Do German Shepherds need vaccinations?

Does your German Shepherd really need vaccinations? This is one question that has loads of answers and plenty of conflicting opinions and is a decision that should be made based on research and a discussion with your own veterinarian.

So let's talk about vaccines a little. First of all, conventional wisdom tells us all to get annual booster shots for our dogs. The reasoning behind this is that the shots only provided immunity to disease for around a year and that through annual re-vaccinations the dogs immunity would be maintained. This has been the advised protocol of most all Veterinary Associations for years and years and most veterinarians still follow these guidelines.

There is also growing evidence against vaccinating your dogs each year. In fact, many pet vaccines have been shown to provide immunity a lot longer than previously thought, sometimes even up to the lifetime of the dog, making annual re-vaccination unnecessary.

So, why do most veterinarians keep following the same old protocols of years passed when new evidence shows that vaccine scheduling can possibly change? Who knows for sure - maybe they sincerely feel the benefits of annual vaccines outweigh the risks, or maybe they simply do not want to lose money by not giving booster shots all year long, or maybe they're waiting for new vaccine protocols to be advised before they make any changes.

So what do vaccinations really do for our dogs? These shots actually work by stimulating the immune system of an animal to help protect them from future infectious diseases. So while vaccines are given in hopes of keeping your pet healthy and guarding them from future diseases, there are also potential side effects too including allergic reactions, diseases related to the immune system, various cancers, etc.

So, what should you do concerning vaccinating your dog and keeping your German Shepherd puppies healthy in the first place?

First, I would suggest feed your German Shepherd the best food that you can afford (note: I did not say the most expensive food, but the best dog food) with occasional raw meat supplements and do your best to keep your own dog away from other sick animals.

Talk to your vet about your dogs health and what you should do to keep it healthy throughout its entire life.

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"Every boy who has a dog should also have a mother, so the dog can be fed regularly." -- Anonymous