Pet Products

A Closer Look at 5 in 1 Dog Vaccine Options: Not All Dog Vaccines are Created Equal

In the era of ongoing supply chain challenges, your partners at Revival Animal Health have been working furiously to ensure you have access to the quality products and supplies you need for the animals in your care.

Dog Vaccine Shortage

There are current nation-wide shortages happening for some of our top 5 way dog vaccines due to some challenges in manufacturing. Revival, along with most other retailers on the market, are being impacted by these shortages and are not clear when they will be available again.

We know you rely on us as the Pet Vaccine Experts, and we take that very seriously so we’re happy to share that we have a strategic plan to manage this disruption. The Revival Animal Health Team selects only the highest quality products for your puppies and dogs, and we have several reliable options available to supply the high-quality 5 in 1 dog vaccines you need to keep your puppies and adult dogs healthy:

  1. Solo Jec 5 manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim
  2. TruCan DAPPi (formerly named Duramune Max 5) manufactured by Elanco
  3. Canine Spectra 5 manufactured by Durvet

Not all vaccines are created equal. The Revival Animal Health Team selects only the highest quality 5 in 1 dog vaccines.

What 5 Way Dog Vaccine Should I Use?

If the 5 way puppy shot you usually use is out of stock, what do you need to do to transition to a new manufacturer’s line of vaccines?

Select from Solo Jec 5 vaccine, TruCan DAPPi, Canine Spectra 5 or Vanguard DAPP. All of these are a 5 way dog vaccine of DAPP (Distemper/Adenovirus/Parainfluenza/Parvovirus) in single dose vials. I have personally administered thousands of doses of these products with great outcomes in my practices.

Can You Mix Dog Vaccine Brands

You don’t need to start vaccine series over if you have formerly used another manufacturer’s product; just continue on with your usual dog and puppy vaccine series as you and your veterinarians have developed.

Canine Vaccine Guidelines

As with all vaccines, there are important guidelines to follow:

  1. Keep dog and puppy vaccines refrigerated until ready to use. Unpack deliveries upon arrival.
  2. Do not store vaccines on the door of the refrigerator or in an ice chest.
  3. Keep a thermometer in the refrigerator, near the vaccines, and monitor that the refrigerator is neither too warm or too cool. According to the CDC the storage temperature for refrigerated vaccines should be between 36ºF and 46ºF with an ideal temperature of 40ºF.
  4. Dispose of all outdated products as they may have lost efficacy.
  5. Use the Revival Health Records to keep records of the product used. This includes peeling the stickers off the vials and putting them in the record of each pup, including the location the injection was given.
  6. When handling groups of pups or dogs, use 2 holding areas, one pen with the unvaccinated dogs and one with the vaccinated dogs, moving from one pen to the other. Don’t count on your memory; distractions can derail your system.
  7. Use a new needle and syringe for each injection.
  8. Do not vaccinate puppies more often than every 14 days. Vaccinating puppies more frequently suppresses the immune system. More vaccines are not better!

As the Director of Veterinary Services at Revival Animal Health and as a practicing veterinarian, I have breathed a huge sigh of relief. This is just one more way the Revival Team has been able to use our well-established credibility in the field to improve the services we can bring to you.

If you have more questions on the best dog vaccines, call our Pet Care Pros at 800.786.4751 for additional assistance or recommendations during this transition. We are here to help!

Written by: Marty Greer, DVM

Director of Veterinary Services

Marty Greer, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, has 40+ years’ experience in veterinary medicine, with special interests in canine reproduction and pediatrics. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 1981. She’s served as Revival’s Director of Veterinary Services since 2019. In 2023, Dr. Greer was named the Westminster Kennel Club Veterinarian of the Year.

If you need help, call us at 800.786.4751.