Nomographs and Vaccine Protocols

Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.

These courses are for educational and informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian before making decisions about your dog's health, including administering supplements, changing their diet, or implementing training techniques that could affect their wellbeing.

Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.

Part 1: Nomograph and Vaccine Protocols Presentation

Part 2: Questions & Answers with Dr. Laurie Larson

Webinar Chat

Webinar Chat With Questions & Answers

Additional Resources

Nomograph Resources

Companion Animal Vaccine and Immuno Diagnostic Services Lab (CAVIDS) website The CAVIDS lab at the University of Wisconsin Vet School runs regular vaccine titers and vaccine nomographs for dog owners and breeders around the world. Visit their website for instructions, forms and more info about these services.
Keep Your Pups Safer: Use Canine Nomographs to Better Time Puppy Vaccinations Download this free ebook for more info about why and how to run nomographs for your litters.
Canine Nomograph: What Is It? More about vaccine nomographs.
Vaccine Titer and Nomograph Submission form Download this form to submit with your dog’s blood for both vaccine titers and nomographs.

Current Vaccination Guidelines

These are the current vaccination guidelines for dogs (and cats). Only the 2015 Vaccination Guidelines for Owners and Breeders provides any information on nomographs but hopefully future guidelines will incorporate this practice.

Guidelines for the Vaccination of Dogs and Cats. 2015. Compiled by the Vaccination Guidelines Group of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. [check]
2015 Vaccination Guidelines for the Owners and Breeders of Dogs and Cats. 2015. Vaccination Guidelines Group of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. ” When the antibody titre of the dam is known for each of the core diseases, it is possible to predict the ages at which the litter of pups can be actively immunized with specific core vaccines. In the 1960s and 70s the age of immunization was often determined by a nomograph.” [check]
2017 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines, 2017. American Animal Hospital Association. [check]

Research Papers

A nomograph that predicts the age to vaccinate puppies against distemper. 1958. Baker, Robson, Gillespie, Burgher, and Doughty. The Cornell Veterinarian, Aug 1958, page 158-167. The foundational work on distemper maternal immunity and nomographs. The details of this original work on parvovirus still apply today.
A modified live canine parvovirus vaccine. II. Immune response, 1983. Carmichael LE, Joubert JC, Pollock RV. The Cornell Veterinarian Jan;73(1):13-29. Like the Baker, Robson, et al., work on distemper, this foundational study on parvovirus maternal immunity and nomographs still applies today.
Time dependent decreases of maternal canine virus antibodies in newborn pups.1981, Winters WD, The Veterinary Record 108(14):295-299.
Use of serologic tests to predict resistance to Canine distemper virus–induced disease in vaccinated dogs, 2015, Jensen WA, Totten JS, et al. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation Sep;27(5):576-80. Puppies are at greater risk of fatal distemper infections than adults. Titers accurately predicted protection in vaccinated dogs and that protection lasted at least 4.4 years.
Risk factors for inadequate antibody response to primary rabies vaccination in dogs under one year of age, 2017, Wallace R.M, A Pees, et al. Puppies vaccinated for rabies after 16 weeks of age were more likely to respond to the vaccine than those vaccinated earlier. However, regardless of vaccination age, over 10% of puppies did not respond to a single rabies vaccine. This paper also provides info on when best to check rabies titer for travel. [check]
Evaluation of the efficacy and duration of immunity of a canine combination vaccine against virulent parvovirus, infectious canine hepatitis virus, and distemper virus experimental challenges. 2004, Abdelmagid OY, Larson L, et al. Veterinary Therapeutics: Research in Applied Veterinary Medicine 5(3):173-186. All puppies vaccinated with the modified-live distemper-adeno-parvo vaccine developed protective immunity and maintained that immunity for 55 to 57 months post vaccination.