacts the respiratory, gastrointestinal, dermatological and neurological systems. It is commonly spread through direct contact with an infected dog, as their respiratory secretions contain high concentrations of the virus.
Symptoms of distemper include discharge from the eyes and nose, coughing, vomiting, diarrhoea, hardened paw pads, fever and seizures. Unfortunately, there is no cure and treatment is largely supportive, with aims to control some of the symptoms and prevent secondary infection.
H – Hepatitis
Infectious canine hepatitis is caused by canine adenovirus which primarily targets the liver and the cells that line the inner surface of blood vessels. It is spread through urine and faeces. Very severe forms of the disease can result in death within hours.
Some symptoms of infectious hepatitis are fever, lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhoea, enlarged lymph nodes, abdominal pain, bruises and jaundice (yellow discolouration of gums/whites of eyes). Like distemper, this can only be treated with supportive care.
P – Parvovirus
Parvovirus is another highly contagious and potentially fatal viral disease. It is most commonly seen in young dogs under 6 months old. Breeds that seem to be more susceptible include Doberman pinschers, Rottweilers, Labradors and German shepherd dogs. The virus attacks the intestines and bone marrow and is spread through faeces and contaminated objects.
The classic parvo signs are vomiting and foul-smelling bloody diarrhoea. Other symptoms include fever, lethargy and anorexia. Again, treatment involves supportive care.
P – Parainfluenza
While vaccination against canine parainfluenza isn’t considered ‘core’ in the UK, the virus is one of several that contributes to kennel cough, which is a respiratory infection. It can spread rapidly through the air. Boarding kennels and shelters are places where dogs are more at risk.
Some signs of parainfluenza are coughing, sneezing, discharge from the nose and lethargy. Some may recover within 2 to 3 weeks without treatment while others may need supportive care.
When is the DHPP vaccine given?
In puppies, it is recommended that the first DHPP vaccine is given at 8 to 9 weeks of age. The second vaccine can then be given 3 to 4 weeks later.
Some studies have shown that up to 10% of puppies may not respond to these above vaccines due to the persistent presence of their mother’s antibodies (these provide protection during the development of the puppy’s immune system). As a result, the WSAVA advises that a third vaccine be given at 16 weeks or older to complete the primary course. A booster is then given at 12 months or 12 months after the completion of the primary course.
In adult dogs, the DHPP vaccine can be given every 3 years, as it provides protection against distemper, infectious hepatitis and parvovirus for this length of time. That doesn’t mean you should forgo your dog’s annual health check as the ‘core’ leptospirosis vaccine requires yearly administration. An annual booster for the parainfluenza component of the DHPP vaccine is also recommended. It’s worth highlighting that not all core vaccines are given every year.
Are there any side effects?
You might notice your dog is quieter or less inclined to eat as much after receiving the vaccine. The injection site might be sore and have a slight swelling around it. These are common side effects and should only last for a couple of days before your dog is back to their normal self.
While plenty of dogs are vaccinated each year and it is very rare for a dog to have a severe adverse reaction, it is important to be aware of potential risks. Some may have an allergic reaction and develop signs such as facial swelling, itchy skin rashes, fever and seizures. If this occurs, you must take your dog straight to the vet for treatment. These instances are not commonly seen.
TL:DR
To summarise, the DHPP vaccine is the best way to prevent canine distemper, infectious hepatitis and parvovirus, which are all incurable diseases and can be potentially life-threatening. While there may be a very small risk, the take-home message that should be emphasised is that the vaccine provides great benefits to the health of the canine population. Your vet is always available to give advice on an optimal vaccination schedule for your dog, as well as address any concerns or questions you may have.
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Discussion
Vet sent a vaccine reminder ( distemper, parvo, coronavirus) for my 6 month old schnauzer. I don’t remember with my previous dogs to have vaccines at 6 months old. Are these vaccines necessary?
He already has these:
2 months: distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvo
3 months: DHLP, parvo, coronavirus, bordetella
4 months: DHLP, parvo, coronavirus, bordetella, canine influenza, rabies.
Thank you for your input.
The WSAVA do in fact recommend vaccination at 6 months, rather than the “standard” 1 year old boosters, as they leave less vulnerable time for those dogs that for whatever reason didn’t respond to the primary course (specifically, to the distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus components). I would advise talking to your vet and asking what their rationale is, though – it might be that there is a particularly high risk at this time in your area, and they’re being especially cautious.
Everywhere I’ve read the second dose of the DHPP vaccine should be within 2 to 4 weeks. Could that be stretched to 5 weeks?
The DHP component – yes, although it does give a longer gap in which the puppy is at risk of infection if the first dose “didn’t take”. I’m honestly not sure about the parainfluenza part – but that isn’t a particularly important part of the vaccine combination in most areas.
However, that would be “off license” use, and your vet may not be willing to take the risk.
My 24 pound Shetland Sheepdog bitch received her DHPP booster on January, 2033, at 17 weeks. I recently received a reminder from the administering veterinarian that my bitch needed a second booster within a short time (six weeks, I think?) after the first. I brought her in on March 23 for the second booster and was told that she would need to repeat the series such that she would have received the two boosters within the requisite time frame. Does this sound wise to you? As what I hope is an aside, our bitch vomited within an hour after today’s inoculation. Money is not involved in our decision, only what is best for our dog. Incidentally she is due to be shown next month at a national specialty.
Vomiting or mild lethargy after a vaccine isn’t uncommon, and isn’t a problem or sign of a serious adverse reaction – it’s a normal part of the immune response.
In terms of the timing, she’s at an unusual age for a first vaccine. In dogs under 12 weeks old, 2 vaccines are needed to ensure that one “gets past” the maternally derived antibody.
In dogs over 24 weeks, that isn’t necessary for DHP, and a single dose of an MLV vaccine (i.e. almost all the modern vaccine brands) will confer immunity. For dogs in between – do they need one dose or two? It really isn’t clear – most will be fine with a single dose, but not all.
However, the evidence suggests that a single dose of DHP with an MLV vaccine after the age of 6 months should be sufficient to provide solid immunity.
That’s just talking about the DHP component though. Other components, such as leptospirosis or parainfluenza (probably the second P) may require 2 doses at an appropriate time interval, or the immunity drops away rapidly to almost none. So it really depends what the other, non-core, components are, and how necessary for your dog, in your location, immunity against those diseases is. Here in the UK, I’d say lepto coverage is essential (wet climate, lots of rats); parainfluenza I would consider lower risk in most areas – and if they’re at high risk, I’d recommend an intra-nasal kennel cough vaccine anyway. However, I don’t know what the risk factors where you are, so you really do need to have that conversation with the vet.
My vet bill stated that my pup received a DHP-PV 2nd with corona virus as a 5-1 as well as bordertella. I was charged for all three. I didn’t authorize nor was Informed about the Corona one. Is there a such thing as a 5-1 including Corona vaccine? Also that this formula is considered core.
There is a canine coronavirus vaccine (although it’s not protecting against Covid – it’s an unrelated strain). However, it isn’t usually considered a Core vaccine; here in the UK, it’s only really given for breeding females. I’d definitely have a chat with your vet and ask why that was included in the protocol – it might be that there’s been a recent outbreak in your area and they’re trying to get ahead of it, which is fine, but you should have been told all the components and given informed consent first.
My dog had breathing problems the day after having the vaccine and had to be put to sleep
I’m really sorry to hear that. Did you find out why it happened?
No one can explain why. If I have another pet I will not have it vaccinated. The vaccination killed my beautiful boy.
What did the post-mortem show? If it was a vaccine induced reaction I would expect to see clear evidence on histopathology to explain how and why.
Because death as a result of vaccination is INCREDIBLY rare in reality. And if it did happen, it needs to be reported to the VMD (the medicines regulator), who monitor these matters.
Did you report the suspected cause of death to the manufacturer? If so, they will usually carry out a full investigation, at their own expense, and send the reports to the VMD.
If this is, tragically, a death due to a vaccine, it needs to be properly investigated and reported so we know why it happened.
Did not have a post mortem as was told that if we had that we could not have his ashes. I did not want him cut up either. The vet said it would not show if the vaccine was the cause. I did right to the vaccine manufacturer and they contacted the vets but no clear reason for death. He was fine before the vaccination but less than 24hrs later he had breathing problems and could not be saved. If I ever have another dog I will never have him vaccinated.
I am very sorry for your loss. And yes, it;’s possible – but without more investigation it’s not possible to say whether it was the vaccine or a tragic coincidence.
But by not vaccinating other dogs you would be putting them at a high risk of dying very unpleasantly – and much more slowly – from preventable infections. Is that really what you want to do?
I’d definitely think about it long and hard before making a firm decision while actively grieving.
My 14 year old dachshund woke up last night crying out in pain. He wouldnt let us pick him up and he is the same this morning. He had his DHP vaccine yesterday. Is this a normal reaction?
No, it isn’t. A few dogs are quite sore around the injection site for 24 hours or so, but that degree of pain is unusual for DHP (we see more painful reaction to Lepto than DHP, but even so, this would be extreme). I would very strongly advise contacting your vet urgently for a check up; given his age and breed, a spinal injury seem quite possible, probably unrelated to the vaccine (unless he jumped off the vets table or something like that an hurt himself).
Can dhpp vaccine be diluted with normal saline or distilled water
Not without impacting the effectiveness of the vaccine. The diluent is phosphate buffered to prevent pH changes inactivating the vaccine; substituting saline or distilled water could have unpredictable effects and certainly wouldn’t be expected to work as well!
Can we give dhpp vaccine to a nursing dog?
It depends on the brand. Some of the vaccines almost certainly can, but not all are licensed for this use.
If you’ve lost the original, I think the best bet would be to contact the prescriber and ask for a replacement vial!