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Should I vaccinate my dog? Are all dog vaccines truly necessary?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Bully | Male | unneutered | 1 month and 26 days old | 66 lbs

I need some opinions, please. It may be criticized but I would love to know. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?. I do know rabies is a mandatory vaccine so I would do that but what about the other vaccines?. I read a few articles from owners stating how their dogs were a lot healthier because they did not vaccinate their dogs and they noticed a difference. Would this come down to the area that one would live in?. So it made me question whether I should or not?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 19th, 2017

Great question! Definitely definitely vaccinate. The articles you have read are an owner's opinion, and not based on any scientific evidence. The scientific evidence shows that vaccinated dogs are much healthier than dogs who are not vaccinated. This is because it keeps them from developing deadly diseases such as parvovirus, distemper, and rabies. None of these have cures, rabies is always fatal, while parvo and distemper are highly fatal. The truth is that vaccine reactions are rare, and benefits of vaccinating your dog and protecting them from deadly diseases that will cause them to suffer far outweighs anything else. A puppy or dog suffering from parvo is a ghastly sight, and it hurts my heart when I see a dog suffering from this when it could have been prevented by a vaccine. Your dog's health is so important, and that's why you should vaccinate. In my opinion, as well as 99% of veterinarians, vaccination should be done. I hope this helps answer your question :-)

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