Dogs need vaccinations because the vaccinations help protect them from various sicknesses and illnesses that are out there. Pregnant dogs, however, have very different needs when it comes to vaccinations. Marvista Vet, a site that talks about care for the pregnant dog, offers some suggestions on vaccinations for your female.
Instructions
Vaccinate female dogs on a regular basis. This mean getting them yearly shots for distemper and parvo, and rabies per your vet's recommendations. Your vet might suggest other vaccines for your particular area or for your particular breed of dog.
Vaccinate a female dog before she is bred. Take your dog to the vet before you plan on having her bred. Your vet will recommend a vaccination schedule for your dog, and follow that schedule as closely as possible. Tell your vet when you plan to breed your dog, because she should have a vet appointment and checkup before that time anyway.
Talk to the vet about her vaccine history and which vaccines she should get soon. Ask the vet to give her those vaccines, and some vets will prefer to over vaccinate rather than under vaccinate. If you have this type of vet, be absolutely sure your dog is not pregnant before allowing your vet to give her more medications.
Wait at least two days before you breed your dog. Keep her away from male dogs during this period, as a breeding could happen even more quickly than you might think.
Know that she will pass any immunity she currently has onto her unborn puppies. That means that whatever the mother dog has been vaccinated for, the puppies will also be immune to. A mother dog that has been vaccinated prior to breeding will carry all of those vaccinations with her and pass them to the puppies for at least one year.
Avoid vaccinating a pregnant dog or a dog that you think might be pregnant. It is more harmful to vaccinate a pregnant dog than to take your chances leaving her not vaccinated. This is because there are sera in vaccinations that can cause sickness in the puppies. These sera can also cause birth defects, aborted litters, or major medical problems with the litter or the mother.
Keep your pregnant dog away from dogs that might not be vaccinated, and away from situations where she could get sick. This includes keeping her away from puppies, pet stores or people who might have sick animals at home.
Wait until your mother dog has finished nursing her puppies before you vaccinate her again. She will still be passing immunities to them through her milk, and she will pass any sera in vaccinations to them as well.