Risk for Contagious Disease

Norwich Terrier puppies receive passive immunity from their mother's milk. The antibodies present in the mother's milk help protect puppies from disease and infections for the first few weeks of life. We administer their first vaccination at 5 1/2 wks, so that we may give a 2nd at 8 1/2 wks, before going home. Since the first vaccination is not as effective in contributing to the puppy's primary immunity due to maternal antibodies, the 2nd vaccination is much more effective in building the puppy's primary immune response. The primary immunity is the puppy's own "real" immunity. It is imperative upon taking puppies home after 8-9 wks, that you avoid exposure to strange dogs or areas where dogs frequent such as rest areas, gas stations, dog parks, etc. Puppies should be vaccinated every 3-4 wks until 15-16 weeks of age, and then should receive the rabies vaccine after 12 weeks of age. We recommend waiting until after the 3rd vaccination at 11-12 wks to start puppy obedience classes. Our policy has come about due to sending a puppy home at 8wks with only 1 vaccination, the puppy contracted Parvo after going home, and died within a week. Puppies are much better protected after 2 vaccinations and this is why we now ship puppies after they are 9wks of age, to allow for an immune response from their 2nd vaccine. We use Fort Dodge vaccines against parvo, distemper, adenovirus type II, and parainfluenza. All vets do things differently, but this is my policy formed along with my veterinarian for my dogs and geographic location. Ask your veterinarian about their recommendations based on your geographic location. Some diseases are more prevalent in areas of the country, and your puppy may require additional protection. For example our adults are vaccinated against leptospirosis since it is prevalent in our area.

The Norwich Terrier is prone to vaccine reactions, so it's imperative to ensure your veterinarian is aware of Rabies Vaccine Induced Ischemic Dermatopathy (RVI-ID). Some Norwich have a reaction to the adjuvant ingredient which triggers an auto-immune response. Symptoms may be sores or lesions in the ear, darkening of the ear pigmentation, sores on the tail or feet, dark lumps on the skin, or a lump at the injection site. Symptoms may appear immediately after the rabies vaccination, or may take days or months to be noticable. Allergic reactions to vaccine adjuvants may appear as itching, swelling, difficulty breathing, and need to be treated immediately. It may be helpful to administer Benadryl before vaccinating your Norwich Terrier. Here's an excellent article: http://www.norwichtales.com/coda/rvi_id.html